Damon, also known as IShowSpeed, was born on January 21, 2005, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He started his YouTube journey in 2016 by occasionally uploading gameplay videos. In December 2017, Damon began livestreaming and posting videos of games like NBA 2K and Fortnite, initially averaging only two viewers. However, his subscriber count skyrocketed over a few months, reaching 100,000 in April 2021, 1 million in June 2021, 10 million in July 2022, and 20 million in August 2023.
Damon’s notoriety surged in 2021 when his fans shared clips on TikTok showing his often-volatile behaviour during live streams, which became popular memes. He received bans from platforms like Twitch and the game Valorant due to his outbursts.
His videos on Talking Ben the Dog contributed significantly to his growth, revitalizing the mobile app’s popularity years after its release. In December 2021, Damon participated in a Twitch “e-dating” show, where his behaviour led to controversy and a ban from Twitch.
In April 2022, a clip of Damon making sexist remarks during a Valorant livestream led to his permanent ban from Valorant and all Riot Games titles. He later apologized, citing racist comments from other players as contributing factors.
Throughout 2022, Damon faced various controversies, including setting off fireworks in his bedroom, getting swatted during a livestream, and attempting to cheat in an economics course with his viewers’ help, resulting in a failed test.
In August 2022, he received a community guidelines strike and a one-week YouTube ban for streaming sexual content in a Minecraft mod. He later announced his departure from YouTube. In September 2022, Damon played in the Sidemen Charity Football Match and received a yellow card for whipping a referee with his shirt. He also threw a pitch invader’s jersey onto the floor.
In November 2022, Sky Sports stopped featuring him due to past misogynistic and derogatory comments. He was also accused of promoting a cryptocurrency scam during a promotional stream. Damon’s online journey has been marked by both success and controversies, making him a polarizing figure in the online gaming and streaming community. Also, he is an ardent fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. Recently, he met him in person for the first time and Speed’s priceless reaction went viral on the internet.
Who is IShowSpeed’s father Darren Watkins Sr?
Darren Watkins Sr., also known as ‘Daddy Speed,’ sometimes appears in videos with his son, Speed, on the internet. He also has his own YouTube channel where he makes videos like vlogs and reaction videos. He started doing this about seven years ago, and now about 90,000 people follow his channel. He also shares pictures of his son on Instagram and TikTok, mostly old ones. He is 40-years-old.
Even though Speed’s parents aren’t together anymore, he and his dad are still very close. But there’s one thing they don’t agree on: Speed really likes Cristiano Ronaldo, but his dad thinks Lionel Messi is better. They talked about this in a video, and Speed was really surprised because he said, “You’re my own dad, and you’re saying this!”
Ishowspeed Music Career
In August 2021, Watkins put out his first song, “Dooty Booty,” on YouTube, and it became popular on TikTok. In November 2021, he released another song called “Shake,” with a music video that got over 160 million views on YouTube. In June 2022, he made a song called “Ronaldo (Sewey)” because he’s a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. Lastly, in November 2022, he released a song called “World Cup” to celebrate the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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