DeStorm Power

DeStorm Power (/ˈdeɪstɔːrm/ DAY-storm; born January 30, 1982) is an American actor, comedian, and Internet personality.

DeStorm Power
DeStorm Power in 2012
Born	(1982-01-30) January 30, 1982 Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, rapper, comedian, basketball player
Website	www.thezeusnetwork.com

Life and career

DeStorm comes from Baltimore, Maryland, where he lived with his mother and seven siblings.[1] In 2001 Power moved from Maryland to New York to pursue his music endeavors. After interning and ghostwriting at Atlantic Records, Universal, and various other record labels,[2] Power set out to establish himself as a performer, using YouTube as a platform to share his singing, songwriting, and production skills with the online community.[3] Power's videos are typically comedic, and also often incorporate rapping and beatboxing.[4] He was an accomplished triple jumper and Master personal trainer, and was notably invited to the Olympic Trials.[2] Power appeared as Mr. T in the first season of Epic Rap Battles of History[5] from which he achieved a gold record. In 2008 he lost his mother Mashala to stomach cancer. He moved to Los Angeles, California in 2011 where he joined his manager Sara Pena and started Big Frame, a Multi Channel Network and founded Forefront.TV which focuses on urban lifestyle and music.[6][7] Power moved on to Paradigm Talent Agency for his acting career then William Morris Endeavor before deciding to go independent. In August 2015, Power hosted the reboot of MTV's Punk'd with co-host King Bach, which aired on BET.[8] He is a founder and President of The Zeus Network which launched July 13, 2018 [9] He's a 2011 American Music Awards honoree and was nominated for five Streamy Awards, winning three. He was Emmy Nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series in 2018 for his original creation Caught The Series.[10] He also has a son, Tayvion Power.

YouTube career

Power has portrayed and rapped as American actor Mr. T (left), American rapper Kanye West (center) and Zulu monarch Shaka (right) for Epic Rap Battles of History.

Caught Series

On 9 April 2017, DeStorm started a minute long series on Instagram called Caught. The series later would be aired on YouTube and Facebook. This involves DeStorm facing problems with his girlfriend, his side-chick, his friends, enemies and others. Every Sunday, this series ends with a cliffhanger. The Caught series has garnered over 300 Million combined views making it the most watched short form series on the internet. Caught the Series was nominated for an Emmy Award and 4 Streamy Streamy Awards, winning two. Season 2 launched on July 13, 2018 on The Zeus Network, an SVOD streaming platform founded by DeStorm Power, King Bach, Amanda Cerny and Lemuel Plummer. The series includes celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, King Bach, Lamorne Morris, Alphonso McAuley, Lele Pons, Reedo Brown, Bradley Martin, Leli Hernandez, Janina, Taylor Stevens, Klarity and many more.

DeStorm Power

Power's YouTube channel, registered under the username DeStorm, has more than 3.02 million subscribers, and is used primarily for his musical endeavors. The videos on the channel have been viewed over 508 million times. "Wuz Up World? (What's up World?)"—DeStorm's catch phrase—can be heard at the start or end of every video. DeStorm often composes and performs covers or Beatbox covers of well known songs or creates content for major brands such as Pepsi, GE, Yahoo and Nintendo. DeStorm also creates original content based upon subscribers' challenges and suggestions, such as rapping in alphabetical order[11] or name dropping various movie titles in a rap.[12] Power occasionally collaborates with other popular YouTube personalities and recording artists, such as Mystery Guitar Man, Freddie Wong, Ray William Johnson,[13] Nice Peter and Kina Grannis. One of Power's most popular series on the channel is Rap Up, which Power began in 2009.[14] Power also competed in a commercial contest hosted by Heinz Ketchup and was a finalist.[4] Despite the success of his YouTube channel, Power announced in 2013 that his next major song release will be televised on MTV.[15] In April 2013, Power authored an op-ed on New Media Rockstars, detailing his concerns with the broken view counter on his DeStorm channel. He also won two comedy awards. Destorm was also featured as a headliner on the Digitour in the summer of 2010, in which he and other YouTubers traveled around the country performing their songs from YouTube.[16] In 2014, DeStorm Power was listed on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels, ranked at #85.[17]

