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We don’t need to consistently be comparing ourselves to our White counterparts.
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“I want other Black creators to view it the same way. “I’m gonna be successful and go far, whether I’m on a top creator list or not,” he says. “I think that’s what makes it so beautiful that, even though we aren’t making all these highest-earning lists, we’re still able to be very successful and to thrive within our spaces.”įor his part, Brown refuses to take the undervaluing of Black producers personally. “When it comes to Black TikTok, a lot of content is only relatable to us, because we have such a unique experience as Black people and Black content creators only have a certain group of people they can really gravitate toward,” says Hines. The top five spots went to White influencers, even though Khaby Lame, a Senegalese immigrant in Italy who ranked at number eight, was named the most-followed personality on the app. It’s just one of those things where I feel like people don’t realize there’s a lot of work that goes into social media-you have to be continuously creative.”Īlthough Hines achieved a Forbes ranking, no Black creators were among the highest-earning TikTokers. “If I post a TikTok and disappear for a month, people will have already forgotten who I am. “The difference between social media and other forms of entertainment, like acting and music, is that the window of opportunity is much quicker because people’s attention spans are shorter online,” says Hines. Hines, who has heard the criticism of TikTok stars becoming overnight sensations, points out there’s much more to the process than simply recording a clip lasting one minute or less.
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The Mississippi native’s charming approach earned him a spot on the 2022 Forbes Top Creators list, and it has since brought his musical talents to the forefront. Hines, 21, jump-started his TikTok platform by transforming his adoring godbrother persona into school-age “digital darling” JaBria McCullum-and expanding his “Are You Smart?” improv game show to include celebrities. I think because my videos are entertainment as well, they’re more relatable for the audience.” “They don’t feel like they’re just being thrown information that could be kind of boring, when you’re on TikTok and you’re scrolling and people are just giving you a list of tips. “My videos are informative, but they have a comical approach to them as well, which I think makes it easier for people to digest,” says Brown. Brown realized his digital landscape marketability through humorous job interview skits, wearing signature bespoke suits-which earned him brand deals from LinkedIn and Microsoft even before he had an agent.
Daniel boom tiktok professional#
He also notes that his Corporate Baddie persona has received significant attention for portraying the singular experience of being a Black professional in an office setting. “And as a Black creator who also makes content about corporate America, my perspective is unique because I do it from a Gen-Z lens.”
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But the Morehouse College alum also gave viewers a look at professionalism with a generational perspective.“When you consider social media and TikTok, there are a lot of creators who are within the corporate realm, but I think what makes my platform unique is that there aren’t a lot of Black creators who do this,” Brown says. When Brown started his TikTok under the moniker “The Corporate Baddie,” his goal was to educate minorities about gaining access to the white-collar corporate ladder. Jennings and La’Ron Hines have converted their TikTok fame into commercial success. Able to attract hoards of dedicated viewers as online wunderkinds, creators like De’Andre Brown, Cleotrapa West, Mikhaela With TikTok emerging as the new frontier of social media since the start of the 2020s, more Black creatives and influencers are looking to dominate Hollywood as they bring their skills and talents honed on the app to the mainstream. And beauty influencer Jackie Aina has taken her massive YouTube following to retail stores, selling out eye shadow palettes and candles. Jimir Reece Davis, a DJ who goes by Amorphous, took TikTok by storm with his musician mash-ups and has since gone on to collaborate with Kehlani, Kelly Rowland and Snoh Aalegra. Jay Versace evolved from placing comedic clips on the now-defunct app Vine to becoming a Grammy-winning producer, getting placements in songs by artists like Tyler, the Creator and SZA. Quinta Brunson, first known for her “Ooh, he got money!” meme, went from being a BuzzFeed phenom to a television powerhouse as creator and star of the ABC hit Abbott Elementary. In the past decade, a number of Black creators have become superstars due in no small part to their content going viral.
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