What's up everybody, once again, this is Brain Man, Sean and it's back with another link up. I got your boy, Ashamad, he's an artist and this guy, he has an interesting experience with TikTok. We've been talking a lot about TikTok lately, but I love the fact that he has a perspective that he's going to be coming from that offers a lot of value. So it's yet another story, but all of these stories have their own unique value points that I think artists should be able to take or influencers should be able to take to figure out how they want to develop and leverage it for their career. So first and foremost, Ashamad, I appreciate you hopping on, bro. I'm excited to talk to you. I know you're super excited because things have been going crazy for you in a short period of time. To put that into context, man, let's start here. Give everybody an idea of you going from zero to your current number on TikTok and how fast it happened for you. Okay. So I fly with me. A lot of people, you hear the TikTok stories and it's almost was eating me up inside. You hear the people like, oh, I got a hundred can a week. If you search how to go viral on TikTok on YouTube, you'll hear the story. I got a hundred can a week. So I'm like, all right, you know, I'm a hop on here post some videos. I feel like the biggest thing for me was I'm real strategic with what I do. So when I hop on it, I didn't just hop on and start posting videos because I know they were originally musically. So I'm like, okay, that's lip. I'm not thinking music. I think a lip-syncing little kids with no offense to them and their brand. But that's just what comes to mind. So I kind of the first thing I did like the problem is there for like a week, bro, I was on there. I made my account just to reserve my username. So I didn't have to worry about somebody taking it and I'm just watching videos. I'm watching, studying, studying, trying to figure out how it works. And then from there, I might have posted before my first video popped, I posted 70 video, 70 video. I had one video pop, my fifth video, 150 140 K views. I think it's what is that. It was what is that right now was an Uber video. I'll never forget that feeling.  That was my fifth video. And I went five videos before I got another one to pop. So once I got that one, it was dope, but it was like, it's like, it's that you want to scratch. And like this is pre me even introducing my music whatsoever. So like, I feel like it was like a long time coming. But when I got my next one to pop, I went from three. I had three K followers. I'm going to say when I started on TikTok, my first video did okay. I got 11 K views. It was a video actually was that complex kind of met DJ academics. And you know, I was just kind of flexed up like, you know, follow me, not X Shumai, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah on the socials, threw that up, probably got some love off of just DJ academics name and hit 11 K. But I'm okay. That's cool. I maybe got like 200 followers off that maybe in like a matter of three days, just letting that go. But then I started catching on like TikTok is real. For one, it's trans like I liked it. What I learned early on is it's like me always wanted to do like original content like skits and stuff. But I noticed that if you do trends first and kind of build yourself a platform, it's because a big thing is sounds like, so if I were to screen record, and I'm sure you know better than anybody or as much as anybody, if we, if we screw recorded this, this conversation right now food on TikTok as a, as a 30 second video, somebody could pull that exact audio what we're saying within the, the margin of that 30 seconds and they could lip sing it back. So, you know, and the sounds kind of, they trend and they have their own type of charting, whether it be a song or just like audio from a video, stuff like that. So I kind of noticed that in the hashtags is another big one. Hashtag was a big one real early on is dead. Now a lot of like OG TikTokers know, and like I said, it's crazy for me because, because I feel like I was around all the TikTok and I was so knowing of everything, but I just couldn't get it to pop for me for whatever reason. So another big thing was like share other cancel was like, was real big.  There's almost no rules. Like everything is kind of being written right now. So it's like, whatever we as a community make it like right now it's the ongoing joke is like old TikTok, you know, like old TikTok is like the joke. Like we miss old TikTok because now it's mainstream and it's, you know, it's watered down or whatever, which is still a dope place to be. But, but yeah, not to get too off track. Like I said, it was my 70th video. It was a, I went to Dollar Tree and bought a rubber snake. And I noticed what I noticed was I seen a lot of people was to do name Dakota, Dakota Olave and Candy Ken. They're real big on, on TikTok.  Yeah, yeah. The guy with the unicorn bro. Like they're geniuses, bro. Like there's actually met him. I went to a TikTok with my friend because he's pretty big on the platform. So he, I kind of tack was his plus one to Halloween event for TikTok. And I met him bro. And he kind of, I ran into him. I didn't even know who he was until after the fact. But you know, I think it was waiting line for the bathroom. And he's like, he's like, so what kind of content do you make? And that's the thing with the TikTok community, bro, is they're so like open and welcoming, like they're, they're regular people with like these huge platforms that they don't even, I feel like they don't even know like how much it's worth, bro. Like it's over. And I, I see the Rizzo or Renzo or whatever their stream platform. I forget the name, but what is it? Their stream platform they're coming out with. Not to get too off topic, but, but TikTok is such an open place and there's so much room for growth and monetization. So it's just crazy. But it's, I'm so, long story short, I'm talking to him outside the bathroom. He's like, so what kind of content do you make? And everybody, bro, I'm bumping in the summer, Ray was there, bro. Like, and me, like, I feel like I outside it because I'm the only dude. I had a TikTok at this point, but I might have had like 2,000 followers. Everybody here, 500K. What's your TikTok, bro? I'm like, I don't even want to tell nobody my TikTok. I'm like, bro, I'm just a plus one right now, bro. But like, I'm gonna see you at the top. So whatever, like I said, bumping, bumping to bro, Dakota Olave. Shout out to him, he's fire, bro. Fire content. He's a genius, bro. And I don't even think he fully knows it. Bumping to him, he's like, yeah, man. He's like, this TikTok stuff is crazy. I'm like, yeah, he's like, let me show you my, bro. He busts out analytics on me. Talking about some, bro, this video is 10 seconds, but the watch time is 25. I'm like, yo, he's like, you know how the 4U page works, right? And I'm like, bro, I don't even know too much.  He's like, yeah, bro, the longer your watch time is, the more the algorithm boosts you up. That's the main thing you want to, but he breaking it down like it's, like he teaching me how to play Uno or something, bro. Like just really giving me, so bro, like ever since that day, like subliminally, I think he might have even been like some fuel to my fire on that TikTok. So I'm like, bro, dang, I'm looking around, bro, it's Halloween. I'm like, all these people here, everybody. What kind of content you make? What kind of content you make? I'm like, bro, I don't even know. Cause I'm at this point, I have like 2K followers. I'm doing real random stuff, bro. Just hopping on trend, real random stuff. Just trying to get my feet wet some type of way.  I'm like, bro, I got it. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I got to do it.   I've got no views. I'm like, bro, I captured these people's attention. And a real big thing for me that I recently got over, and I feel like this is like what led to my, to like my last video that blew up, like not even three days ago that has propelled me to this platform that I, now I'm starting to grow and have, is you just really got to step outside your comfort zone on TikTok. And like the thing that I love about TikTok, it's like an escape. Cause I was always scared, bro. I don't want to go out like a clown. Like at the end of the day, I'm real serious about my music. I'm passionate about my music, but it's like, if I'm on TikTok doing whatever and say I get it, say I get one, say I drop one in the blow, then I'm like, bro, it's the same clown from, but it's like, bro, it's not that deep. I look at like, what dad, not to, not to compare him to a clown, but I look at like, what that 4,000, bro, I seen the video camp. He's like, bro, what that 4,000 was the funniest artist out. I don't know how familiar you are with him, bro. But he's just like literally bro, like he is comedy, bro. The first video I ever seen went viral. He had Henny, it was his birthday. He was like, I don't even remember too much what he said.  That video went viral. And then next, you know, he on a dream build album shortly after. Obviously he put in work and he's a great artist and a musician. So that fed into that. But it's like, bro, I started piecing even a six nine, bro. You could say what you want about six nine.  But at the same time with six nine, get out if he get out, which I think he will get out. He breaking every streaming record. I don't care how many people he snitched on, bro. That was doing the live tweets of everything he was saying and every he was talking about some trippy red who did not know.  