Notable videos and collaborations

Title	Artist	Upload Date (YouTube)
"Refresh the World"	DeStorm Power	August 10, 2010 (2010-08-10)
A video song created for the Pepsi Refresh the World Project, currently being aired on MTV, BET, and VHI. The instrumentation was made using solely the sounds created by Pepsi cans, boxes, etc.
"AMA's SONG"	DeStorm Power	October 3, 2010 (2010-10-03)
A video song commissioned specially for the 2010 American Music Awards. In this video, Power raps about the year's nominees.
"Get Crackin' with Wonderful Pistachios Commercial"	DeStorm Power	October 14, 2009 (2009-10-14)
Power's winning submission to the Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin' contest
"Tag Your Green!"	DeStorm Power	October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04)
A video song for the General Electric Tag Your Green project promoting environmental responsibility.
"Airplanes – BoB & Hayley Williams of Paramore (Boyce Avenue & DeStorm cover)"	DeStorm Power, Boyce Avenue	January 14, 2011 (2011-01-14)
An acoustic cover of the song “Airplanes” by B.o.B with Boyce Avenue.
"Power Hour – Kanye West Parody"	DeStorm Power, Freddie Wong	August 18, 2010 (2010-08-18)
A song and video parody of the song “Power” by Kanye West with Freddie Wong.
"Making BLING Sexy!"	DeStorm Power, Vassy	August 23, 2010 (2010-08-23)
A song and video collaboration with the Australian R&B singer Vassy.
"Household Jam Session (MysteryGuitarMan and DeStorm)"	DeStorm Power, Joe Penna	November 24, 2009 (2009-11-24)
A song and video collaboration with Joe Penna, also known as Mystery Guitar Man, using random household objects.
"Finally Free ft. Talib Kweli"	DeStorm Power, Talib Kweli	November 28, 2011 (2011-11-28)
A rap song with a smooth hook featuring Talib Kweli. This song depicts hardships we come across during our lives and DeStorm making it so far and being finally free.
"Mr. T vs. Mr. Rogers"	DeStorm Power, Nice Peter	September 14, 2011 (2011-09-14)
In the 13th episode of Youtube series Epic Rap Battles of History, Mr. T and Mr. Rogers face each other in a rap battle. DeStorm played Mr. T and series creator Nice Peter played Mr. Rogers.
"Larry King Challenges DeStorm[18]"	DeStorm Power	August 2, 2012 (2012-08-02)
Larry King appeared in a 2012 video where he rapped with DeStorm as a promotion for his new show Larry King Now
"Pocket Like It's Hot – Snoop, DeStorm & Andy Milonakis"	Snoop Lion	October 10, 2012 (2012-10-10)
A promotion for Hot Pockets featuring Snoop Lion satirizing his classic Drop It Like It's Hot with DeStorm Power and Andy Milonakis.
"Shaka Zulu vs. Julius Caesar"	DeStorm Power, Nice Peter	July 20, 2015 (2015-07-20)
In the 56th episode of Youtube series Epic Rap Battles of History, Shaka Zulu and Julius Caesar face each other in a rap battle. DeStorm played Shaka Zulu and series creator Nice Peter played Julius Caesar.

Be Careful

A mixtape by DeStorm, Be Careful, was released May 1, 2012.[19] Blais, Lone Monk, Christopher Charles, Alex J and Owen Hill Jr. were among the album's producers.[20]

Be Careful
Mixtape by DeStorm
Released	May 1, 2012 (2012-05-01)
Genre	Hip Hop
Length	48:28
Label	Big Frame
Singles from Be Careful
"Finally Free" Released: November 28, 2011 "Love Signs" Released: February 15, 2012

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Champion"	3:35
2.	"My Grind"	3:48
3.	"3-Minute Workout!"	3:09
4.	"Instagram"	3:12
5.	"Anything You Want (feat. Christian Caldeira)"	3:39
6.	"Baddest Mutha"	3:37
7.	"Selfish"	2:50
8.	"Love Signs"	3:29
9.	"See Me Standing (feat. Alexandra Govere)"	4:04
10.	"The Background"	3:27
11.	"Hold That Pose"	3:17
12.	"Finally Free (feat. Talib Kweli)"	3:46
13.	"Protest"	3:26
14.	"Watch Me 2012 (feat. Razi)"	3:46
15.	"Love All The Way"	2:36

Initially the album was released in digital and physical CD form, but since May 1 limited edition USB keys with the album loaded onto them are being sold which were previously only available at a private launch party for the album.

King Kong

A mixtape by DeStorm, King Kong, was released February 3, 2013.

King Kong
Mixtape by DeStorm
Released	February 3, 2013 (2013-02-03)
Genre	Hip Hop
Length	48:20
Label	Big Frame
Singles from King Kong
"King Kong" Released: November 26, 2012

No.	Title	Length
1.	"King Kong"	3:38
2.	"Let Em Talk"	3:31
3.	"All Right"	3:02
4.	"Invincible (ft. Ray William Johnson & Chester See)"	3:26
5.	"Dream Bigger"	3:11
6.	"Money In My Pocket"	4:00
7.	"Scattin' On Me (ft. Kreesha Turner)"	3:01
8.	"Pole Position"	3:38
9.	"Fuckin' Wit Me (ft. Koowplayy & Kreesha Turner)"	4:00
10.	"Cameras (ft. Streetlight, Page Kennedy, & Chester See)"	4:18
11.	"Cheques"	2:56
12.	"Smoking on a J"	3:15
13.	"Magic"	3:46
14.	"You are a Star (ft. The Arnats)"	3:18

