If you missed IShowSpeed in Seattle, you’re too slow.
The YouTube sensation live-streamed his way through the city on Tuesday, eating, posing with fans, playing tourist at Pike Place Market and much more.
With more than 44 million subscribers on YouTube and another 40 million followers on Instagram, the online personality has become a global sensation. He was recently named Rolling Stone’s most influential creator, and Forbes profiled his meteoric rise last year.
Born Darren Jason Watkins Jr., the 20-year-old originally from Cincinnati streams his antics all over the world, and is currently on a 35-day, 25-state “Speed Does America Tour.”
His continuous stream from Seattle (below) featured a frenzied insider’s view of Speed being mobbed at every stop by fans — mostly young guys — shouting his name and trying to get his attention for selfies. An entourage of camera operators and beefy security guards formed a buffer around his every move, instructing people to “make room!” and “back up!”
“How do you spell Seattle?” he shouted into his phone while posting a picture of himself posing in front of the famed Public Market neon. In the background, an Amazon driver perched in his delivery van could be seen trying to grab his own pic.
Speed caught and tossed a fish, of course, and made his way through the Market for a view of Puget Sound, and then on to the Post Alley Gum Wall.
“This is real?” he wondered as people shouted “don’t touch it!” Speed was handed a piece of gum to chew and when he leaped to place it high on the wall above the sticky mess below, a crowd in the alley erupted in cheers.
Throughout the journey, Speed constantly checked a smartphone strapped to his wrist, reacting now and then to comments or complaining about his stream lagging. The YouTube stream attracted 1.9 million views.
Elsewhere on his visit, IShowSpeed was seen in Pioneer Square, on the waterfront Great Wheel, in the Chinatown International District, in a glass blowing studio, and even paragliding.
And because no visit would be complete, his crew stopped for burgers, too.
“Let’s try some Dick’s!” Speed said.
The tour ended high above the city at the Space Needle, where Speed was given VIP access to the roof.
“Seattle’s skyline has to be one of the best I’ve seen,” Speed said before doing a backflip 600 feet above the city. “This skyline is dope as hell.”
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