So like me in my mind, I'm like, all right, bet. I don't want to go out like six nine because I'm not doing that much, but what is my limit? So like what can I do? I might have to step on my comfort zone and maybe do something kind of cringy. That's another real like tick tock. Yeah, cringe. Tick tock, I know. Tick tock is the cringe stuff. I'm like, I can sleep at night knowing I might post a cringe video, but I ain't going and why am I not acting the fool? And then, you know what I'm saying? And then moving around how I move around. Like that's not how I'm going to go out. So I feel like you got to find that medium, but at the same time, the biggest thing is stepping out of your comfort zone and then it's the trans. So I was trying to do the trans. So right there, man, you talked about something that serious for a lot of people. A lot of people can't get over their own social insecurities. They'll start to talk down on tick tock or what other people are doing. But a lot of them being in their comfort zone. So they get one, no. Yeah, they catch one and now it's a little different. And now you're like, OK, you see what that does. And you don't necessarily like tick tock. Is it about that? It's not that serious. I like that you said that because I always tell people brand. Instagram has become so brand specific. It becomes so tight, like people would only want to post anything. They were so worried about what it does. It takes all the air out of the room, takes all the fun about it because people take it so seriously. And something had to come along to break that wave. Because all these things thought of as fun at first. But now this is right. Instagram mature, it became uptight. Tick tock has become that fun little brother that was like, look, what are we doing? We just trying to have some fun. We're not trying to. That's what people are doing over there. Right. Anything with tick tock was me. It was like, so I do music. I'm serious about my music. I know people on Instagram know I do music. On tick tock, I purposely did not follow anybody that I followed. I don't follow maybe three people I know in real life on tick tock. So that was like my escape. That was like on Instagram, you know, I got to be Ashima, the rapper, Ashima, the model, the fashion enthusiast. Ashima, the cool dude, right? You know what I'm saying? But on tick tock, I'm dang near acting a fool, you know, to a certain extent. Like I said, I have my morals that I that I told myself like how, how far am I willing to go for this? How far am I willing to take it? This is where I draw the line. I think everybody should do that. That's an artist going into music in general, you know, because of some of the things that can happen within the industry. But I'm glad you did that for tick tock and specifically. I think everybody can take take that same thought process. Right. Yeah. Because it's it's it's extents to everything, you know, like it's it's that it's some things you don't want to be viral for. You know, you might not want to be viral for A, B and C, but I might be OK would be in viral for the dude that that went to Dollar Tree and bought a lizard and put it in water and did a meal in a day. You know, like it's all it's not it's not that I can't talk more about the video. So like I said, I was on tick tock. I had went before prior to this video. I had been to the tick tock corporate office. I had asked all the questions you could possibly ask me, being me, I'm in the building, you know, supporting my homie.  What's going on, bro? I'm nice to meet you. How are you doing? That's just me, like I'm executing every moment. Like, you know, I'm saying to the max. I'm like, what's going on? How are you doing? Like what you do, bro?  Like I know you here with like I said, my friend's name is Ben Sticky Mechanic. Is his is his social. I know you here with him, but like, what do you do?  I mean, I do music, you know, but I'm not really here for me. I'm not trying to say too much. I'm dropping no links and I do music. Oh, for real, he's like, you know, Tiktok is like, who's for music, right? Like, have you ever thought about putting your music on a platform? And like, I want to say a week before this, I had got the email from DistroKid actually shout out to DistroKid. Like, DistroKid, if you're not on DistroKid, I would recommend that over everything just because of the the ties they have with Tiktok. You can you could submit it. But this was like, I got the emails from Philip Kaplan, who owns DistroKid. He emailed me and was like, oh, we are now in talks with Tiktok, you can get your music on a platform. I'm like, okay, cool. I did it here and heard nothing. Tried to email him back, got the automatic messages. I'm like, bro, I'm trying to get on this. I don't know. I don't even know what type of videos I'm gonna make. Like I said, at this point, I just have my username secured. No videos, but I'm just trying to get my music and I'm singing it to myself. Once I get the music, I'll try to make videos. So that's what I'm in the office. He's like, yeah, if you have to think about getting your music on there, yeah. He's like, what's your information, man? Let me get your information. So we exchanged information, social media and phone number. I hop on a call with him a couple of days later, emailed him some snippets of whatever tracks I wanted on there. Some pretty recent stuff, maybe like five songs that I wanted on Tiktok. They was up in maybe 48 hours or so and from there, we hopped on a call on a big thing on a call. I asked him, I was like, so, do you think it's better for me? Cause in my mind, like I said, I think real strategic. So I'm like, should I take out X amount of money, try to get as many people that are already have platforms on Tiktok to post my song the first day or how should I go about this? And he was cool. He's like, you know what, Tiktok, a lot of songs that blow up are older. He's like, and although it is good to have multiple people using your sounds, of course, cause that's what makes it viral. He's like most of the songs that go viral on our platform, the person, if they don't, if they're not already big, a lot of times the person who posts, whose song it is normally has at least a pretty decent video to the song. So he's like, although it is good for you to reach out to other people, don't sleep on yourself as an asset. He's like, there's no reason with the amount of growth there is on Tiktok for you to not start it.  So he says that, I'm like, okay. So, you know, and he working, he got the headquarters. I'm like, bro, your word is law. So I go home, sleep on it. I did a couple of skit videos. Like I said, the first one that got over 100K for me was my fifth one was the Uber one. Fast forward, long story short, I'm trying stuff, trying stuff. 5K here, 3K here. Being like a highlight for me. 600 to like 800 range. Being like pretty average for me. And get up to 3K. Like I said, as a Sunday, two days ago I had 3K followers. So I'm actually, I'm like, you know, everybody 2020, new year, new media, all that. I told myself I wasn't gonna put that on social media, but my mentality was, bro, I gotta put on the gas. I've been to the headquarters. I've seen what it could do. I've seen my friend speaker mechanic go from, he was on a good path. He had maybe 10K on Instagram last year. Bro, his growth has been crazy, which is in a shoelace, which isn't the same as mine, but at the same time, why not? If there's not a niche for shoes, I'm like, there's a niche for me somewhere somehow. And that's another big thing is finding your niche is like, which I'm still trying to find.  So 2020, I get off work, right? I'm driving home, because like I said, I'm an independent artist. I'm still working, trying to figure everything out right now. I'm investing all my own money on my own, everything. I'm driving home. I'm like, I gotta get groceries. So I'm like, I'm gonna go grocery shopping right quick. I'm like, bro, I told myself, it's January 3rd, the third day of 2020, I told myself 2020, my goal is I wanna be more consistent with my content on TikTok, because I know the power and I know what it's gonna turn into later this year, especially with that stream platform rolling out. I tell myself, by the time I get back from the grocery store, I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I'm gonna make three videos. I'm gonna make three videos.  If I can freestyle or rap, I can freestyle a video. Why not? I got the personality, I got the looks, I got the, I just need the platform and the ears and the eyes.   I don't have no ideas.  I don't know what I'm gonna find, but I'm gonna find something video worthy, whether it's initially I'm thinking like silly string. Don't even know what I'm gonna do with it, but just something like, something I could use to give me some, to hopefully spark idea going there. I see that got like a snake. It said put it in water, grow 600 times bigger. A big trim right now is the whole, you post a video and it's a two-part series or a multiple-part series, come back in 24 hours. So I'm like, okay, what if I put it in the water? I've seen somebody do something similar and this is the biggest thing with the trans and I feel like it's the biggest misconception because this was what I was stuck on is I would see the trans and I would copy it, but I would copy it identical. And that's where you go wrong because somebody with a larger platform or an established platform, say they see something and they copy somebody else's idea, which on TikTok, the great thing about TikTok is copying isn't really looked down upon. It's almost the norm. It's for you, you're supposed to copy or to recreate, but the biggest thing is putting your own sauce on it. I've seen somebody do it. They had a small one though. They had a small thing that you put in the water it grows if you've ever been a kid, which all of a sudden you know what I'm talking about, you put in water it grows. So I found this snake. I was like, dang, the snake is already big though. I was like, it's going to grow bigger than that. So I'm like, that kind of sparked my interest. So I grabbed that, I grabbed that, a magnifying glass, water balloons and some rocks that was supposed to turn to crystals. They didn't know which one I was going to use. I'm like, it's the dollar store I'm going to spend. Tampa piece, come home with 10 possible ideas and drop them 10 days in a row and just see what pops, if anything pops but it's better than me not posting. So I go home, get back to the house, set my stuff down, you know, unbox, start unboxing stuff. I'm like, all right, I'm going to do the snake because it kind of sparked my interest. I'm like, dang, it's big. It's supposed to get 600% bigger. Don't be there a lot smaller when they're supposed to grow whatever. So, you know, get my little setup ready, get the phone out. And the thing with TikTok too is is you can go viral on it. I got a million views on an iPhone X Max, not even the 11, like your video quality I've seen people with Android quality, no offense to anybody with Android, with, you know what I'm saying, millions of views. So it's like, you don't have to have any crazy setup. You don't have to have. If you go to my TikTok, most of my videos are in my room. Like I don't even really leave the house. I come home, I do music and I post videos all in my room, like my livelihood is in my room as of right now. So, you know, mark the camera up. And one big thing when I talked to going back is like I said, Dakota Alave, I'll never forget that conversation I had with him outside of the bathroom at that TikTok Halloween party. He said the biggest thing on TikTok, once you get the platform, is you need to make sure that your fans or your viewers or whatever, your followers, whatever you wanna call them, feel included in something. So like one thing that I kept in mind is like, okay, I need to find a way to keep people's engagement because I don't want a viral video to go viral. And then that'd be the end of me. This is something I gotta keep going because my point, I don't wanna just get viral and be known as like, oh, he's a funny guy on TikTok. Like bro, at the end of the day, like I need you all to listen to this, use it. Like I'm being slick about it. I'm not throwing it in your face at first because don't nobody wanna be handed a CD. You know what I'm saying?  