Meet ‘The Island Boys,’ the controversial TikTokers who keep feuding with social media stars and celebrities

• “The Island Boys” are embroiled in quite a few feuds with TikTokers, YouTubers, and celebrities.

• The Florida brothers rose to fame after their poolside rap went viral in October and have become a meme.

• Most lately, their dwelling was raided by police and their childhood buddy was arrested.

Maybe probably the most controversial figures to come back out of TikTok are two twin brothers calling themselves “The Island Boys.”

With quite a few tattoos, distinct hairstyles, diamond tooth, and songs about being an “island boy,” 20-year-olds Franky and Alex Venegas shortly went viral as “Kodiyakredd” and “Flyysoulja,” respectively.

In the present day, they’ve a mixed TikTok following of over 8.6 million and have feuded with social media’s authentic controversial brothers, Jake and Logan Paul, TikTok star Bryce Corridor, and even caught the eye of Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg, who mocked them on their comedy particular “2021 and Completed.”

Most lately, the brothers made headlines after a childhood buddy was arrested in reference to a homicide, following a police raid on their dwelling. (The brothers aren’t implicated within the case, in response to native information outlet WPBF 25.)

So who’re the Island Boys? In an interview on the “No Jumper” podcast with Adam Grandmaison, the brothers mentioned they’d been raised by a single mom after their father died.

In keeping with Franky, they acquired in bother with the legislation rising up, together with “burglaries, robberies, stolen automobiles.” The twins mentioned they had been in jail for a time as youngsters, which is after they started to think about a profession in rap.

“After I was locked up I had lots of people had been attempting to be rappers, so I am like, fuck it, I am gonna dive into the sport,” Alex mentioned. “The one factor that is good for me is robbing, which isn’t good, or rapping.”

Here is how they went from comparatively unknown to 2 of probably the most recognizable — and controversial — faces of TikTok.

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The Island Boys’ tune went viral in October 2021 and have become a meme

In October of final 12 months, a brief video of the Venegas brothers singing by a pool went viral. It was initially posted on October 12 to a TikTok account belonging to Franky the place it has been considered virtually 20 million instances. Two days later it was re-uploaded to Twitter with the caption “Florida ain’t an actual place,” the place it has obtained over 10 million views.

Within the 1-minute-long video, the brothers will be heard rapping, “‘Trigger I am an island boy, and I have been attempting to make it / Oh, I am an island boy / Ayy, Imma simply island boy, I am simply island boy.”

This led to them being dubbed “The Island Boys” by viewers. The surprisingly catchy tune and the pair’s distinctive look helped flip the video into a meme, and the unique sound has now been utilized in over 100,000 TikTok movies.

One other rendition of the tune was posted to Alex’s account on October 21 and has been considered 55 million instances.

In keeping with LadBible, the virality of the tune led to rapper Kodak Black providing to signal the duo to his file label. The brothers additionally launched a full music video for the monitor on December 4 which has over 4 million views.

However their success was short-lived. On November 25, a clip showing to indicate the brothers being booed and heckled whereas performing the tune at a Miami membership was posted on TikTok and shortly went viral, amassing 19.6 million views.

The caption learn, “Some issues are higher left on TikTok.”

The Island Boys begin feuding with Jake and Logan Paul after storming off Logan’s podcast in December 2021

On December 14, YouTuber Logan Paul posted episode 305 of his podcast “Impaulsive,” titled “The Island Boys Interview.”

About half-hour into the interview, the pair clashed with co-host George Janko, who urged they make investments their earnings in case their music profession did not work out. The brothers responded that they did not want monetary recommendation, with Alex saying, “I in all probability make more cash than you.”

The brothers walked out of the recording. Earlier than leaving, Alex will be heard saying, “You realize me from Island Boys however you understand I am thugging, bro, proper?”

Paul, Janko, and co-host Mike Majlak continued their dialog. “It is a shtick, the entire thing’s a fucking shtick,” Paul mentioned.

A number of days later, Logan’s brother and YouTube star Jake Paul fought skilled boxer Tyron Woodley in a boxing match in Tampa, Florida. It appeared the Island Boys and Jake had been on good phrases — the twins even sang a model of “Island Boy” referred to as “Boxer Boy” in assist of Jake.

However their attendance on the combat appeared to trigger bother. On-line commentator Keemstar posted a tweet saying the pair had been “kicked out for throwing footwear.”

The brothers posted a response on TikTok on December 20, the place they denied throwing footwear or getting thrown out. They mentioned there was a number of “commotion” and {that a} beer was thrown at a police officer, including, “They thought that it got here from us nevertheless it truly got here from one of many guys we had been hanging out with.”

On the subsequent “Impaulsive” episode, Jake Paul mentioned the combat. Co-host Majlak mentioned that when the Island Boys entered the boxing enviornment, they had been “booed, getting stuff thrown at them, folks had been chasing them with their fists drawn again like ‘how dare you stroll off Impaulsive?'”

