RiceGum

2.1. Background and Education

Bryan Quang Le was born on November 19, 1996, to parents of Vietnamese and Chinese descent. He attended Sierra Vista High School in Nevada, where he was an active member of the basketball team. Following high school, Le enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) but decided to drop out during his first year to fully dedicate himself to his burgeoning online career.

2.2. Early Online Career

Le initiated his YouTube presence by creating his primary channel, "RiceGum," on September 24, 2012. His first video, titled "Call of Duty:Mw3 Gameplay LifeStory:BabySitting:RICEGUM," was uploaded shortly after on October 2, 2012, marking the beginning of his journey as an online content creator. In 2016, his channel rapidly grew, reaching milestones of 100,000 subscribers and then one million subscribers within the same year.

3.1. YouTube and Streaming

RiceGum's YouTube channel, established in 2012, experienced rapid growth, reaching one million subscribers in 2016 and surpassing ten million subscribers by 2018. His main channel has accumulated over 1.7 billion video views, while his secondary channel, "RiceGumExtra," has garnered over 43 million views. By August 2018, his main YouTube channel was ranked as the 231st most subscribed channel on the platform. His content often features diss tracks and online confrontations with other YouTube personalities, a style that became a hallmark of his online persona. In 2023, RiceGum expanded his online presence by beginning to live stream on the platform Rumble.

3.2. Music Career

RiceGum has also pursued a career as a rapper, primarily known for his diss tracks. In 2017, he released the single "It's Every Night Sis" featuring fellow YouTuber Alissa Violet. This track served as a response to YouTuber Jake Paul's viral song "It's Everyday Bro." "It's Every Night Sis" became Le's first charting single, debuting at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 55 on the Canadian Hot 100 charts. It also reached number 34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 25 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. The song was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2018.

Following this success, he released "God Church" in July 2017, another track referencing "It's Everyday Bro," which peaked at number one on the Comedy Digital Track Sales chart. In October 2017, RiceGum released "Frick da Police," a diss track aimed at YouTube personality iDubbbz. This song charted at number 45 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 67 on the Canadian Hot 100. Although it did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. In November 2017, RiceGum was ranked at number 25 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. He was also featured on the song "Earthquake" by YouTube personality and rapper KSI, released on August 12, 2017, as part of the Disstracktions EP.

3.3. Other Ventures

Beyond his YouTube and music endeavors, RiceGum has engaged in other notable professional activities. In 2018, he appeared in a Super Bowl LII commercial for Monster headphones. In the advertisement, he portrayed a man on a subway who is inspired by Iggy Azalea to create a headset from scratch, which is then accepted by an executive.

4.1. Feuds with Other Online Personalities

RiceGum has been involved in several public disputes and "diss track" exchanges with other prominent online creators. A notable feud occurred with Ian Jomha, known as iDubbbzTV, who released an episode of his "Content Cop" series critiquing RiceGum's content. This video garnered over 50 million views and more than two million likes and concluded with the diss track "Asian Jake Paul." In response, RiceGum released "Frick da Police," which was met with significant negative reception, accumulating 1.3 million dislikes since its release. RiceGum has also engaged in controversies with other popular YouTubers and musicians, including TheOdd1sOut, Gabbie Hanna, and Bhad Bhabie.

4.2. Hong Kong Vlog Controversy

On June 12, 2018, RiceGum uploaded a vlog filmed in Hong Kong that drew widespread criticism for its alleged cultural insensitivity and stereotypical remarks. In the video, he was filmed asking strangers and a McDonald's staff member if they served dog meat, stating, "Asians eat cats and dogs in China." He also joked about wanting to try dog and cat meat, claiming he was "always open to try new things." Additionally, he commented on Hong Kong street food beef entrails, questioning if it was dog meat and describing it as "shit looks disgusting."

The video also featured comedian M2THAK yelling "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" to a man in the Hong Kong International Airport, a scene allegedly imitating the Hollywood film Rush Hour to imply that Asian communities do not understand English. M2THAK was also filmed repositioning mannequins in a store window into sexually suggestive poses. Another scene in the video depicted them giving a half-eaten ice cream to a local Hong Kong man.