Like bro, you not worried about that? So whatever, like I said, spark up the camera. I said, so I think I said, show the package. You know, this says that it's supposed to grow 600% times the size, let's test it. The water was kind of funny with it. And I named it. I think that was what the biggest thing was. I think besides saying come back in 24 hours, for whatever reason, just me being me, just trying to throw some sauce on. I said that, and we gonna name them Snickers cause he looked like a Snickers. That's what I had said. And I throw him in the water and I say, come back in 24 hours. So I posted this video though, but mind you, I told you I went, when I went to Dallas, I got like 10 items or so.  So as soon as I post this, don't even think nothing, throw it up there. I had another video. And he's in my bathtub, by the way. At this time, I did it in my bathtub. So they had these magic towels at the Dollar Tree store as well. Same concept. It's like a little ball, you put it in water and it turns into a towel. I thought I had never heard of it. So I was like, it sounds cool. It's a dollar, why not? I don't have no better- You know what's heard of those, man? That's what everybody was telling me though. I had never heard of them.  I'm like, crazy to me. Cause I'm like, bro, I'm not wiping that on my body. I'll do it for the video.  But yeah, I had never heard of it. So I feel like a little kid, I'm in Dollar Tree, you know what I'm saying? Cheezing like, I'm gonna make some content. I don't know what. But like, bro, when I walked in there, I was like, bro, this is a genius idea because for one, it's cheap. For two, it's all type of crazy stuff. Like all this growing stuff, that's TikTok stuff. It's just like weird stuff. Like, bro, we'll get to our topic with it. We'll get to it eventually, I'm sure. So whatever, throw it on the right. Got the towel thing. So the snake video's up. I don't even check the views. I post it and I tell them myself, I'm 2020, I'm gonna be consistent with this TikTok content. So throw it up. Don't even look at it. Cause that's another thing too, is don't watch your views. Gary V is the goat for that. You gotta post like nobody's watching because when you start, nobody's watching. But when one takes off, it's gonna be no. Nobody's gonna think about them videos with five, 10 views once you crack your first mill or whatever your pinnacle is. So I kept telling myself, bro, don't check the views, don't check the views, even though it's hard. Throw the towel in the water. And the towel had to go on water too. So the snake's in my tub.  I'm gonna throw the towel in there too. The towel needs water. Throw it in there. It's a little magic ball, turns into a towel. And I was like, oh, and thank God I had named this snake for whatever reason, just on the fly. I named it Snickers just to try to give it some type of storyline. I threw the towel, like, oh, so the same concept. This towel's supposed to go on water. So we gonna throw it in the water and see what happens. Throw it in the water. And the snake was in the video, like in the corner.  That's the homie. This is gonna be his blanket. Make sure you check that video out if you didn't already. So I kind of, it was like, it was almost like a series on accident. So I purposely knew that it was gonna come back to the video in 24 hours. Not knowing how many people, but whoever saw it, I would hope at least one or two people will come back. But then the towel kind of accidentally did that. And I post that, I post that one with the towel. All I did was let it sit. I poked at it and it turned into a, I was like, oh, look, it's a rag. And I think I accidentally called it a towel. So they was getting me in the comments about that. They were like, oh, it's not a towel, it's a rag. So almost that fueled the fire, I think too. It was just like the perfect, it was the perfect, like, accidental, like series of events, I guess. So I go back and check out the other video after I post this one. Video I like 5K, I'm like, oh, dang, okay. Mind you, at this time, I only have 3,000 followers. I don't have no business with 5,000 views. But that's like the beautiful thing about TikTok. Cause it's not Instagram, it's not Snapchat, it's not nothing, it's TikTok. So you could have a hundred, I don't see people with a hundred followers with videos with some hundred or whatever the case is. Long story short, I see 5K, I'm like, okay. Like I said, at this point, my highest viewed video was 100K. And that was 65 videos prior to this one. And I'm at 3K followers. So, you know, like I said, it's hard not to watch the numbers. I start, it's at 5K, I refresh, 6K. I'm like, 1,000 like that. I'm like, bro, 6K videos and I'm teasing the past like three, I've probably been on TikTok maybe four months, the past three, four months, I'm teasing through 6K and I just got it. I'm like, bro, did I just refresh a thousand? Refresh. And then this is when it started going crazy. So I say this, this has only happened to me once with the Uber video, but never for this amount of time. So similar to Instagram, you know, once you hit 99 on the notification, it maxes out. So it's at plus 99. I'm like, okay, plus 99, that's cool. Refresh it, the video will go from like 5K to like 7K. I'm like, whoa, start, just every time I refresh it's going up, then I start getting the followers in. And I was like, whoa, cause I had on the, when I posted the Uber video, and I think it's crazy is like the follower retention to the viewer, to the amount of views is like real skewed cause I've seen a lot of people where they have only one video on their account. The video will have like three million views but they only have like 3000 followers. So my followers are going on 50 followers, 10 followers, 20 followers. I think I turned off my phone and hopped in the shower. I'm feeling good. I'm like, man, this is crazy. I don't want to stare at it too long.  The video is at like 10K views. I might've been in the shower for like 10 minutes. I'm like, bro, okay. But I've been here before. So in my head, I'm like, okay, the highest viewed video I've had to this day, which was three days ago on Sunday is 140,000 views. So I'm like, if I can hit 150,000 views, that's all I'm looking for. And then I'm going to move on to the next thing.  And the other one went off for about three, four days. And that's the thing with TikTok too, is the life of your posts is a lot different from Instagram. Me personally, I can't speak for anybody else. When I post something on Instagram, I might have two, three days if even three days. Really, I'll say two days. 99% in the first day, however many likes I get is the majority of my likes and I might get another 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, whatever you know the number is the next day. But on TikTok, the longevity of your posts is really, it's really crazy. And another thing is the chain reaction. So what I- On TikTok, like easy. And they have a system where your stuff can be dead, but like months later, they'll refresh it and put it back into the bucket and it'll start up over again. And that's what I noticed. Cause what irritated me prior to this video and what like was real crazy to me. And like right now as, as like, as passionate as I was about TikTok, just cause what I knew it was capable of love as a passion I was prior to getting any type of like hit like times 10 now because I was putting out videos. I'm like, oh my videos are funny. Like don't get me wrong. 50%, like I said, this was my 70th video, 69 videos that I had prior, half of them were trash.  Half of them were trash, but the other half of my buddies is solid videos. Like these are good videos, but nobody's seeing them. But that's the thing. When this one started picking up, I want to say once he's got to like 30, 40K, I started noticing my other videos started going up crazy, comments. And so it's like a chain reaction. And I think that's the thing, cause that would trip me out is I would always see people with like three million views and that's the only video and they only have 3000 followers. And I think that's almost like worse. Like I'm, I didn't think this before, but I'm almost happy that I didn't get one that really go viral, like a million plus viral until I had already had 69 videos. Because a lot of people go viral, the first thing they do is go to your page and they want to, you know what I'm saying? TikTok, YouTube, all this is entertainment. They don't want to be entertained. They go to your video, your profile, you got one video. They don't need to follow you. They just seen everything you were on that one video where they might like it and go about their business. I had 69 videos. So I started getting trickle down effect on all my old videos. I got people commenting in. So I'm like that. And one of the biggest things that I think blew me up that a lot of people sleep on, man, is that live, bro. If you have a thousand plus followers on TikTok, go live, bro. So the way it works is on your for you page, right? When you scroll through the for you, obviously it has the video, likes, comments, blah, blah, but it shows your profile picture. If you're currently on live, while somebody is, while you're on somebody's for you page, if they tap your Abbey, which it has the circle around it to let you know, you instantly follow them. You instantly follow them. And you go into their lives. So I'm looking at my video. It started going 60, 70, 100K. This is in like a matter of hours. I'm not gonna say. You're saying being somebody tapping into your live automatically makes TikTok will automatically make them follow you?  Don't quote me on a color, but they get, I'm gonna say it's red. It's like a red ring around it. And it'll say like live. They'll have a thin strip of a banner across their Abbey says live. If you go to my profile while I'm on live and click the live, you just go to my live.  