RiceGum
Bryan Quang Le[4] (born November 19, 1996), better known as RiceGum, is an American YouTube personality and rapper, best known for his diss tracks and online feuds with other YouTube personalities.[5][6]
RiceGum | |||||||||||||
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![]() Le in April 2018 | |||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born | Bryan Quang Le November 19, 1996 | ||||||||||||
Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
Occupation | YouTuber | ||||||||||||
YouTube information | |||||||||||||
Also known as | RiceGum | ||||||||||||
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Years active | 2012–present | ||||||||||||
Genre | |||||||||||||
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Total views |
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Updated June 26, 2020 |
In November 2017, Le was ranked at number 25 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart.[7] His song "It's Every Night Sis" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2018.[8]
Early life
Le was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 19, 1996, to a Vietnamese father and a Chinese mother, both of whom are immigrants.[9] He attended Sierra Vista High School, where he was on the basketball team.[10] Le attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) before dropping out during his first year to pursue his online career full-time.[9]
Career
Music career
In 2017, Le released a single titled "It's Every Night Sis" featuring fellow YouTube personality Alissa Violet, which was a response track to YouTuber Jake Paul's viral song "It's Everyday Bro".[6][11] It was certified RIAA Platinum[12][13] and became Le's first charting single, having debuted at No. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100.[14][15][16][6]
The single was followed by "God Church" in July 2017, its title another reference to "It's Everyday Bro",[17] which reached number one on the Comedy Digital Track Sales chart.[18]
RiceGum was featured in the video for "Earthquake" by YouTube personality and rapper KSI, released on August 12, 2017. The video has been viewed over 46 million times since its release.[19]
Other work
RiceGum was featured in the Super Bowl LII commercial for Monster headphones. In the ad, he plays a man on a subway who is inspired by Iggy Azalea to fashion a headset from scratch, which is accepted by an executive.[20][21]
As of May 2020, his main channel is the 558th most-subscribed channel on YouTube.[22] He lives in Los Angeles in what he describes as a 'luxury' flat.[23]
Controversies
Arguments with other YouTube personalities
Ian Carter, a YouTuber by the channel name of iDubbbzTV, made an episode of his popular "Content Cop" series on RiceGum (a series where he critiques other YouTubers' content), which received over 47 million views and over 2 million likes. The end of the video featured the diss track "Asian Jake Paul".[24] In response to the video, RiceGum made the diss track "Frick da Police". The diss track was met with a negative reception, currently holding 1.3 million dislikes as of January 2020.[24][25] RiceGum has also been involved in controversies with other popular YouTubers and musicians such as James Rallison, Gabbie Hanna,[26] and Bhad Bhabie.[27] As of May 2020, RiceGum is in an argument with YouTuber KSI.[28]
Hong Kong vlog controversy
On June 12, 2018, RiceGum uploaded a video of himself in Hong Kong through his main YouTube channel. In the video, he asks strangers and a staff member in a local McDonald's if they have dog on the menu as he says "Asians eat cats and dogs in China." He also jokes about wanting to have dog and cat meat to eat as he is "always open to try new things".[29] He comments on Hong Kong street food beef entrails, questioning if it is dog meat and saying "shit looks disgusting".[30] He filmed comedian M2THAK walking up to a man in the Hong Kong International Airport, yelling "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?", allegedly imitating a scene from the Hollywood movie Rush Hour starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker to imply that Asian communities do not understand English.[31] M2THAK was also filmed repositioning mannequins in a store window into sexually suggestive poses.[32] The video included a scene where they gave a half-eaten ice cream to a local Hong Kong man.[33]
Online commentary has compared the video to Logan Paul's Japan vlog controversy,[34] saying that he is being disrespectful and culturally insensitive in a foreign country.[35] Jimmy Wong tweeted saying that he is disappointed as RiceGum's videos are now "disrespectful, ignorant, borderline racist, & shameful to all creators, especially Asians" and asked him to "please grow up & stop".[36]
