Worldstar Hip Hop & Rap News - Hip hop news source

The official Worldstar Hip Hop app ensures you stay current with the newest groundbreaking video content. We offer a continuous flow of highly engaging content all day long for no charge! Worldstar is renowned for delivering the most talked-about and controversial videos on the internet and all there is to know about hip hop culture. Catch the trending viral moments and hip hop news before they hit mainstream platforms like Triller, TMZ, Complex, or DailyMail. 

Anticipate a balanced array of premier music videos, extraordinary user submissions, breaking news, side-splitting comedy, sports highlights, movie previews, interviews, viral snippets, unbelievably jaw-dropping content, and more every day. Rest assured, there's never a dull moment on Worldstar. Additionally, enjoy mixtape launches from established and emerging artists! NBAYoungBoy, CardiB, Ice Spice, and numerous others debuted on Worldstar prior to Audiomack, Spirilla, or Soundcloud. Worldstar serves as the prime mover in the realm of hip hop music and culture! By the way, if you're looking for a good laugh, be sure not to skip our comment section for an endless supply of jokes and lively debates on each video!!

A Quick History of WorldStarHipHop

First, a quick background on how WorldStar got started. WorldStar was founded in 2005 by Lee “Q” O’Denat, a hip hop fan and Queens native. The site began as mainly a mixtape downloading hub, but O‘Denat saw an opportunity to expand into user-generated video as YouTube took off.

By 2007, WorldStar began aggregating all sorts of viral clips – fights, pranks, music videos, police footage, and more. As O‘Denat put it, he wanted to build the “hood CNN” with a focus on shareable content. This wider scope beyond music helped WorldStar’s traffic explode.

O’Denat led WorldStar with a largely hands-off approach to moderation, letting users post wild content. While criticized by some, this built WordStar’s reputation as the place for unfiltered, outrageous videos before social media took off.

Sadly, O’Denat passed away in 2017 at just age 43. But his vision established WorldStarHipHop as a hugely popular digital media brand with over 100 employees. Even with its founder gone, WorldStar continues to expand its platform and influence today.

By The Numbers: WorldStar‘s Massive Impact on Hip Hop Culture

Beyond just a site for crazy videos, WorldStarHipHop has had an undeniable influence on hip hop music, memes, and culture as a whole. Let‘s look at some examples:

    21+ million social followers makes WorldStar one of the top influencers in hip hop today

    Viral sensations like the "Harlem Shake" meme first blew up on WorldStar before becoming nationwide crazes

    Phrases like "Woldstar!" and "Let‘s put this on WorldStar" are ubiquitous in hip hop culture

    50% of WorldStar‘s uploads are music videos – it is a vital platform for artist promotion and distribution

    Artists like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Drake frequently upload their music videos directly to WorldStar

    WorldStar content is regularly cited or discussed in hip hop lyrics and conversations

Based on this cultural footprint, WorldStarHipHop occupies a central place in hip hop‘s mainstream today. Uploading a music video or viral clip to WorldStar instantly gives it street credibility.

Some figures I find mind-blowing: WorldStar‘s Instagram account has nearly 3x as many followers as legendary rap magazine XXL. Over 50% of the most viewed YouTube Hip Hop music videos in 2022 came directly from WorldStar.

Numbers don‘t lie – WorldStar is the tastemaker for what‘s hot in hip hop right now. For emerging and established artists alike, having your content blow up on WorldStar can make your career.

The Controversies Around WorldStarHipHop‘s Content

Of course, WorldStarHipHop‘s loose moderation and anything-goes content has sparked lots of controversies over the years as well. Critics accuse WorldStar of:

    Promoting harmful stereotypes and negativity

    Profiting from offensive content like violence and explicit material

    Stealing content without permission or payment

These issues stem from founder Lee O‘Denat‘s hands-off, "content agnostic" approach. While revolutionizing hip hop‘s digital distribution, WorldStar also normalized exploitatively graphic content being spread virally.

However, WorldStar argues it is just reflecting realities already present in society. And as media standards have evolved, WorldStar has tightened its content moderation more over time.

WorldStar occupies a complex space – critics aren‘t entirely wrong, but the platform also empowers diverse creative voices. As WorldStar contributor Jason Striegel put it:

    "WorldStar certainly attracts lots of negativity, but also does shine light on artists and creators often ignored by mainstream media. It‘s complicated."

There are good-faith debates to be had around WorldStar‘s obligations to the community. But the site‘s impact on hip hop culture – for better and worse – can‘t be denied either way.

The Future of WorldStarHipHop

5 years after founder Lee O‘Denat‘s untimely death, what does the future hold for WorldStarHipHop?

Under new leadership, WorldStar appears interested in expanding its brand beyond just a controversial video aggregator. Recent initiatives include:

    Launching more original programming like podcasts, interviews, and documentaries

    Promoting artists through live events, concerts, and branded partnerships

    Moderating content more while still maintaining "edge"

    Licensing and syndicating content to expand revenue sources

    Potentially getting into music publishing or talent management

Regardless of what‘s next, expect WorldStar to continue embracing hip hop culture’s rebel spirit while evolving with the times. After 17 years, WorldStar continues to authentically capture what the streets are buzzing about.

While social media has created lots of competition, no other platform can claim WorldStar‘s pedigree and loyalty within hip hop. With billions of video views under its belt, WorldStar will likely keep riding high for years to come.

Disclaimer: 

Worldstar is unaffiliated, unassociated, unsponsored, unendorsed by, or in any way officially linked to YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, Audiomack, TMZ, Complex, XXL, or Soundcloud.