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Outcome	Ref
2011	American Music Awards	New Media Honoree (Male)	Himself	Won	[21]
2013	Streamy Awards	Best Web Musician	DeStorm Power on YouTube Channel	Nominated	[22]
2013	YouTube Music Awards	Innovation of the Year	"See Me Standing"	Won	[23]
2014	Streamy Awards	Vine Comedian	"Himself"	Won	[24]
2017	Streamy Awards	Acting in a Drama	"Caught The Series"	Won	[25]
2017	Streamy Awards	Ensemble Cast	"Caught The Series"	Nominated	[25]
2017	Streamy Awards	Drama Series	"Caught The Series"	Nominated	[25]
2017	Streamy Awards	Writing	"Caught The Series"	Won	[26]
2018	Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Award	Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series	"Caught The Series"	Nominated	[27]
2018	Streamy Awards	Writing	"Caught The Series - S2"	Won	[28]
2018	Streamy Awards	Ensemble Cast	"Caught The Series - S2"	Nominated	[29]
2018	Streamy Awards	Drama Series	"Caught The Series - S2"	Nominated	[29]
2018	Streamy Awards	Acting in a Drama	"Caught The Series - S2"	Nominated	[29]

References

1. ohanian, alexis. "From Homeless to Hip Hop Social Media Star". RedditUp. reddit. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
2. Richardson, Clem (February 12, 2010). "From YouTube to Vancouver: New media sultan, girlfriend to cover Winter Olympics – thanks to contest". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
3. Sinderman, Zachary (November 9, 2010). "HOW TO: Become a YouTube Sensation". Mashable. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
4. Lazarowitz, Elizabeth (August 11, 2009). "He's jingling all the way: Brooklyn rapper DeStorm Power rhymes for Heinz 5G prize". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
5. Holderness, Cates (September 15, 2011). "Epic Rap Battle: Mr. T Vs Mr. Rogers". BuzzFeed. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
6. Klima, Jeff (April 10, 2013). "Forefront.TV hosts first ever live stream forefront comedy night". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
7. Wallenstein, Andrew (December 12, 2012). "Big Frame brands top channels together as forefront". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
8. "News".
9. "Zeus Unveils Launch Series, Including Original Shows from Social Media Phenom Lil Tay and 'America's Top Model' Alum Don Benjamin". 2018-06-28.
10. "DeStorm Power".
11. Power, DeStorm (May 30, 2011). "How To Rap In Alphabetical Order!". DeStorm. YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
12. "DESTORM RAPPING MOVIE TITLES". The Flint Skinny. Blogspot. September 10, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
13. DeStorm Power (April 19, 2013). "DESTORM POWER: CAN I COUNT ON YOUTUBE? [OP-ED]". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
14. Gutelle, Sam (January 3, 2014). "Destorm's Latest 'Rap Up' Might Be His Biggest One Yet". Tubefilter. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
15. "YOUTUBE STAR DeSTORM FREESTYLE RAP … At the Gas Station". TMZ. February 22, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
16. http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/04/destorm-power-can-i-count-on-youtube-op-ed/
17. "The NMR Top 100 YouTube Channels: 100-76!". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
18. Power, DeStorm (August 2, 2012). "Larry King Challenges DeStorm". DeStorm. YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
19. DeStorm Power (March 13, 2012). "Be Careful Mixtape". Spinshop.com. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
20. "Be Careful - Destorm Power | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
21. Cohen, Joshua (November 14, 2011). "Exclusive: DeStorm, Christina Grimmie, Karmin Receive Honors from American Music Awards". Tubefilter. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
22. "3rd Annual Nominees & Winners". Streamys. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
23. Gutelle, Sam (November 3, 2013). "Eminem, Lindsey Stirling, Destorm Among YouTube Music Award Winners". Tubefilter. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
24. https://themusicuniverse.com/winners-announced-for-4th-annual-streamys-awards/}}
25. https://www.streamys.org/2017/09/winners-announced-for-the-7th-annual-streamy-awards/}}
26. https://deadline.com/2017/09/2017-streamy-awards-winners-list-1202177666/}}
27. http://www.emmys.com/bios/destorm-power. Missing or empty |title= (help)
28. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/streamy-awards-2018-winners-list-1146664/item/live-streamer-1146657}}
29. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/streamy-awards-2018-winners-list-1146664/item/fashion-1146631}}

External links

• DeStorm's channel on YouTube
• DeStormTV's channel on YouTube