Two weeks later, on June 26, when the video received different criticism in China and other Asian countries, RiceGum released a video, saying that he was just "joking around".[37] He defended himself saying that he was just trying to use Asian stereotypes to point to American comedy culture and that people are being too sensitive. He further explained that he believed it is acceptable as he is Asian.[38] He also said that he wanted to return to Hong Kong, but says that he is "kind of scared now because the people may hit me and beat me up". However, the video was considered insincere; media site Polygon described that his apology was done "in a somewhat glib manner" and What's Trending said the "apology" "sounded [incredibly] forced".[39][40] The video of his Hong Kong tour is currently removed from YouTube due to the violation of YouTube's Terms of Service.[41][42]
Mystery box website promotion
In January 2019, RiceGum, along with Jake Paul, came under fire for promoting MysteryBrand, a website which offers the chance to open a digital "mystery box" of pre-selected items with a promise to win one in real life at random. Many users have said they have not received prizes they won through the site, and concluded the site is a scam.[43] In response, RiceGum made a video in which he pointed out that other YouTubers made their own videos promoting MysteryBrand months prior, saying "No-one said anything, it wasn't a problem back then. Why did no-one bring it up, or even talk about these guys? This mystery box thing has been on the internet for 3 or 4 months even from other creators, but as soon as I do it, it's a problem?".[44] At the end of the video, he decided to give away Amazon gift card codes, saying "There's nothing I can really do but say sorry and give you these Amazon gift cards". However, many people called him out for the Amazon codes already being expired.[45]
Discography
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [14] |
US R&B/HH [46] |
CAN [47] | ||||
"It's Every Night Sis"[48] (featuring Alissa Violet) |
2017 | 80 | 34 | 55 | Non-album singles | |
"God Church"[49] | — | — | — | |||
"Frick da Police"[50] | —[upper-alpha 1] | 45 | 67 | |||
"Naughty or Nice"[52] | — | — | — | |||
"Bitcoin"[53] | 2018 | — | — | — | ||
"Fortnite n Chill"[54] | — | — | — | |||
"DaAdult"[55] | 2020 | — | — | — | ||
"My Ex"[56] | — | — | — | |||
"Contract Money Freestyle" | — | — | — | |||
Notes
- "Frick da Police" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[51]
References
- Le, Bryan [@RiceGum] (January 10, 2016). "Don't i get some poster board thingy for 100k? AYE I'M ABOUT TO WEAR IT LIKE A NECKLACE" (Tweet). Retrieved May 11, 2020 – via Twitter.
- "1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS! THANK YOU SO MUCH". YouTube. April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- "YouTube Sent Me The Wrong Play Button (10 Million Subscribers)". YouTube. May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
- Pryor, Matt (1 January 2020). "FORTNITE: VANGUARD ORGANIZATION SIGNS FORMER FAZE CLAN PLAYER". estnn.com. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- Asarch, Steven (8 March 2019). "Who is RiceGum? An Interview with One of YouTube's Most Notorious Clout Chasers". Newsweek. Newsweek. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- Cirisano, Tatiana (1 September 2017). "How a YouTuber War Launched a Jake Paul Diss Track Onto the Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- "RiceGum Chart History: Emerging Artists". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- "Behind the scenes: RiceGum and Alissa Violet on the power of media and how 'It's Everynight Sis' went platinum – HS Insider". LA Times. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- "RiceGum | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- Daluisio, Alexandra (June 7, 2017). "RiceGum, Alissa Violet Jake Paul Diss Track, Song". Teen.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- "American certifications – Jake Paul – It's Everyday Bro". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- Schroeder, Audra (21 March 2018). "YouTuber RiceGum Goes Platinum With Jake Paul Parody". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- "RiceGum – Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "Hot 100 Chart History: "It's Every Night Sis" by RiceGum featuring Alissa Violet". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- Kircher, Madison (1 September 2017). "Jake Paul's Ex-girlfriend's Diss Track Dissing Jake Paul's Diss Track Hits Hot 100 List, and I Want to Die Now". Intelligencer. NY Mag. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- HueyTheFreeman (July 26, 2017). "RiceGum breaks down "God Church" on Genius Verified!". Genius.com. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- "RiceGum – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- "KSI ft Ricegum – Earthquake (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- Kent, Mike. "Extended Version of Ricegum's Super Bowl LIII Commercial Plus Reaction". Dexterto. