Who are the Island Boy rappers and how did they become famous? Though the brothers wished to become famous musicians, it seemed like they didn’t have a supportive fanbase. Rather, it seemed that their fame had more to do with how incredibly bad their rapping is. And since they went viral on the internet, you didn’t have to like them; you just had to have an opinion. Below we dive further into more details of their rise to fame.
Who are the Island Boy rappers?
1. Their real names are Alex and Franky Venegas
The Island Boys’ real names are Alex and Franky Venegas. They are rappers from Florida who are fraternal (identical) twins. They were born on July 16th, 2001 and go by rap the names Flyysoulja and Kodiyakredd respectively. While Kodiyakredd (previously under the rap name Redd4x) had been in the music industry for about a year, the pair had previously collaborated on other songs to varying levels of success.
2. The Island Boys are from South Florida
The Island Boys are from South Florida. They were raised by a single mother. Their father passed away when they were each only six years old. Florida is known to feature some of the best rappers in the music industry. Some of them include Kodak Black, Rick Ross, Jackboy, Acehood and Denzel Curry.
3. Their ethnicity is of Cuban descent
The Island Boys were born in the USA, making their nationality American, however, their parents and ancestors are from Cuba. There is a video with one of the island boys on the phone with his mother confirming this fact.
4. They rose to fame through their freestyle hit “Island Boy”
The Island Boy rappers became famous through the viral freestyle video “Island Boy”. The clip sees rappers Flyysoulja and Kodiyakredd freestyle in the viral TikTok video while recording themselves in a pool singing their song. The clip gained notability in October 2021 because the rapper’s seemingly represented the stereotypical ‘Florida Man’. Following Flyysoulja and Kodiyakredd’s viral success, the phrase ‘Island Boy’ stuck with fans especially on TikTok. Even the Island Boys admitted that they thought the viral song was “trash”. “Okay, we didn’t think it was gonna blow up like that,” one of the rappers said. “We dropped five freestyles on TikTok. We thought the Spanish song was gonna blow up, but the ‘Island Boy’ did. I thought it was trash at first.”
The Kiffness x Island Boys – Island Boy (The Kiffness Live Looping Remix)
5. They got booed in Miami while performing their viral song
The viral clip launched the Island Boy rappers on three parallel trajectories — one that made them famous; one that made them notorious; and one that may have ended their career. During their first performance at club LIV in Miami, things didn’t go as expected, and a flood of boos was heard in the crowd as the twin brother duo dropped their lines. To be fair, the rap duo attempted to perform their hit record in a crowded nightclub with no background beat, and the crowd got a little frustrated to get back to the loud music. This turn of events resulted in the South Florida rappers being relentlessly mocked online after being dissed during the Miami Club performance. Nonetheless, the brothers came ready to go, including matching red vests and shoes, and hair on point. They didn’t seem fazed by the misstep and are continued to give their huge audience more of what they want — “Island Boys!”.
6. The Island Boys were kicked out of the Logan Paul podcast
The Island boys have endured several issues since becoming an overnight social media success. The pair were set to make an appearance on Logan Paul’s popular ‘Impaulsive’ podcast, but a video posted by the podcasts’ Instagram account before the episode’s release showed them in a tense confrontation with the hosts. It is worth noting that the Island Boys were cautioned about ending up broke while being TikTok famous. In fact, they were given financial advice by none other than Logan Paul and his friends, especially George Janko. However, the brothers were not pleased with the advice and ended up being kicked out of the show after they tried to stir up a fight.
7. They are easily recognized for their extreme tattoos and unique hair
The brothers are proficient when it comes to getting attention for one reason or the other. They are also known to do bizarre things from time to time just to stay relevant. Despite their young age, the rappers have already dyed their hair with unique colors and covered most of their bodies in tattoos. Alex’s hair is yellow, but Franky’s hair is generally brown with blond tips. However, the Island Boys shocked fans by cutting their hair. Months after reaching fame and fortune, the Island Boys opted to get ‘the big chop,’ now boasting buzz cuts that give the two a totally different vibe. Apart from their iconic hairstyles, the twins also have numerous tattoos on different parts of their bodies. Alex has writings on his temple and the number 17 tattooed on his forehead. Franky, on the other hand, has an eagle on his forehead.
8. The Island Boys have been arrested & jailed at a young age
While the Island Boys attended good schools, they quickly became troublemakers. They are not shy to prove their bad-boy reputation. They’ve even posted videos on social media of the two with house arrest bracelets on. Flyysoulja, and Kodiyakredd said they had been arrested since they were 13 for burglaries and robberies and even were sent to separate juvenile centers. Recently, the Island Boys’ home was raided and a child murder suspect was arrested. According to TMZ, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a SWAT team raided Alex and Franky Venegas’ Florida rental home. The search led to the arrest of the Island Boys’ childhood friend, Andrew James Thomas, who was taken into custody in connection to Ronziyah Atkins’s death. Authorities said they believed the girl, who was playing near her front porch earlier that day, was caught in the crosshairs of a drive-by shooting when she was fatally shot by Thomas.
9. Island Boy KodiyakRedd faced assault allegations from girlfriend
The girlfriend of Alex Venegas, one half of the sibling rap duo the Island Boys, alleged she was battered by her boyfriend’s twin brother. The 22-year-old female, a porn star and TikTok influencer, had been living at the home of the high-profile rappers. She told Coral Springs Police that Island Boys rapper Frank Venegas (KodiyakRedd) “became upset with her and contacted his security guard to respond to the residence and have her removed”, leading to a physical battery. The allegations came to light after Montaisha posted an Instagram live video regarding her current situation.