RiceGum is a YouTuber and rapper who became famous for his diss tracks and online feuds with other celebrities. However, he also faced many controversies and scandals that damaged his reputation and popularity. In 2020, his YouTube channel was taken down for violating the platform’s policies, and he lost most of his following and income. Since then, he has been inactive on social media and his personal life has been affected by his downfall.
RiceGum’s Rise to Fame
RiceGum, whose real name is Bryan Quang Le, was born on November 19, 1996, to Vietnamese and Chinese parents in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended Sierra Vista High School, where he played basketball. He later enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but dropped out during his first year to pursue his online career full-time.
He started his YouTube channel in 2012, where he initially posted videos of himself playing video games, such as Call of Duty and Minecraft. He gained more attention in 2015 when he began making videos roasting and mocking popular users of the app Musical.ly (now TikTok), such as Jacob Sartorius and Loren Gray. He also made videos reacting to viral trends and events, such as the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge and the Harlem Shake.
In 2017, he branched out into music, releasing his first single “It’s Every Night Sis” featuring fellow YouTuber Alissa Violet, who was the ex-girlfriend of Jake Paul, a famous YouTuber and rapper. The song was a response to Jake Paul’s viral song “It’s Everyday Bro”, which RiceGum and Alissa Violet criticized for its lyrics and quality. The song became a hit, reaching number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 55 on the Canadian Hot 100 charts. It also became certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2018.
He followed up with another single, “God Church”, which also referenced Jake Paul’s song and reached number one on the Comedy Digital Track Sales chart. He also collaborated with other YouTubers and rappers, such as KSI, Nigahiga, and Ninja, on various songs and videos. He became one of the most popular and influential YouTubers, with over 10 million subscribers and over 2 billion views on his channel. He also joined the FaZe Clan, a gaming and entertainment group, in 2018.
Controversies Surrounding RiceGum
Despite his success, RiceGum also faced a lot of backlash and criticism for his content and behavior. He was involved in several feuds and dramas with other YouTube personalities, such as IDubbbz, Logan Paul, H3H3, and Tana Mongeau. He often made diss tracks and videos insulting and mocking them, which sometimes escalated into personal attacks and threats. He was accused of being rude, arrogant, immature, and disrespectful by his critics and fans alike.
He also sparked controversy in 2017, when he uploaded a vlog of his trip to Hong Kong, where he made fun of the locals, their culture, and their language. He was seen smashing a stranger’s phone, asking random women for their numbers, and throwing money at a street performer. He was criticized for being racist, insensitive, and ignorant by many viewers and media outlets. He later apologized for his actions but also blamed his editor for making him look bad.
Another scandal that tarnished his image was his promotion of a mystery box website called MysteryBrand in 2018. He made a video where he claimed to have won expensive items, such as an iPhone, a MacBook, and a pair of sneakers, by opening virtual boxes on the website. He encouraged his fans to try out the website, which was later exposed to be a scam and a gambling site. He was accused of being dishonest, greedy, and irresponsible by promoting a fraudulent and illegal service to his young and impressionable audience. He defended himself by saying that he was not the only YouTuber who did it and that he did not know the website was a scam.
The most recent and serious controversy that he faced was his involvement in the Save the Kids Token scam in 2021. He was one of the influencers who endorsed a cryptocurrency project called Save the Kids, which claimed to donate a portion of its profits to children’s charities. However, the project turned out to be a pump-and-dump scheme, where the creators and promoters sold their tokens at a high price and then abandoned the project, leaving the investors with worthless coins. He was accused of being a fraudster, a scammer, and a criminal by the public and the authorities. He denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he was also a victim of the scam.
The Fall of RiceGum
As a result of his controversies and scandals, RiceGum’s popularity and reputation plummeted. He lost a lot of fans, sponsors, and collaborators, who distanced themselves from him. He also faced legal troubles and investigations for his involvement in the Save the Kids Token scam. He was sued by several investors and charities, who demanded compensation and justice. He also faced the possibility of being arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering.
In 2020, his YouTube channel was taken down by YouTube for violating the platform’s policies on harmful and deceptive content. He lost his main source of income and exposure, and his music career also suffered. He tried to appeal the decision but to no avail. He also tried to create a new channel, but it was also banned by YouTube. He became irrelevant and forgotten by the online community, and his former friends and rivals mocked and ignored him.
His personal life was also affected by his downfall. He broke up with his girlfriend, Abby Rao, who accused him of cheating on her and being abusive. He also had a falling out with his family, who disowned him for bringing shame and trouble to them. He became depressed and isolated and struggled to cope with his situation. He rarely posted on his other social media accounts, such as Instagram and Twitter, and when he did, he received mostly negative and hateful comments. He also faced rumors and speculations about his whereabouts and well-being, such as being homeless, addicted to drugs, or even dead.
RiceGum was once one of the most successful and influential YouTubers and rappers, but he also made many mistakes and enemies along the way. He paid a heavy price for his actions and choices, and he lost everything he had worked for. He became a cautionary tale of how fame and fortune can change a person, and how one can fall from grace in the blink of an eye.
