The Never-Ending Downfall of The Island Boys – Transcript

00:00I don't need financial advice, but I probably make my money. >> The Island Boys like they're not paying the rent. They're like 15 days late on it. I have three grand, the rent five grand. I might just give them one grand cuz it's all they deserve. >> Then they start kissing each other. Wait. Wait. Yeah, I swear these Island Boys start moving mad.

00:16>> LAPD say they pulled them over because they did not stop at this crosswalk when leaving this gas station. And inside their car, they say they found powdered fentanyl on a credit card that was in the console.

00:29>> The Island Boys built their entire career from a 15-second Tik Tok of them singing in a swimming pool. But almost as quickly as they became famous, they let the money and attention go to their heads. Their growing arrogance, endless controversies, and reckless decisions eventually destroyed everything they had built. The Island Boys first exploded onto the internet in October 2021.

00:52Twin brothers Frankie and Alex Venegas, better known as Kodiyakredd and Flyy Soulja, were impossible to miss. With towering dreadlocks, diamond teeth, and tattoos covering nearly every inch of their bodies, they looked unlike anyone else online. Then they uploaded a freestyle from a hot tub, and everything changed.

01:10>> Cuz I'm a Island Boy, and I've been trying to make Oh, I'm a Island Boy. I I'm a just Island Boy. I'm a just Island Boy. I'm a get cute like going. You going to get like cute like going.

01:25I'm a just turn up sun. I'm a full gazing. I'm like I'm cool, I'm staying. >> The video spread across the internet almost overnight. Not because people thought it was an incredible song, but because it was so bizarre that nobody could stop watching it. That single clip launched them into internet stardom.

01:42Their YouTube channel quickly reached over 340,000 subscribers, while their Tik Tok account exploded past 7.8 million followers. Soon enough, the entire internet was making Island Boy parodies. >> Keep it like you real deal right. You going to be like them all the time. Cuz I'm an island boy. I don't know where I was born. I feel a little weird.

02:04>> At the height of their popularity, the twins claimed they were making over $1 million every month. They moved into a luxury mansion in Miami, flashed stacks of cash on Instagram live, and constantly showed off their new lifestyle.

02:18>> Uh we we made over a million dollars. >> a million dollars. >> Well, we were making $40,000 a day. >> More than that More than that. >> I'm I'm I'm not even playing with you. 60 60 >> We was looking at the thing it was it was >> The top of this said you got $60,000 to do. >> To make. >> Then the next day, we'll do that. Then next day, another 60,000. We're like, "Man, what the [ __ ] is this?"

02:36>> Of course, they also spent huge amounts of money trying to maintain their image. Frankie alone claimed he'd spent around $30,000 on tattoos before even turning 21. >> How much did you spend on all your tattoos?

02:48>> Uh I spent around 30k, and I'm only 20. I'm turning 21 on July 16th. So, yeah, I got tatted pretty fast. >> Then came the jewelry. An appraiser estimated they were wearing more than $94,000 worth of chains, watches, and diamonds. For most people, that would have been life-changing money. For the Island Boys, it was just another way to show off.

03:08>> All right. So, so far, what I could tell in terms of their resale value of their jewelry, they're wearing $94,000 worth of jewelry. That would be the resale value. >> That extravagant lifestyle quickly became their brand. Wherever they went, they made sure everyone knew they had money.

03:24>> Hey, you guys the Island Boys? >> Yeah, but we're paying for something real quick. >> How much was it? >> Okay, your total was $534.97. >> Okay. >> But as their fame continued growing, the controversies weren't far behind. Later in 2021, the twins began promoting a cryptocurrency project, encouraging their followers to invest while promising enormous returns.

03:45>> Welcome to the Island Boys, to our community of investors who are looking to >> >> change the world and help us become boys get all time highest real soon. 100k 100k all the way on 100k.

04:01>> The promotion immediately raised red flags. >> >> Crypto experts criticized the project arguing that the Island Boys appeared to be using their young fan base >> >> to advertise an investment they likely didn't fully understand themselves.

