Last month, at a mansion in Atlanta called the Collab Crib, a group of creators is hoping to shake things up.
The group was putting together their own rendition of the “Buss It” challenge. Having recently gone viral on TikTok, the challenge had caught the attention of celebrities like Gabrielle Union and Chloe Bailey, each dropping it at the “Buss It” line of Erica Banks’ song.
These creators are only some of the 35 people who live between two mansions -- Collab Crib and Valid Crib. They’re comedians and actors, and singers and dancers. Altogether, they have amassed billions of views on their social media platforms.
“When you try to explain it, it really sounded like a cheat code,” said Noah Webster “Because it’s like, how do you pull this off? But really, it’s just honestly, because we’re in the future now, social media… Everybody [is] on TikTok, Instagram. If you’re not, what are you doing?”
Following the country’s racial gut check last year, the fight for equality hasn’t stopped. On social media, sometimes without even realizing it, influencers of color like those at Valid and Collab have been taking back the narrative of online ownership and credit for one’s work -- and the financial rewards that come with going viral, too.