For whatever reason, that's just how it's set up. So I'm thinking I'm like, and like I said, like I said, I have a little bit more insight. I want to say, I want to say I'm like 99% sure. If it's not like that now, I don't know, but I'm 99% sure. But this is my thought process. With that being said, like I said, I've been to the headquarters. I've asked the questions about the algorithm and all this, I'm used to trying to market my own music. So I'm like, I've asked the questions. So I'm like, okay, I finally got one. I've been doing, I'm on YouTube. I'm watching you and Corey. I'm watching Gary Vee. I'm doing all the research. Just haven't been able to get the opportunity, but I got all the dang knowledge. So I finally go on my brother, how do I maximize this? Because the thing with stuff that goes viral is it to be viral today and dead in a week. So I'm like, I need to maximize this moment. So knowing that the for you page, I'm seeing my views go up. So I'm probably on a lot of people for you page. Also check your analytics. This is really important. You can see the percentage of, it'll tell you like, oh, this video with the million views, I want to say on my analytics, it was like 94% of my views came from the for you page. So I'm looking at the analytics. Like, okay, I'm popping up on people's for you. If I go live, my avi is going to be highlighted. And if they click it off the for you, which I'm on a lot of people's for use right now, which I know because of the analytics, they'll instantly follow me. And then I pretty much get a second chance. Because if you saw my video, if you don't mean nothing, if they don't follow you like and stick around. So I'm like, if they saw my video and were kind of interested, but probably would have left. If I'm on live, I get a second chance to earn a follower, earn a like or earn a likeness or whatever the case is. So I'm on live. I'm just, I'm just being me, you know? I feel like I got a pretty strong personality. I'm like, what's going on, man? And I want to say real quick, I was like, hopped on live, didn't know what to expect. I have tried live three times. Like I said, prior to this to him, going to have 3k followers. You need 1000 followers to live this year. I had tested it. Cause I know you can get paid through donations and whatnot and gifts on the live. I tried to get nobody in my live with 3k followers. Couldn't get a single person, but I'm on everybody's four U-Pays. Like I said, if you're going live, it shows it. So I go on live. I got like 50 people off the back. I'm like, okay, I got an audience. I know it's, I'm an artist, you know? So like I know how to act in front of the crowd. I'm putting on a show.  So say you get 50 people in your live. I'm telling everybody what's going on. Man, I appreciate y'all. Y'all check out the video. If y'all didn't check out the video, cause I know they followed me if they found me on the 4U page so they could easily navigate back to my page. Please go check out my video, come back in the live.  Cause the big thing with Tik Tok is there's this big Tik Tok famous. And like a lot of people that I've noticed in my live, I can't speak for everybody else's audience, but everybody else that's been coming to my live is like, hey bro, can you shout me out? Can you say my name? I do YouTube. They want to be, you know what I'm saying? They trying to get their feet off the ground too. So I kind of tapped into that, you know, Vanessa or however you want to call them. All right, but I got y'all. If you shared a lot, everybody asked me, can you shout me out? Can you shout me out? At first I was announcing everybody joining over, like 50 people kind of quick. Like I'll say within the first two minutes, I have 50 people. So I'm like, what's going on man? Welcome man, welcome and call out their names. Cause they like that. That's what's gonna make them stick around. You call out their name, you acknowledge them.   I'm like, okay, like, hey, we got a crowd, man. 200 people to show. Like shoot, I'm basically, that's a performance, you know? At that point in front of 200 people live. So I'm like, well, show man, let's do it then. So, you know, I started getting excited. Like, I'm like, okay, well, show. So I'm telling them, share the live. And like one thing that I did real early is I told them, so I started this thing. It's called the not ex mafia. Cause I remember the, by going back to Dakota alive, they outside that bathroom, he told me that he had like a T-shirt. So when he would do lives, if you donate to his live, he'll write your name on the shirt. Real small. And when the shirt gets filled up with names, bro, he must have had thousands of names or however many hundreds of names on there. When the shirt gets full, he gives it to somebody. I don't, I forget how he said he chooses to give it. So he's like, bro, the biggest thing they want to feel included. He was like, when you were able to go on live stream and get people on your live, bro, just make them feel included and carry that out. He's like, and bro, they'll take you wherever you want to go. Cause he has like two million on there. So I'm like, bet, say less. So I'm keeping this in mind. Like I said, I kinda, I kinda, I want to say not that I had a Chico, but I just had the knowledge, but I just couldn't get the platform. So the second I, like I said, my 70th video, man, I finally got it. I'm like, well, I know what to do with it. Like I already know what time it is. So like I said, I'm like, hey, y'all, check it out. I think somebody asked me my, cause all my social media is Nadex Ashmat. And he was like, oh, cause he seen my, I got a poster and a back from a show I did in Santa Ana. He was like, oh, you do music? I was like, yeah, bro.  Is it Nadex Ashmat? I was like, no, Nadex Ashmat is my social media. Ashmat, which is my government name is how you'll find me on Spotify, Apple music, et cetera. He's like, okay. He's like, what is Nadex Ashmat? And you know, I'm just talking to him alive. By this time I'd have been 400, 500 people in my life right now. I'm going crazy. I'm like, oh, I was like, I don't really know. But like, like I said, I'm looking at the numbers, 400 people in my head. I don't know. I just thought it sounded cool. I might have had that name since like high school. I'm 22, been out of high school for some years. But I'm like, I gotta get these people a show. So I'm like, Nadex Ashmat is, it's a family, man. What you talking about? I'm like, we the Nadex Mafia. I was like, bro, y'all should change your name. I got 500 people in here. Y'all should change your name to Nadex. I was like, I forget his name. Whatever his name, I'm like, bro, you should change your name to Nadex, blah, blah, blah, whatever his name was. And then everybody saw like, oh, what? Are you like going crazy in the car? Nadex Mafia, hashtag Nadex Mafia. Because a lot of them are young and they just, they so supportive. It's crazy, bro. Like it's 500 people on my live, bro. And they just, all they know me from is a snake from Dollar Tree video, bro. But I'm like, man, you can tell me nothing, bro. And within that life, I was on live show for five hours. The first time I went on live show, or the first time I ever had views in my live show, five hours, bro, had 79K viewers the whole time. Because I went on live in the middle of my video going viral. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is if you hit on one pro, go on live in the middle of the validity. And I just learned that word on email if I pronounced it right. In the middle of the validity, I see my virality, virality, I'm got me looking ignorant. Oh, I appreciate you, Nadex.  It is what it is. Right, right. But like I said, I'm like, bro, this thing going crazy. I'm getting all these views. My account going live, man. Just in case y'all didn't like the video, give me a second chance. So they ain't like I said, we get up to 1K viewers. First time on live, or I've been on live before, but didn't get no viewers. Went on live for like two minutes in it. It didn't have nobody. I'm putting on a show, like I said, Nadex Mafia, I started banging it, man. Like, it's the set. I'm like, Nadex Mafia, change your name. Next thing I know, first dude changes his name, comes back in the live. I want to say her name was Olivia. I'll probably never forget her name as long as I die. Cause this is like engraved in my brain. Like these last three days have been a dream and I'm not even nowhere near where I need to be. And it's just crazy. But anyways, Nadex Olivia was the first one. She had a longer name, but it was Nadex Olivia some some. So I started gasping like, yo, shout out Nadex Olivia. Everybody, I got like a thousand people in my life. Everybody's dropped Nadex Olivia in the chat. Start going crazy. It might have been 30, 40 people, Nadex Olivia, Nadex Olivia. And then everybody else starts seeing that. They start feeling left out. So this is where shout out Dakota Lavey again. It's that entitlement, man. That's going to pull them in and keep them. Cause it's one thing to have a viral video. It's another thing to stick them around. And I feel like that Nadex Mopkin is, I'm only three days in. I'm still trying to figure out how to run with this storyline or this family, this grouping, whatever you can cut. Almost like my own beehive, you know? Obviously on a waste, miniscule level, but that's the goal. Next thing I know, people leaving and joining back in. Nadex, blah, blah, blah, join the chat. Nadex so-and-so join the chat. So bro, I bust out the whiteboard. I got a screenshot. I got a screenshot. I bust out the whiteboard. I'm like, hey. Is in your room? I don't know what I got on there right now, but this is, oh yeah, look, this is my live stream whiteboard. So Nadex Mafia, and then this is something, this is a whole different system I have started. So when they donate, if you donate a gift to my live, I'll write your name on the board. Cause once again, they just fill everybody in the live. If I got 500 people on my live, they feel special, they name on the board. All you got to do is donate a name on the board. You donate multiple times. I put a star. We play games.  There's like a live stream culture on TikTok almost. It's like the emoji game. I'll say an emoji. And they put me on game, cause they probably going to their favorite TikTok, they put me on game. I was playing emoji game. I'm like, bro, what's the emoji game? Say an emoji. The first person to comment whatever emoji you say wins. So I'm like, okay. Upside down smiley face. Dirty upside down smiley face. First person, shout them out. That, you know what I'm saying? Stuff like that. So that live stream is so powerful. I feel like it's so underutilized, but going back to what I was saying. So this was something I did last night. I've been trying to live stream every day. Today, I think it's the first day I've missed since my video pop four days ago. So I had a four day run, got tied up with some stuff today, was cooking up earlier, but nevermind that. Like I said, the first time I ever did it, I was like, nut ex Ashima. We're going to lay down some ground rules. Mind you, at this point I went from 1K to 2.2K viewers on my live stream, which is crazy. I done joined live streams of friends that I know that have 300K on TikTok and they ain't hit 2K. But like I said, I did it in the middle of my video going viral, which is so important. 2.2 viewers and I screenshotted it. Like I'll probably never delete that. Every iPhone I ever get, I'll probably transfer that picture over till I die. But yeah, so nut ex Mafia. And I said, you know what? We're going to set some ground rules. I was like, because y'all changing your name to nut ex blah, blah, blah, isn't enough. I was like, let me tell y'all what this include if you change your name. So I wrote it on the board. I put nut ex Ashima in big letters. I said, step one, how to join the nut ex Mafia. Step one, change your name to nut ex and I put in parentheses insert name here. So the nut ex shows that you're included in the movement.  