04:15Things only became more suspicious when people noticed many of the project's tokens remained unlisted leading some investors to fear it could become a rug pull. Online criticism exploded. Many people warned others to stay away arguing that buying anything promoted by the Island Boys was asking to lose money. By early 2022, the internet had largely stopped laughing with them and started laughing

04:41at them. Hoping to prove they were more than a viral meme, the twins released a professionally produced version of Island Boy. Unfortunately, the public wasn't buying it. >> >> The response to their music was brutal.

04:58People flooded the comments with jokes saying things like this hidden talent should stay hidden while others mocked them for trying to turn a viral meme into a serious music career. Even with overwhelming criticism, the Island Boys refused to slow down. Instead, they doubled down releasing more songs in hopes of proving everyone wrong.

05:16Unfortunately, the backlash only grew stronger. Then came one of their most embarrassing moments yet. During a performance at Club Liv in Miami, one of the city's most famous nightclubs, the crowd completely turned on them. People weren't singing along. They were booing.

05:39The performance instantly went viral with viewers calling it a reality check and joking that the internet had finally humbled them. And it wasn't just random people making fun of them. Even celebrities joined in. During a Peacock special, Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart watched the famous Island Boy clip together. Snoop could barely believe what he was watching.

05:58>> I seen it with the gang gang sign. You're a gang sign. >> Gang gang, they got to use that word. I'm speechless. >> >> Two goofballs in the pool. >> You know why I'm not speechless? >> Why? >> Because I'm a island >> >> Most people would have laughed it off.

06:14The Island Boys did the opposite. Instead of taking the joke, they fired back at Snoop Dogg online, mocking one of the biggest names in hip hop. >> You think he was going to knock you off? >> Snoop >> Snoop is so gangster. >> I I will explain what happened. So, Kevin Hart and >> So, you think Snoop's a [ __ ] >> Uh I I Bro, have you seen his weight?

06:32Have you seen how he is? He smokes weed all day. I just don't think he does much. >> That was the first real sign that fame had gone to their heads. The backlash intensified with thousands of viewers criticizing their attitude and calling them disrespectful. Still, none of it seemed to matter. If anything, their behavior only became more arrogant. Then in 2022, they were invited onto Logan Paul's Impulsive podcast. It was the perfect opportunity to repair their image.

06:57Instead, they made things even worse. >> If God forbid it doesn't go in your guys' direction, for real, I think you guys take all of your jewelry assets and invest in something. So, you guys will never ever be broke again. So, I don't think there's going to ever be a broke situation.

07:10>> Well, let me tell you something. George, shut up. >> I don't need financial advice. When I probably make my money than you. >> During the interview, co-host George Janko gave them simple financial advice. He suggested they invest their money because viral fame doesn't last forever.

07:25Rather than listening, IShowSpeed insisted he'd never go broke and claimed he probably made more money than George. Moments later, the twins stormed off the podcast, leaving everyone in the room confused. Even afterward, they refused to admit they had handled the situation poorly. Instead of taking responsibility, they argued that walking off the show actually helped them go even more viral.

07:46>> the Impulsive podcast where you guys ended up walking off. So, I wanted to ask you the question like do you guys regret walking off that podcast? >> No, why would I regret it? I went I I I went I went probably five times more viral than uh in that podcast than I probably would have if I just would have had like a a regular sit down and talk.

08:05>> That interview became one of the clearest examples of how much success had changed them. Then things got even worse. Their former manager publicly accused them of being impossible to work with, refusing to pay people, and spending money as fast as they were making it.

08:20>> Owe me about like $150,000. >> From what? Your percentage of the Cameo money? >> Yeah. >> Is that the only money they're bringing in? >> Um mostly, maybe a little bit on Tik Tok. >> He even revealed a private incident involving the twins that shocked everyone watching the interview.

08:35>> I got in the room and they was in the bathroom, bro. And the door was like I opened the door, bro, like both their pants were down. >> By the beginning of 2023, the consequences finally caught up with them. >> >> Their views started falling, the money slowed down, and it became clear that music alone wasn't going to support the lifestyle they'd become used to. So, instead of reinventing themselves, they started chasing quick cash and controversy. The first example came when they recorded a paid Cameo promoting