Source: iOne Digital / iOne Digital/Creative Class
Name: Rickey Thompson
Occupation: Content Creator
Location: Los Angeles
How We Know Him: There’s a high probability that at least one video a friend has forwarded you in the last few weeks has been courtesy of Rickey’s handiwork.
Why We Chose Him: Rickey’s over-the-top brand of funny keeps everyone laughing.
What’s Next: Even bigger deals are on the horizon. Rickey inked a contract with Hollywood mega agency UTA this spring.
IG: @rickeythompson
For many young people, Rickey Thompson videos have helped them build their self-confidence and self esteem. The world first got to know the North Carolina native back in 2016 through his candid (and relatable) Youtube videos about being bullied and learning to love the skin you’re born in. But he wasn’t always the confident viral star we see today.
In a recent interview with Essence Magazine, Rickey says he didn’t come out of his shell until his senior year of high school.
“I was still shy but I was doing Vine behind closed doors at home. I started to talk about different things and it gave me these new feelings of confidence. People were watching all over the world.”
When I started becoming popular from Vine and people started recognizing that at school, I decided to be more outgoing, my true self.
Since then, the 22-year old’s following on every platform from Vine to Instagram has increased tremendously; giving Gen Y and Z’ers hope that things in fact do get better in time. You can’t talk about creativity without mentioning the imaginative use of social media that Rickey introduced to the Internet world. Anybody can post an inspirational video, but to make it funny, fun and fashionable is something only the viral star has been able to master.
There are influencers, and there are cool kids that influence the influencers — and in Rickey Thompson’s case, he happens to be both.
“Check out the other honorees on iOne Digital’s The Creative Class.”