I let them know I said, I know a lot of y'all do YouTube, a lot of y'all do music. We can all talk about this right now though. Let me give y'all the ground rules. Y'all help me blow up and I'm gonna remember y'all. I'm telling people, I'm telling people I might do a live today, I'll jump on live tomorrow. Like I said, nut ex Olivia engraved on my brain. Every time she joined my live, she get mad love and she was the first person to change her name and I'll never forget that. And I know she probably feel crazy and I'm not even nobody yet. I'm nobody that I wanna be yet. I'm still working to where I need to be. So it's like I said that inclusiveness. So I put the first step, change your name to nut ex. Second half of the name is up to you. Step two, I said in all caps, you must be early and must be early, meaning, and I broke down every step, meaning when I post something, I need y'all to comment on it. I need y'all to like it and I need y'all to share it because the way the TikTok algorithm is set up is almost like a point system. Shares, couriers, certain amount of weight which will put you to more for you pages or so I'm told I'm not, there's no 100% on this but to my understanding the amount, every time somebody shares a video you get X amount of points. I'm not sure if that's the right word and that can launch you, that can launch you up to maybe X amount or more for you pages. And depending how you perform on the amount of for you pages that you have now been given again can either push you down or push you up. So it's like a trickle down effect. And I wanna say, they say share or from what I've heard, shares, weight, comments are second and likes at the bottom which obviously all of them it's the mix of all of them that will boost you. But like I said, to my understanding, that's what it is. So I'm telling them you gotta be early. Rule number two, the night X month, you have to be early. You have to comment on every post. You have to like I said, do not just change your name. I need you to support me so I can support you. And that was the biggest thing is I let, I feel like you support me, I'll support you. I said, go change your name right now. Come back in, y'all getting shout out. So like I said, it's 2,000 people on the line. So it might have been like 30, 40 people instantly like change the name, shout out to, shout out to, shout out to, shout out to. Everybody wants to shout out, they doing it. And from there, I think the third step was, what was the third step? I want to say the third step was, I don't even remember what the third step was.  But anyways, I had set the rule. So I made it more serious than it really was. Put like a story behind it, the whole night X mafia. And the thing now fast forward into now, like I said, I get off the live. I didn't even know how many viewers that I was on it for five hours. When I got off the live, I was dead tired, had been on it for five hours. I still had 2,000 viewers when I got off. And in my head, I'm thinking like, dang bro, if I end this live, I might never get this many people watching me at one time live again. But I'm like, bro, I'm dead tired. I'm putting, like, bro, I'm putting on, I don't perform a 45 minute set and not been this tired. I'm like, bro, why am I this tired right now?  Let me start, get off the live.  I had 79,000 total viewers during that live and I had gained 2.2 thousand followers. And in my mind, last time I checked, I had like maybe 4,000 followers. I had went from 3,000 to 4,000 by the time I hopped on live. Rock it off the live. I'm at 15K. Like, I almost, I was ready to scream. Like, I'm like, bro, what? 15K, I was on live for five hours. So you figure, I probably dropped the video maybe like an hour or so before. So my video had been anywhere from like four to six hours. Don't quote me out. I'm at 15K followers from 3,000. I don't even remember how many views the video was that. It might've been like, when I went to sleep, the video might've been at like 120K.  So I'm like, all right, but if I wake up on my past 140K, that's all I need. Bro, I go to sleep, wake up. I'm at like 3,400K. I was like, bro, what is going on? Wake up, my followers is at like 30K. I was like, bro, this is crazy. I said, I got to come back with something like, cause that was another thing when I got that Uber video, I almost like I fumbled the bag on that one. And this is why I almost say I'm more happy that my viral video, or viral, I don't even know what's viral about these days. A million, five millions. I don't know, right? It's just regular language now. My first video over a million views came seven, ain't no telling now, but I mean, I had a million collectively. I don't even, I can't name one thing I had a million of before. So like I said, wake up, it's not like maybe 3,400K. I'm like, bro, we got to keep this thing rolling. Cause with that first video, the first Uber video that I had that popped up, it got to 240K. I remember calling up my homies, the sneaker mechanic, like I said, that kind of was putting me on a game.  And he was like, bro, TikTok kind of tricky, bro. He's like, but I feel like every video has its own life. He's like, I'm gonna give it to you like that, in my opinion. And it does, bro, it really does because it's that trickle down effect. It's almost better to spam videos. Every video I watch falling up to me, bro, I used to go on YouTube for hours, man, just watch these kids out here, man. You know, they blow up on TikTok and they take it straight to YouTube because they smart. You got to spread it to all platforms. They'll take it straight to YouTube. We gon' give you a crash course, how to blow up on TikTok. And they'll tell you, a lot of people, like a big thing I saw, it didn't work for me. I heard a lot of people did six videos a day. Four to six video here, Gary Vee said. And you almost spam it in hopes of one of them taking off. And like I said, that trickle down effect. With me, that didn't work. But at every video for sure, as I've learned or in my experience, had the life of this home because my mom one pop, they all popped after. So it's good to have a lot of videos because like I said, I had 70 videos out. So when you found me off of my dollar tree rubber snake, you had 70 videos to go watch. And like I said, I'm not gonna lie, about half of them was trash, but it was a cool, another 50% for y'all to go and enjoy. And that's been that. I'm at like 51.8K right now. Last time I checked, and I'm just looking for the next thing. So I mean, that was in the last, what, four days, basically, you went from 40 something K. And so the big thing about that snake was the fact that it really didn't get big at all, right? It really didn't get big, and oh, I almost, see it's such a long story, but I be losing track. Like it's crazy, like I said, these three days have been like so long to me. So like I said, it didn't grow. So like I said, a big thing with me, I'm like, how do I follow this up? So I'm like, okay, I need something. I don't know. And the whole thing was come back in 24 hours, but the snake didn't grow, it's a Dollar Tree snake. So I'm like, bro, what do I do? So I called a homie, he's an actor. I'm like, bruh, so my video going crazy on TikTok. He's like, bro, I see you on there, blah, blah, blah. I'm like, I don't know how to follow it up. Do I wait, do I, do I? I know I need to come back, but I'm like, bruh, what do I come back with? I was like, the snake's not bigger. Everybody wanna see the snake? I was like, if I show the snake they look the snake, they're not gonna hear that.  I'm like, I bet. I'm like, we're gonna make a story out of this. So the next video I did, I said, I kind of played it out. So I started in my room, I was like, hey, I was like, I said, not ex mafia, stand up once again, because I had already cultivated the little following in my life. And ever since then they commented on my old videos with the hashtag, I gave them hashtags to use, hashtag, not ex mafia, hashtag, not ex, which is my ad name. And I told them, if you use these hashtags, comment it on my posts, but also comment on your posts and I'll check out your posts and like your posts. So if you want me to see what you're doing, that's the way to get my attention, is I'll check that. I can always check your ad, especially with the viral video, because my notifications are crazy. But when I get bored, I'll just check my own hashtags and I'll go see what y'all got going. So they commented on my old stuff, so I'm like, but I got this little, like, I still don't even know what it is. I'm still trying to figure out how to maximize it. So I'm like, babe, beginning of the next video after the two ones that kind of went viral, I'm like, not ex mafia, stand up. This is what y'all been waiting for, right? 24 hours later, let's get it, man. Y'all ready for Snickers or Snake? Because mind you, I had Nantum. They going crazy in my comments. Oh, Snickers, Snickers, oh, blah, blah, blah. Like, act like he real, bro. Like, I promise you, I think half of them really think he a real snake, bro. But I don't even know. But I guess that's the fun of TikTok, it's not too serious. I go in the bathroom and this is where I threw the plot twist. I said, I said, oh, he's not here. And I flipped the camera and the tug and the snake gone because he didn't grow. So I'm like, bro, I can't show them a snake that didn't grow. I was like, we gonna stay, he lost. We gonna make it a story. Let's run with it. I got all these viewers right now, all this attention. I'm a performer. We're gonna put on a show. So I'm like, the snake's gone. I don't know where he went. Start going crazy.   He was in charge of a man. You had one job. Another thing on TikTok, a trend or a joke, a running joke is like, oh, you the CEO of this.  You got a viral video and now you trying to juice it. Blah, blah, blah, blah. So I got the dudes hating on it. I got the dudes that's like, bro, what? I got the dudes, RIP Snickers. We miss Snickers, bring Snickers back. So that video started going kind of crazy in itself. I'm like, last time I hopped on live while a video was doing good, we went crazy. I started off in that X-Mafia. I'm like, bro, I wonder if I start up another live while I got a little bit of juice. It wasn't as much juice as the first one, but I'm like, I'm still getting carry on. I'm still getting views on the last video. I want to say the video was out of millions. It's at 1.3 now, 1.3 million now. So I'm like, bro, I still got some carry over this new video looking good.  