Online commentators widely compared the video to Logan Paul's Japan vlog controversy, criticizing RiceGum for being disrespectful and culturally insensitive in a foreign country. YouTuber Jimmy Wong expressed his disappointment, stating that RiceGum's videos had become "disrespectful, ignorant, borderline racist, & shameful to all creators, especially Asians," and urged him to "please grow up & stop."

Two weeks later, on June 27, as the video continued to receive criticism in China and other Asian countries, RiceGum released a response video. He defended his actions by claiming he was merely "joking around" and attempting to use Asian stereotypes to highlight American comedy culture, asserting that people were being "too sensitive." He further justified his behavior by stating that he believed it was acceptable because he is Asian. He also expressed a desire to return to Hong Kong but admitted he was "kind of scared now because the people may hit me and beat me up." However, his apology was largely perceived as insincere; media outlets like Polygon described it as being delivered "in a somewhat glib manner," and What's Trending noted that the "apology" "sounded incredibly forced." The controversial Hong Kong vlog was subsequently removed from YouTube due to a violation of YouTube's Terms of Service.

4.3. Mystery Box Promotion

In January 2019, RiceGum, alongside fellow YouTuber Jake Paul, faced significant backlash for promoting "MysteryBrand," a website that offered users the chance to open digital "mystery boxes" with the promise of winning one of the pre-selected items in real life at random. Numerous users reported not receiving the prizes they had supposedly won through the site, leading to accusations that the website was a scam.

In response to the criticism, RiceGum uploaded a video in which he defended his involvement by pointing out that other YouTubers had promoted "MysteryBrand" months prior without similar controversy. He stated, "No-one said anything, it wasn't a problem back then. Why did no-one bring it up, or even talk about these guys? This mystery box thing has been on the internet for 3 or 4 months even from other creators, but as soon as I do it, it's a problem?" At the conclusion of the video, he offered to give away Amazon gift card codes, saying, "There's nothing I can really do but say sorry and give you these Amazon gift cards." However, many viewers criticized him because the Amazon codes he provided had already expired.

4.4. Save the Kids Token Controversy

In June 2021, RiceGum was involved as an influencer ambassador for a cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) project named "Save the Kids" (KIDS). The token was marketed as a charity token, with a percentage of transaction fees supposedly allocated to the Binance Charity Wallet. However, the project quickly faced allegations of being a "pump and dump" scheme, where influencers promoted the token to inflate its value, only for its value to crash shortly after its release. RiceGum, along with members of FaZe Clan, was among the ambassadors accused of participating in this scheme, leading to widespread criticism following the token's failure.

6.1. Singles

^A"Frick da Police" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

6.2. Guest Appearances

7.1. Critical Reception and Social Impact

RiceGum's career has elicited varied public and critical reception, largely defined by his provocative content and involvement in online feuds. His approach to content creation, often characterized by "diss tracks" and confrontations, has significantly influenced a segment of internet culture, particularly within the YouTube community.

However, his actions have also drawn considerable criticism, especially concerning issues of cultural sensitivity and online ethics. The Hong Kong vlog controversy, where he made stereotypical remarks and engaged in culturally insensitive stunts, led to widespread condemnation and comparisons to other controversial YouTubers like Logan Paul. Critics, including fellow creators like Jimmy Wong, expressed disappointment in his content, labeling it as "disrespectful, ignorant, borderline racist, & shameful." His subsequent defense, asserting that his actions were merely "joking around" and acceptable due to his Asian heritage, was largely perceived as insincere and further fueled public backlash.

Furthermore, his involvement in promoting the "MysteryBrand" website, which was accused of being a scam, and the "Save the Kids" cryptocurrency token, which faced allegations of being a "pump and dump" scheme, raised serious questions about his ethical responsibilities as an influencer. These incidents highlighted concerns about the impact of his promotions on his audience, particularly younger viewers, and contributed to a critical view of his overall social impact and online conduct.