Wearing iconic white bug-eyed glasses, rocking a long black and red cloak, running through crowds of people while playing anime music in the background, George DeNoto, also known as YaLocalWhiteBoy, has exploded onto the social media scene.
In an age dominated by likes, views, and retweets, Internet fame is short-lived. That is not the case for DeNoto. The last two years have been tumultuous, exciting and fast for DeNoto who now runs in the same circles as Logic, a rapper who belongs to a group of musicians called “the Rattpack.” He currently is working as their mascot.
But before he became twitter famous, DeNoto was just a typical kid. He was born in New York and raised in Rhode Island. A self-described class clown and an average student, he enjoyed making people smile.
He started making videos, and tried to work at what his social media accounts would represent. When it came down to it, he had the answer the whole time: he wanted to make people smile, like he always had.
Now his hobby has become a job. He is constantly managing his social media presence — posting comedic skits, speaking out on issues he truly believes in, steadily climbing to the top.
“I would describe my rise as nothing but unrealistic. My whole life I always had dreams of making people laugh and wanting to make people happy. However, never did I think I would be able to accomplish it at this level and in such quick time,” he said.
DeNoto is in high demand. He is constantly invited to appear in music videos, attend concerts and work to continue developing his brand.
“My whole entire life, whether I was loved or hated, I was always good at being myself. So the answer was that ‘I’m just going to be me.’”
This accounts for much of the content he creates. His current Twitter account contains a mixture of comedy skits and inspirational works of art. Inspired by his everyday life, his skits range from typical white people stereotypes to his thoughts on relationships.
“You’ll see me post comedy and some life advice. I’m not all laughs!” he said.
DeNoto has managed to project his visions and emotions on Twitter which has translated to more and more followers, receiving thousands upon thousand of retweets and attracting over 200,000 followers. He has also made it a very clear that he has a true love and appreciation for his fans.
“My fans have showed me that anything is possible. They took a silly thought in the back of my head and were able to turn it into a career for me. Every day, I wake up and before I even brush my teeth I’m thinking of how I’m going to try and make them smile,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than getting messages of people going through things and hearing how my skit changed their mood.”
His inspiration had to start somewhere, as it does for everyone. For most, it’s a famous individual or icon but, for DeNoto it’s a bit more out of the ordinary.
“ANIME. IT was ALWAYS ANIME! Anime is the reason I think I’m so different from everybody else just because anime changed my views on a lot of things. As a kid growing up, being taught that the person I am is reflected by the grades I get in school, and having to see a shrink once for getting C’s (true story) made me used to think I was a bad person. It wasn’t till I started watching anime and seeing characters like Goku and Naruto get Fs and still save the world, where I started to realize that the person you are is more important than any grade you receive in school.”
Anime is a popular form of entertainment around the world and is a clear influence in his work through his references and comedic cosplay. Not everyone is a straight A student or born rich.
DeNoto’s inspiration, his career origin, is innocent, respectable, and inspirational.
“Logic was also one of the first people to tell me that the most important thing in your life is the person you are and the things this man taught me means the world to me! Throughout my whole life I always wondered why I was always such a happy kid. I always was looked at as a black sheep in my family just because I never got good grades, and it was people like Logic who really made me realize…. wait a minute… I’M NOT A BAD KID!”
Not only is Logic a friend, but a supporter/collaborator as well. DeNoto’s admiration turned into friendship as he found himself standing side by side with his idol.
Now that DeNoto obtained fame, he works to stay humble. Rather than being cocky, or trying to be an icon, he works to keep himself grounded.
“To this day I don’t really look at myself as an icon, no matter how many people try come up to me in public asking for pictures I’ll always try to think of myself as just George.”
This is only the beginning. DeNoto has many future plans, and his career is still on the rise. Twitter isn’t the limit. What’s his next move going to be?
“I’m currently working on my own anime special that will be released this December, super excited and it’s gonna be one for the fans!”
He underscores the importance of success. But, success is slightly different to him.
“My definition of success is just being happy, man. Be you and love to be different! Whether people love you or hate you, take pride in being YOU! If you can wake up every morning with a smile on your face. You’re winning!”