So let me just stick to what I'm doing. Hop on a live. Hop on a live. Might have had 20, 30 people within the first 10 minutes. Hashtag, not X-Mafia. And I was like, because the first live I said it, some people changed their name. Some people was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, rapping it. But when I hopped on that second live, man, and I didn't even mention it. They mentioned it. I was like, I might have just did the coldest thing ever on accident. I was like, it's a wrap. This is what it is. And to this day, I'm still trying to, I mean, to this day, three, four days later, but I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to turn this into something real because they really out there banging out not X-Mafia, man. Like, it's real. The little X-mo, I'm going to pick the most. The X-moji, the black cart in the Jupiter emoji. They all use these emojis because they see me use these emojis. Anytime they comment on my posts, I normally respond with the same couple emojis. Like I said, from the jump, a big thing with me was brand identity because I know I got the look. I got a weird name. My name is Ashimot. I never had to look for an artist name. I never had to do the Lil or the blah, blah, blah. No disrespect to anybody with Lil and their name if you were an artist, you know what I'm saying? But like, I just feel like the biggest thing with me is I always have brand identity and I always knew what to do with the platform. I think I make good music. I know a lot of people, a lot of my peers, platform, I know what to do with it. So I got this small opportunity, this small window, and I'm just maximizing. I'm like, man, we about to really start something really inclusive. Shout out to Koto Alave again. I know that they want to feel included. They want to, you know what I'm saying? They want a personality. They want something deeper than the music because it's 2020, bro. You can make a banger in the basement. You know what I'm saying? You can make a banger in the sticks with a, bro, when I first started rapping, I was rapping on Apple headphones. Like it's too easy nowadays. So it's deeper than the music. Anybody can make a good song. Auto-tune, you don't even got to be able to sing. You know what I'm saying? So it's deeper than the music. So I'm just all about right now. I'm just trying to really show to these people that I just have a most thing, I spent a lot of time playing Fortnite. And it just went in, right? Because like I said, all they know me right now is for the snake video. Even right now, I have 51.8K followers, something like that. I'm the dude with the rubber snake. And I'm slowly introducing the music. So I started doing stuff, you know? I started telling them my name is Osman. Check me out on music. Check me out on Spotify, Apple Music. Anybody that shouts out any of my songs, if you drop my song in the comments of this live stream, I'm going to shout you out. So they doing research. I'm kicking back waiting. Next thing you know, Fantasy. I'm like, yup, I do got a song named Fantasy. Shout out to blah, blah, blah of Vendetta. I do have a song named Vendetta. Shout out to Vendetta. I'm like, all right, I got it. Shout straight. Now that it's my thing in here, I see y'all real recognized. Real blah, blah, blah. We a family pet. We don't step it up a notch. I'm going to throw your name on this whiteboard. If you can drop lyrics. It's one thing to just look up the name. I'm like, but are you bumping it though? Can y'all drop lyrics? They start dropping my lyrics. But I'm not even like two, three minutes, just lyrics, all type of stuff. I'm like, for sure, going crazy. Then like, even like I said, I was a couple nights ago.  I want y'all to get to know me because it's like I said, I want them to feel included with me. I want them to know this deeper than music. I want them to love me as a person. I want them to love me as an artist, as a comedian. If I decided to go be a model or an actor, and I tell them this, bro, that's the thing is like, I had this platform. I'm putting a milking for everything I can get out of it. I'm like, bro, I don't know how long this phone lasts. I might not never get a viral video again. I think I will, because I think I kind of got it down to a science almost, and I don't knock on wood. But like, I just want them to feel as included as possible. And I feel like that's what took my fame. And like, I'm still in my two seconds. I might be in my third second now, but I'm hoping it turns into a minute or a year and everything else. So I'm just trying to figure out how to milk it as much as I can, man. And at the same time, it's dope, because it's genuine. I got dudes in my live, bro. We did, we had the female advice last night. They talking about, hey, bro, you know, Valentine's Day is going to come out. Shout out, Nadex Ethan, if you ever see this. That's my dog. He been in every live, so I live shoot every day. Like I said, I probably going to miss today. Some stuff popped up. I was recording and some more stuff today. But I've been on live every day since that video pop. He been in every live, bro.  You know, I got a little shorty. What should I do, man? He's like, I want to get her some. I don't want to do too much. I don't want to do too little. And we being everybody. I gave him my advice. I'm like, hey, Nadex, Moffield, what y'all think, man? They drop in jail. I was like, hey, bro, you know what I'm saying? Get us some chocolate. He having like a real conversation, kicking it. And it's just love. They ask you like, like I said, we do the Q and A. They're like, how old are you? You know what's your name? I was like, my name's Oshmod. Same as mine. At name, pretty similar at least. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You play Fortnite? I'm like, Ryan played in a minute. I'm like, but what? And they like, you trying to hop on Fortnite? I'm like, bro, we'll put it like this. If we can get a donation, which I said they can donate gifts. That's another thing about their lives, other than like making them feel entitled, but you can also get paid off of it. Not to put too much emphasis on that. Do with that, what you will, they can donate gifts. So I'm like, all right. Anybody donate gifts? We gonna hop on a fort with it. Mind you, I'm trying to milk this. So I put it like this. They donate, Fortnite was squad full of four people. So me, I got plus three. We had three dudes donate first. They added me on PlayStation. I said, you know what? We gonna switch it up a little bit. So I'm gonna have it TikTok live, right? But when I'm on the game, all y'all gonna seize me on the game. I'm worried they gonna get bored and leave. I was like, I'm gonna stream it on the YouTube too, too. So before you watch us play Fortnite, go ahead and tap it on my music video. The oxygen music video had just dropped pretty recently. Check that out. And by the way, we on live on YouTube. So I got them on my YouTube live, on my TikTok live. Mind you, we playing Fortnite. I'm like, hey, if y'all in both lives right now, screenshot it on your phone and DM me on Instagram. Because on TikTok, when you go to your profile, there's a button you could push to take you directly to your Instagram or YouTube. My two cents, only put your Instagram or only put your YouTube to start. Because when you put one, it takes you directly to the page. When you put two, it asks you to choose. Some people gonna get the option and not gonna wanna choose either. I just put my Instagram right now. That's just what I chose to focus on. So I'm like, as soon as you type it, you go straight to Instagram. So I go to my Instagram, I tell them DM me to Instagram. I tell them it goes to my, it goes to, you know how Instagram works, I'm sure. It goes to your Instagram requested. I'm like, brah, I will go through my requested. The last three days have been a dream. The least I could do is go through every requested. I was on my request. I might've had a hundred plus DMs, bro. I ain't never asked me DMs in my life from screenshots to the live. And I'm saving them. Cause to me, this the craziest time of my music career. And I didn't even fully introduce the music. Yeah, that's the craziest part, but I'm just already knowing what this is from the transition into. So I'm, you know, they hitting me, the homie, Nilex, Ethan, hit me by this girl again. We touched based on that. You got screenshots. Brob, I had brought the dog into it. I needed some water, went downstairs. I got a husky, her name is Lumu. So we got Snickers the Snake that they steadyed during all my lives still to this day, comments on the video. I'm sure as long as I'm posting, they'll probably bring up Snickers the Snake the day was, whether it has to do with him or not. I go downstairs to get some water.  I'm putting on a show. I'm a performer. I'm an artist. I'm putting on a show. Hey, y'all say what's up to Lumu. My dog, Lumu the Husky. They start saying I had already touched heavy bass with the mafia, probably so exaggerated, or so exaggerated I should say, to the point that I feel like it really sank. Cause I really busted out a white ward to say this is not X, I'm off here. This is the rules that we follow, which is all like support me. I support you. These are the stuff we stand on. And I go downstairs, show them my dog, Lumu. Next to you know, oh, that's not X, Lumu. That's not X, Lumu. I was like, bro, you know what? I was like, yeah, bro, that is, oh, what? I'm glad y'all know. Yeah, that's not X, Lumu. So it's just, I don't even know what it's gonna be three days from now, bro. It's whatever they make it, but it's just like this TikTok community is so crazy. It's like, and I had posted a tweet last night that like was so real to me. I'm laying in bed like, damn, bro.  Like maybe I'm too juice. Let me know. But just the fact that I have been to the, I have been to the corporate office headquarters. I have been to the Halloween party and been around everybody TikTok community and out. Cause the thing with TikTok is they're real big with pulling people in. So they got their organic, they got the musically, they got the food that blew up musically and they're also actively recruiting. They're also actively recruiting whether it be Kevin Hart, the rock. If you see now that's the whole running joke is we miss old TikTok. And one thing now that was scaring me, which is funny. I like I said, I've been to the headquarters. I'm thinking, dang, bro. I don't know what about TikTok for longer than like the vast majority of people. I know the ends cause I've been to, I've talked to the higher up and got to sit down and ask all the right questions. And got all the right answers, but I still ain't got one to blow my brum around at a time. I'm like, when are they going to switch up the algorithm and cut off this free organic reach? Cause you know, it's only a matter of time until monetization is monetized. Can't even say the word, but you know what I'm trying to say is going to be the, is going to be the number one thing. So like brumming at the time, running at that time and just in the nick of time, when I least expected with the Dollar Tree snake, I snuck in and I'm like, bruh, it's over y'all. Let me in. I'm going to kick the door down. So like I said, not going forward, not to jinx too much, but like bruh, it's just the fact that I've been to the headquarters, bruh. I bumped the right people.  