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- Lynch, Joe (February 4, 2018). "Iggy Azalea Returns In Monster Products' 2018 Super Bowl Commercial". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- "Top 500 YouTubers sorted by Subscribers – Socialblade YouTube Stats – YouTube Statistics". socialblade.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- Brian, Le (April 10, 2020). "2020 New Luxury Apartment Tour". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- Stone, Brianna (October 19, 2017). "iDubbbz and RiceGum YouTube Beef Gets Ugly and Pathetic". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- "RiceGum – Frick Da Police (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- Sanchez, Daniel (March 27, 2017). "YouTuber Ricegum Faces Legal Action for Physically Assaulting Gabbie Hanna". Digital Music News. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- Katzowitz, Josh (March 2, 2018). "Danielle Bregoli Feuds With RiceGum—And It's Gotten Nasty". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- "Ricegum explains his beef with "petty" KSI caused by Logan Paul rematch". Dexerto.com. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ETtoday. "網紅遊香港「找貓狗肉吃」!白目問:哪邊有妓女 港網友氣炸 | ETtoday新聞雲" [YouTube personality travels to Hong Kong "finding dog and cat meat to eat"! Asks "where are those prostitutes?" Angered Hong Kong netizens]. ETtoday新聞雲 (in Chinese). Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- 卡洛兒 (June 23, 2018). "美國YouTuber遊港拍片 追問路人哪裏有妓女及狗 網民鬧爆侮辱" [American YouTuber vlogging in Hong Kong, asking strangers where are the prostitute and dogs at. Netizens saying that it was an insult.]. 香港01 (in Chinese). Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- "'Where the hoes at?': Asian American YouTuber RiceGum slammed for 'ignorant' Hong Kong video - Resonate". Resonate. June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- "YouTuber RiceGum Is Being Criticized For His Stunts In Hong Kong And Compared To Logan Paul". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- "問「哪裏有狗或貓肉」 送出咬過一半雪條 美國網紅拍片涉侮辱香港人" [Asking "where are the dog and cat meat?", giving out half-eaten ice cream. American YouTuber vlogging, insulting Hong Kong people.]. 成報. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- "RiceGum Films Himself Terrorizing Hong Kong, Asks Locals Where to Eat Cats and Dogs". nextshark.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- "Asian-American YouTuber makes fool of himself in HK by asking where he can eat dog and 'where the hoes at?' | Coconuts Hong Kong". coconuts.co. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- Holmes, Martin (2018-06-29). "YouTuber RiceGum Faces Backlash Over 'Ignorant' Hong Kong Travel Video". ET Canada. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- "YouTuber RiceGum asks locals where he can eat dog meat in offensive Hong Kong travelogue – shanghaiist". shanghai.ist. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- "YouTuber RiceGum called out for acting like an idiot in Hong Kong". The Daily Dot. June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- "RiceGum called out over insulting, Hong Kong travel vlog". Polygon. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- "VIDEO: Why Is China FURIOUS At RiceGum? | What's Trending". What's Trending. 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- "RiceGum's Hong Kong video revealed the worst of clickbait trend". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- "Why I Left The Clout House (im sorry) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- Shamsian, Jacob (January 3, 2019). "Jake Paul and other influencers are promoting 'mystery boxes' to their young audiences. Critics say it's a scam". Insider. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
- "This Dude Calls Me Out For Mystery Unboxing..." YouTube. January 3, 2019.
- "RiceGum called out for giving away a bunch of expired Amazon codes". The Daily Dot. January 9, 2019.
- "RiceGum – Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "RiceGum – Chart History: Billboard Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- "It's Every Night Sis (feat. Alissa Violet) – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- "God Church – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- "Frick da Police – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "RiceGum – Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- "Naughty or Nice – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "Bitcoin – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "Fortnite n Chill – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "DaAdult – Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "My Ex - Single by Ricegum on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved May 1, 2020.