“I like to see the silly shit that they are saying,” Jake replied. “So that you can have the audacity to face as much as George Janko, the nicest man on this planet, and say ‘I’m thugging,’ you are a fucking punk. With the palm timber popping out of their head? Like, shut the fuck up.”

Jake went on to say that if he’d been there throughout their episode, “I might have smacked the shit out of them,” and added they wanted to “humble” themselves.

The Island Boys haven’t returned to “Impaulsive” since. When requested in regards to the feud, Alex posted three separate TikToks addressing the state of affairs, saying, “They handled me very very unhealthy.”

And in response to folks suggesting a attainable combat between him and Jake, he mentioned, “Why y’all put me in the identical sentence as that man?”

The Island Boys started feuding with TikToker Bryce Corridor, too

In a remark underneath Alex’s video about Jake Paul, TikTok star Bryce corridor replied, “guys… he is thuggin, sit back.”

In response, the brothers made a TikTok video discussing their purported juvenile file earlier than saying, “What did Bryce Corridor do?” and laughing.

Corridor is a well-liked TikToker with over 20 million followers on the app. In March 2021, he additionally fought in a boxing match in opposition to YouTuber Austin McBroom.

On January 10, YouTuber Daniel Keem, aka Keemstar, posted a video wherein he interviewed the Venegas brothers through video name. Lower than three minutes into the interview, Keem mentioned he needed the Island Boys’ “largest fan” to hitch the dialog, earlier than introducing Corridor.

For round 10 minutes, the brothers exchanged jibes and insults with Corridor, who repeatedly tried to bait them right into a boxing match. At one level, the brothers used homophobic and ableist slurs in opposition to Corridor, earlier than showing to abruptly finish the video name.

On January 13, Corridor posted a YouTube video titled “I SCARED THE ISLAND BOYS…” He confirmed footage from the interview from his perspective and continued to mock the twins.

Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart additionally made enjoyable of the Venegas brothers of their December 2021 particular

Additionally on December 28, TV streaming platform Peacock launched “2021 and Completed with Snoop Dogg & Kevin Hart,” a 75-minute comedy particular that includes the rapper and comic discussing probably the most viral moments of the 12 months.

Whereas watching the Island Boys’ authentic TikTok, Snoop Dogg will be seen along with his head in his palms, saying, “I am speechless. Two goofballs in a pool.”

Hart then responds, “You realize why I am not speechless?” and goes on to sing the road, “As a result of I am a island boy,” quite a few instances whereas laughing.

On January 11, Alex posted the clip on TikTok, lipsyncing to Hart’s rendition of their tune.

The Island Boys had been reportedly paid for a video the place they appeared to advertise Military recruitment

On January 25, NBC reported that the Venegas brothers had appeared in a video paid for through Cameo, a platform the place celebrities can cost followers for brief personalised clips.

The purported Cameo video was reposted on TikTok by Orlando Tamez, a Texas-based Military recruiter, the outlet reported. It is not obtainable to view on TikTok, however was reposted on the subreddit r/Military. It reveals brothers saying, “Large shoutout to Workers Sergeant Tamez, you are altering lives, giving out $50K,” including, “Giving out bonuses? Paid trip? And free faculty, no cash.”

A consultant for US Military Recruiting Command mentioned in a press release to NBC, “The Island Boys Cameo was not reviewed, approved, nor paid for by U.S. Military Recruiting Command as an official advertising and marketing software,” and added, “We’re investigating the state of affairs and requiring the person recruiter to take away the TikTok account, as it’s not approved for official use right now.”

The Island Boys’ joint Cameo account fees $210 for personalised movies for people, discounted from $280, and a minimal of $600 for Cameos for companies.

In February of 2022, the Island Boys’ Florida dwelling was reportedly raided by the police, and a homicide suspect was arrested

On February 8, shops together with The Each day Mail and TMZ reported that the Venegas brothers’ Florida dwelling was raided by police on February 7. The Palm Seaside County Sheriff’s Workplace advised TMZ that a person named Andrew James Thomas who was within the property on the time was arrested.

In keeping with WPBF 25, a Florida-based ABC-affiliated digital tv station, the arrest was in connection to a drive-by taking pictures that killed an 8-year-old woman on February 4. The Venegas brothers aren’t implicated within the case.

The TikTokers’ supervisor, Dovi Bezner, advised the outlet that Thomas was a childhood buddy of the brothers who had been staying of their dwelling.

“We had no clue about any of those allegations in direction of him. We simply knew him as a great particular person, somebody that grew up with The Island Boys,” he mentioned. “If we knew one thing like this was occurring we by no means would have allowed him on the property.”

WPBF 25 reviews Thomas at the moment faces fees of first-degree homicide with a firearm, tried first-degree homicide with a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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