And that's almost the thing is like, there's no rules to TikTok. So what work for Billy Joe Bob might not work for Sean Chris or whoever. It's like, just be genuinely you. Do not be scared. If you don't want to, if you don't, if you worried about people finding it, don't, you can change your TikTok name every, whatever, whatever that people won't recognize you as and go back to it, go back to your real name later. However you got to get it, bruh, get these views, lay down your morals. You know what I'm saying? Me personally, the main thing I was saying is I'm not going to act a fool in the Walmart because I might have to go to the Walmart for something. I ain't trying to get looked at crazy. I'm not going to the Walmart. I have a music career. So it's okay to be funny. It's okay to be the funny guy. You know, you got so tired of the creators who can be funny, like clown, not to call him a clown, but can clown around and then can still draw music and you still going to put some respect on the music because at the end of the day, if the music is good, they not going to care about how you got introduced but for so long. You know what I'm saying? That's what people get afraid of. People who get too wrapped up in that are people who really might doubt their music quality a lot of times. And the thing is, bruh, is if you do doubt your music quality, get big on TikTok. And the music don't even got to get good, bruh. Shout out not to diss him, bruh. This is my little bro. They're geniuses, bruh. Bomeo and Boer. So that little homie, Bomeo, he staying like Northern California, I'm in Southern California. He found me on Instagram. He told me he mess with my music. So it was the sneaker mechanic who had, he had half a, he had almost like half a meal but I've known him for years. But he was on TikTok with like half a meal. He was kind of gasping. I'm like, bruh, but you, he customized the shoes.  Like of course they gonna watch you. I do music. Nobody wanna hear another rapper trying to make it. So I'm like, bruh, I appreciate you, but like, do you? I'm gonna figure this out on my own. I'm gonna stick with the brand, with the brand man, Sean, network. And you know what I'm saying? That fit me more. Whatever else I was looking to for advice. I'm like, for sure. Then the little homie, Bomeo, had hit me, he's from China. Which funny enough, TikTok is from China, no relation. No relation in that, but just funny enough. And he told me, he was on YouTube. When I met him, he had 3,000 subscribers on YouTube. He DM me, he said, bruh, cause I was doing shows and I was doing merch at this time, heavy. I kind of took back from the shows, kind of took back from the merch. More so working on just growing my platform and music right now. But he hit me, he was like, bro, I mess with show music. He's like, I don't even know how I found you. Somehow found myself on your page on Instagram. I think you're dope. He was like, I want a piece of merch. And I'm like, for show, bro, I gave him the rundown of the price thing I was selling to, he's for like 25. I'm like, bet, bruh, cash out me, pay probably 25. I got you, bro, send me the address. He like, bruh, I'm sure. He's like, bruh, I got like $10 right now. Give me till next week, I got you. I'm like, bruh, you know what? I wasn't even doing shows or releasing merch at this time. I just had some left over. I'm like, bruh, this is sitting in my closet anyways. Besides you, bruh. He's like, he's like a small. I'm like, bruh, I'm going to go to the post office. Give me your phone number.   All you got to do, I see you trying to get your little YouTube. Mind you, he didn't have the biggest, we had three K subscribers, which isn't crazy.  And you never know with this internet thing, bro. It's crazy. So he had three K subscribers at the time. I go to the post office, text from a bruh shipping is might have been $5 or whatever to his house. I wanted to give him express. Tell him what the deal is. He like, all right, cool. He cashed out me $5. The tease was supposed to go for 25. So I'm taking the help. And I'm like, bruh, this is like one of the first times that I had somebody outside of my circle really come to me. And this is prior to me even being on TikTok. First time somebody outside of my circle was coming to me showing love. So I'm like, bruh, I'm going to show this love back. Ship it to him. You know what I'm saying? Send him a hat too. Send him a hat for free. Didn't even tell him, he got it, bruh. He had me, bruh, this is crazy. This is crazy. And it just goes to show the, not just TikTok, but it's just making people feel included in something and genuinely, because you asked for so much as an artist, stream my music, follow me on Instagram, follow me on Twitter, retweet this, come to my show, buy my ticket. Dude, it's like, bro, what are you giving back? And not to say, like I said, I'm nowhere near where I want to be, nor do I have everything figured out. But this is just what I'm seeing at work is once you get there, you can be as blue as you want to. But for right now, people almost like the insecurity. People almost like being able to relate. So you know, he reached out to me, he said he got $10 in his pocket, what do you want to teach? I'm like, well, who am I? And if you want to ask my team, bruh, like, what the heck? It's so many dudes I see every day that's not supporting my music. And you sitting here, a stranger. So send it to him, long story short. He was, like I said, he was going to YouTube. He had bruh, like this video, when I tell you cranes going back to TikTok, when you go to sign up and do a TikTok at this time. But bruh, the cringiest YouTube video, right? He posted up, he asked me to support it. I was like, bruh, you already know how it be. You don't want to shout everybody's stuff out because you don't want your pain to look like spam. But I'm like, bruh, I don't know. He got a special place in my heart till I died because he was one of the first people from out my circle to hit me about some merch, really show me some love, some genuine love, don't know me. Made me feel like the coolest dude in the world. So I'm like, bruh, whatever. I'ma post it up, post it for him. He got a little, I think that little video had picked up some traction, not because of me, but you know what I'm saying? He was doing this thing. He was really consistent with it. It was, like I said, it was cringy, which seems to be the wave right now. And it picked up some steam. I want to say he got like maybe 20K views, 30K views, something like that. I don't remember, don't quote me, which was like crazy for him at the time. He had jumped from like 3K subscribers to maybe four or 5K.  So I'm like, he showed me love about my music. Let me gas, bruh, right quick. I'm like, bruh, I see you, blah, blah, blah. Keep going, bruh. That's what's up. He like, yeah, bruh, blah, blah, give me the running around. You know what I'm saying? So I keep seeing him post. I follow him back at this point too. I'm like, I like that, you know? I'm trying to do some, he trying to do some. At this point, I'm feeling like, I'm feeling like he little bro, right? Next thing you know, bruh, I'm on Twitter, like maybe a month later, I see like a video with like a million views on Twitter.  It's bruh, bum, yo, right? And they twin, but I didn't even know he had a twin brother at this time. It was like an e-dating thing that he had did. It was an e-dating thing. So he met some girl online. He met her for the first time. And bruh, like I said, er, bruh, short. And she was taller. She like, dang, I kinda expected you to be taller.  And it was, now, it was cringy, it's all get out, but like that was the one funny moment. So somebody seen it, took that, and it was a wrap ever since. He had like, he on his way to 100k subscribers now, with that being said. Then I noticed, excuse me, on YouTube, but before he got that, he's at that now, not just because of that video, but that video gave him, he went from maybe like 4 or 5k. Like I said, don't call me, I wasn't pocket watching him like that. But, I mean, that's you.  He went from maybe 4 or 5k, he went from maybe 4 or 5k to like a quick 10k. Did not see him post 12k.  I'm like, bruh, like, I ain't even met him in real life, but he was the first person to support me. So he got a soft, I got a soft spot in my heart for him. So I'm like, bruh, that's what's up. Like I said, he was Lil Bro. He started getting up in these subscribers. He hit me, I'm dropping music. You know, I'm supporting him. At first I kind of was like, bruh, I really don't report this. You repost this, you know, it don't really got nothing to do with my brand.  But I was like, whatever, whatever. He show let me, I'm show it back. And now every time he posts my missed call, it's probably on my story. You decide to love. Fast forward though, he's out like almost 100k now, but going back, he got on TikTok. And he posted a TikTok video and I didn't even, I had a TikTok account, but I'm not on TikTok actively at this time. He posted it on his IG and was like, yo, I need everybody if you have a TikTok, go on TikTok, I need y'all like to share this, blah, blah, blah, the regular run around. He's like, this video is going crazy for me right now. And I hit him and I was like, yo, brother, homie's on TikTok. Like that's crazy. Like I was like, it's cool or what? Or like, what's up with it? And he's like, yeah, bruh, it's crazy. I don't want to say, he got like 30k followers in his first three days, bruh, I was sick. I was so sick. I was like, I'm on it, got on it. Like I said, I posted 70 videos before one popped up. So he kind of inspired me to try it and nothing's in it for me. I see him going, going, going. Didn't the craziest part? He has a twin brother, bro. And I didn't know it. So they did a video. It was like a twin telepathy video was the first of my fun that they had twins or something.  One of them slapped himself, the other one like turned this way. Bruh, I thought it was CGI. I'm like, bro, the little homie that randomly I met online, like it's crazy, blah, blah, I hit him, he's like, oh, that's my twin brother. I was like, oh, I didn't know you had a twin brother. He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We trying to get him on TikTok too. So I'm like, okay, that's cool. Y'all do your thing. I'm still trying here and there of BS in it. Maybe a video every two weeks just to try it, get no views, know nothing, which I consider to be no views. But realistically, if you have 200 followers on TikTok, you can get 500 views, which might seem miniscule to you because you looking around, you pocket watching, but it's like, bro, you don't have no business with 500 views with 200 followers. If you have 500 followers, you don't have no business with 500 views. That's someone Instagram and Twitter or whatever else. You don't get the full, you don't get the full capacity of your reach. If you do, you got to buy it back. