TOGETHER WITH

It’s Monday and Elon Musk’s app is getting a makeover. According to the “Chief Twit,” users can wave goodbye to Twitter and say hello to 'X.’

LIVIN’ THE DREAM

Dream SMP alum Karl Jacobs is releasing his very own comic book-themed Vans

Dream SMP may have streamed its last stream, but Karl Jacobs is doing his best to keep the server’s magic alive. The Minecraft gamer, Misfits Gaming Co-Owner, and frequent MrBeast collaborator has extended his partnership with Journeys to introduce two new Vans sneakers. (Jacobs first began working with the retailer last year, when he came aboard as its Creative Ambassador.)

Jacobs’ unique kicks feature clock faces and miniature versions of himself, and are available in two varieties: Old Skool and Classic Slip-On Vans. The line’s designs are a reference to Time Traveler Tales, an upcoming comic book that draws from Jacobs’ Dream SMP experiences. Those shoes should be a welcome solace for the creator’s fans, who have been eagerly awaiting the release of Time Traveler Tales since Jacobs announced his partnership with Dark Horse Comics last August.

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) returned to Twitch on July 22 for a special livestream with HasanAbi. (Tubefilter)
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• Sneaker-loving creators ConnorTV (aka Connor Gorman) and The Drip Don (real name Hasan Habhab) have opened a brick-and-mortar store in Farmington, Michigan. (Tubefilter)
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• Seven tech giants—including Amazon, Meta, Google, and OpenAI—have pledged to enact new safeguards related to AI-generated content following a White House summit. (The Verge)
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• Spotify Premium is the latest subscription service to raise its U.S. price point, following similar hikes for users of YouTube Premium and Netflix. (The Verge)

DATA • YOUTUBE MILLIONAIRES 📈

This couple brings the perfect mix of class and sass to short-form video

Alex and Jon never expected to go viral. As wedding photographers with high-quality equipment and a plethora of canceled gigs, making videos just seemed like a solid way to bond during quarantine.

Their first few skits didn’t generate much buzz, but Alex and Jon didn’t mind. At the time, Alex says, TikTok was just meant to be “a fun creative outlet.” And it might have stayed that way—if the two of them hadn’t gotten really, really good at creating hilarious couple videos.

That commitment to consistency has paid off in a big way. Since 2020, Alex and Jon have signed with Currents Management, snagged brand deals with companies like McDonald’s and Adobe, and launched their own podcast, Give It To Me Straight. Their scripted content has evolved, too. In addition to their usual short-form skits, the husband-and-wife duo are hard at work on a longer-form concept: a dark comedy show called #cringe.

Whether Alex and Jon veer into TV or stick with short-form skits, they can count on a loyal fanbase to tune in. The couple’s accounts have grown slowly but surely over the last three years, with nearly 2 million followers watching their videos on TikTok and another million standing by on Instagram. That viewership is still rising steadily; in fact, one of Alex and Jon’s most recent TikToks has accumulated more than 5 million views in just 3 days.

Want more insight into Alex and Jon’s creator journies? Check out our full conversation with the duo here.

RIG RAIDERS

FaZe Clan’s new series is all about souped-up PCs and big-time celebrities

Viewers who remember MTV’s delightfully outlandish Pimp My Ride will get a kick out of FaZe Clan’s latest series. Rig Raiders follows Call of Duty: Warzone player FaZe Swagg (who signed an exclusive streaming contract with YouTube last year) as he teams up with FaZe Santana, FaZe Booya, and FaZe JSmooth to deliver custom computers to famous guest stars.

Those pimped-out PCs are worth way more than a typical TV gimmick.

Rig Raiders is hosted by Nuke Squad (a group of gamers partnered with FaZe Clan), who teamed up with Xfinity’s X-Lab team to create top-of-the-line processors, monitors, and peripherals for the show’s all-star recipients. The show’s first guest—rapper Don Toliver—definitely appreciated the high caliber of his new PC; at the end of Rig Raiders’ inaugural episode, the musician delivered a $10,000 donation to his alma mater, Hastings High School. That high-tech excitement continued on July 21 with the release of Episode two, which featured NBA player Anfernee Simons. Viewers can look forward to one last installment before the three-episode season comes to an end.

Although brief, Rig Raiders’ first season is a refreshing change of pace for fans of FaZe Clan. The gaming organization has endured several rocky months since going public last July, with declining share prices, multiple rounds of layoffs, and infighting wreaking havoc on its reputation. Here’s hoping FaZe’s star-studded new show is the start of better days ahead.

LISTEN UP 🎙️

This week on the podcast...

The creator economy is abuzz with big announcements. Twitter launched its first round of creator payouts, Karat raised $70 million in funding, and influencers got on board with the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes (sorry, Barbie).

Now, it looks like TikTok is getting into music…and Creator Upload is becoming YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s go-to creator economy podcast.

Find out more on this week’s episode. It’s all right here on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.