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, and that didn't click for me at first. I'm looking at them, bro, sick. I'm looking at them sick. Like, wow, these kids, and they're geniuses and they don't even know it. Not to discredit them. They're freaking internet geniuses, bro. He's a senior high school right now. He a little younger than me. So, you know, he in tune. I'm like, I'm more in tune than most. I'm 22, so I'm still young for like, but I'm not like, I'm the last of the millennial, 1997, but he like, Generation Z. That Generation Z is something serious, bro. Like, and that's that TikTok wave. But like I said, so it's twin brother. It's twin brother. It's probably, I mean, I didn't ask him this specifically. I'm assuming that he, you know, he got the juice. It's twin brother. They did the video together on Bomeo, the Homie Bomeo's page. So his twin brother, Boer, I'm assuming was like, you know what, our video went viral together. Let me try it out. Bro, that boy must have got like, I don't even know how many followers in such a short amount of time, but more or less, he got up to like 173K. And this is when I knew like the power of TikTok. And once again, not to discredit them because they geniuses, this ain't gonna work for everybody cause they didn't work for me the way it worked for them. I thought it would at first, but I found out the hard way it didn't cause you genuinely, genuinely have to make good content. But if you do make consistent good content, you will pop eventually. Anyways, like I said, so he hopped on, he got up to 173K. The thing you have to keep in mind with TikTok, and this touches a lot of bases and changes a lot of things that you need to think about is TikTok is owned by ByteNas, which is a Chinese owned company. So for one, the way they operate is gonna be a lot different from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, or I said TikTok, I'm tripping. Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, all these American owned, you know, platforms. One thing is them community guidelines, bro. They do not play. TikTok is real strict. And when I went to the headquarters, one thing they told me, cause everybody thinks it's young. So you think like, oh, they might be strict on the guidelines through this young, but like, really let's see, there's a, there's a big, large demographic of 1824 year olds on TikTok and they'll tell you that. They don't like, they don't, they don't, they don't like you to say that it's a lot of young kids. Cause it's really not. That's just for whatever reason. That's just the, that's just like the first thought. They strict cause it's culture, not age, yeah. Right. You know what I'm saying? And it's, and it's a Chinese, you know, it's ran by the Chinese. They government got a lot of different laws to abide through than us or whatever it is. I don't know if the law, whatever, they got different views. Certain things is okay over here that, that probably won't fly. But I remember the first time I was stripping about them guidelines was, I did, me and the homie had did a, I did a skit. This is when I was trying to, this was like right after my over video had popped, I'm like, bro, we're going to, we're going to get it in. I'm thinking it's going to be easy. We did a skit. And to this day, I think this might be one of my best skits that never got to see a lot of day. I threw it up. It was a robbery skit.  But we wanted, we was trying to make it look, you know what I'm saying? We was, we playing the part. It was party is all get up. Fake guns in the skit.  Like, and mind you, this is the first, first video I posted after my little 140K Uber video. It's like 10 minutes, no views. I'm like, dang, not a one, bro. I got at least like a thousand followers. At least one, two, three, four. I'm like, what's going on, man? Like no views. They strict, bro. And I heard, I've heard, I can't confirm this. I've heard they have some type of face scan or scan technology. I have no confirmation on this. Nobody at the office told me this, but just me doing my own research. Some type of thing. It scans your videos, it listens to the audio. And cause my thing is I didn't put anything about guns in the text. We didn't say the word gun, but we had fake guns, of course. Fake guns in our hand for the robbery skit. And it didn't even go live. Like it showed me that it posted, but it was zero views. And then maybe like 30 minutes later, I got a notification, it was all your video was against the guidelines, blah, blah, blah, blah. Which another thing, going back to the two twin brothers that I'm cool with. One of them, I want to say he was on Instagram Live, going back to just the strict community guidelines. Be careful with this. Cause there's two things. There's one thing called a shadow band, which is really, really real. Which is really real. Which if you take that shadow band L, I don't have confirmation, but in my experience, and for what I'm told, it is better to delete your account and start a new account because that shadow band thing is real.  Like you have to really- No, I'm not trying to tell people that. It's a whole nother world. It's the same as Instagram. I'm a blow up or I'm a treat to influencers is the same, no, that's completely different.  And I'm like, okay, I don't get it. I don't really care. I like Instagram. Everybody I know I got Instagram. It's cooler to be famous on Instagram. All right, at least, you know what I'm saying? In the mainstream, it's cooler to be famous on Instagram than TikTok. So I'm more worried about Instagram. Let me try this. But it's like, bro, once you really dive into it, I used to go on TikTok, certainly like homework because I wanted to see how it operated. But I'm on TikTok more than Instagram now. Like, and I caught myself, I'm not even really that active on Instagram. I've been, you know what I'm saying? As of recently, I'm trying to get more back active on Instagram, but like TikTok, once you really dive into it, bro, like the variety, just the organic-ness of it, the, bro, there's so many different pages on TikTok, but not to get too off topic. Like I said, another big thing that I like, anybody that is considering TikTok, just them guidelines, bro, just be careful. Like I said, the shadow ban is real. I posted a caption. It was, I had did some skit. I'm not gonna get too into it, but pretty much I was eating a bag of nuts. It was like a joke. And I was like, hey, bro, can you hold my nuts? Like to the homie, can you hold my nuts? And I was leaving some like some almonds and passing the nuts. And in the, in the caption, I was like, man, my homies are fake. I was like, all my homies fake. They won't even hold my nuts. Once again, cringe, you know what I'm saying? Kind of drawing, kind of like testing that line of like what's funny? What's too much? But I mean, hey, I'm me. I'm not scared to be who I am. I'm not scared to make jokes. So we did it. And once again, I can always tell cause I'll post the video on it and the views just won't add up.   And especially the longer you wait to get on this TikTok train, bro, like, I mean, when I first got on TikTok, a lot of the stuff that was viral was like the lip-syncing, real simple stuff. And a lot of that stuff still gets liked. You got your Charlie D'Amelio, which is like the face of everything TikTok right now. But like, bro, like I'm starting to see like CGI on TikTok. I'm seeing dudes with like toy lifesavers, but they glowing and making sounds. I'm like, bro, three, four months ago, it's gonna get really real in these TikTok streets, bro. Like- People getting super fancy with those videos. It's crazy, man. Well, well, look, man, let's close this out because we've gone for days about TikTok. Right. Yeah, for sure. Some of the big things to get from your experience so far is, one, people can leverage your live. I tell people to go live when they have a video going viral on the For You page, but really not only that, taking it to that next level of going deep into building community, I think that's a huge part of your story and how that brand identity can really permeate into creating the community and seeing how quickly people are ready to support and become a part of that community. Now I just want to see you stay consistent with it because this has been a short period of time. Stay consistent. Right, it's been three days. It's been right, yeah. So like I said, those are the two big keys that I think that everybody can really, really take away. Of course, shuttle bin and all that stuff. I hear people talk about that a lot of other places. I mean, I've talked about it, but those two things are very unique in your story. And I don't think that many people, especially as small as you are, right? At the time that shows how powerful that community can be. So I appreciate you hopping on, man. Everybody at NotX Ashamad, I'll put that on the screen so everybody can follow, go check you out, TikTok IG. Just Ashamad, it is on streaming platforms and all that stuff. Is there one last thing you want to leave people with? Yeah, if I'm gonna say one last thing, bro, is if you do music, get on TikTok, man. Step out your comfort zone. Get this platform.  You got Stata Crater. He was known as the dude that ate a roach and now he's got a number one album. So we're gonna leave it at that. And then ain't nobody discrediting his music. So do what you got to do. Set your morals, draw your line. And you know, sometimes you might not gotta come at people with the music right away. You know what I'm saying? Get their attention. Show them you a real person. You don't gotta, because even I get caught up in trying to make myself look the part. Look past that, man. You gotta sell yourself as more than as good music because it's good music everywhere. It's good music on sound quite right now with 20 plays. That's probably more fire than anything I got out. So be real with yourself. Be consistent and just realize maybe what you're doing if it's not working is just not there yet. Or it's just not organic or it's just not real. I mean, yeah, if I had to get two cents. Like I said, I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but that's just my two cents. Bet bet. Appreciate that, man. Yeah, appreciate your time though. Yeah, I want honey, bro. I appreciate you. For sure, for sure, man. Hey y'all, as always everybody, if you liked this video, go ahead and like button. If you like, you might as well share and if you're not subscribed. You know what to do. Hit that subscribe.