#freeform

From cutting freestyles in the front seat of her car to the top of the charts with tracks like “My Type” and “Best Friend”, AND a recurring guest spot on our very own #grownish, the trajectory on @saweetie’s success is out of control. Women are clearly running the rap game right now, and Miss Icy over here is no small part, having been manifesting her dreams into reality for years. Serving looks, talent, and comedy across social media, and having a knack for making big business moves, she continues to assert herself as a multifaceted future mogul.

@Saweetie is: The Iciest, You Know Das Right #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Inspired by the uniquely fascinating faces of his community, Bronx-raised first-generation Ghanaian photographer and director Joshua Kissi set out to document the diverse Black experience from the rare Black POV. Years later, the CV on this man! #Beyonce’s#BlackIsKing scenes in Ghana? Yup. #MichaelBJordan’s@People cover for “Sexiest Man Alive”? That, too. A portfolio intent on elevating Black joy and visibility, trust that melanin will always glow and Black will always be seen if Joshua’s behind the lens.

@JoshuaKissi is: Black Brilliance In Focus #YoungBlackAndFreeform

No one is out here having more fun and a bigger quarantine come up than Ziwe Fumudoh. Not long after the pandemic put the world in shutdown, everyone and their mama took to IG Live. Most of the time…for why? But @ziwe saw the opportunity to ignite comedic yet provocative conversations on the prevalent topics of the day, namely that of race. A subject at America’s roots but outrageously still seen as too taboo to discuss. Her unexpected pivots in interviews like “How many Black friends do you have?” force guests to be candid and honest in the moment. A win for incisive social commentary.

@ZiweF is: The Master of the Bait & Reveal #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Like the IG bio says, Druski is here to make the world laugh. Always ready to act a fool, growing up in the suburbs north of Atlanta, he intentionally set his sights on being the class clown. And then folks like #Drake started calling, affirming his purpose he knew all along. A different impersonation and accent for every day of the week, #Druski’s specialty is dynamic one-minute sketches of fully-realized archetypal characters “we all know”…like frat bro and youth sports “team mom”.

@Druski2Funny is: The Vibey-est Comedian of the Year #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Disney alum Coco Jones done good! Coming up on classics like #LetItShineand#GoodLuckCharlie, she’s grown, making her mark as a singer/songwriter, actor, and one to watch on TikTok. Conquering the game on her own terms, she is challenging the industry not to force brown-skinned girls into the formula for success, but to make the industry adapt. In the words of her explosive remix of the #SZA track, something about @cocojones just hit different.

@CocoJones is: Employee of the Year—Period! #YoungBlackAndFreeform

According to Ian Lara, it was either comedy or law school. Some folks are so complex! He decided that making the people laugh was where his heart was, so the first-generation Dominican from Queens set out to get the streets buzzing with his unexpected, highly-inclusive brand of Millennial humor. Wearing his heritage on his sleeve, with a tight 10 that welcomes all, Ian Lara’s already racked up 10 million+ views and has no intention of slowing down. Sorry to the legal profession.

@IanLaraLive is: The Boroughs’ Finest & Funniest #YoungBlackAndFreeform

“What does it mean to be Black and alive right now?” is the question put forth by artist, activist, fashion influencer, and writer Kimberly Drew with co-author @jennydeluxe in their recent best-selling book #BlackFutures. Black imagination and Black liberation are at the core of @blackcontemporaryart’s work. Disrupting the digital status quo by using social platforms to set fire to outdated thinking and amplify the provocative voices that are advancing the artworld and our world.

#KimberlyDrew aka @museummammy is: The Curator of Culture #YoungBlackAndFreeform

#SashaMerci doesn’t want much, just to reign supreme in the world of entertainment. Luminaries like #QuincyJonesand#ShondaRhimes being her inspiration. Citing comedy as “the love of my life,” she grew up Dominican in the Bronx where she witnessed being blunt, funny, and having the gift of roasting folks as just a way of life. But the #AfroLatinx sketch writer, director, and actor is also candid about the less-humorous side of life. Encouraging real dialogues about depression and mental health.

@SashaMerci is: La Triple Threat #YoungBlackAndFreeform

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, behold #CristianDennis. Effortlessly radiating both masculine and feminine energies, he commands attention in the content spaces of TikTok choreography, makeup tutorials, reaction videos, and more. While always serving, the #ArianaGrande-approved creator is dedicated to promoting conversation around #LGBTQ+ youth mental health and being a guide to success for content creators of color.

@CristianDennis is: The Chocolate Beauty with the Beat #YoungBlackAndFreeform

#KhadiDon was one of those kids who was always performing and always clowning—for friends, for extended family at holiday events, you know the vibe. Her no-filter re-enactments of celebrities and non-celebrities currently dominating the TL are always 12/10. When #Beyonce drops your parody of her at one of her shows, you know you are on the anointed path. From Vine to Instagram to YouTube to…you get it, @khadidon is at the top of any virtual space where creators thrive.

@Khadi Don is: The Cross-Platform Legend #YoungBlackAndFreeform

When your viral TikTok jump off is pranking your mama in front of the whole world by making her hold random household objects like a kettle and a rice cooker while she’s on the phone, chances are, you might never be heard from again. But lucky for us, #FlossyBaby’s still at it with that wit and that hilarious sarcasm. Drag us and our first world problems, sis. 2020 was hers. 2021 about to be hers, too. Creating some dope content together before she gets too fly and stops answering my calls. Stay tuned.

@Jay.Love aka Flossy Baby is: The President of TikTok (Okaaayyyyy?) #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Keara Wilson aka Keke Janajah could have RETIRED last year at 19 years old on the strength of her TikTok tour de force—“The #SavageChallenge”—alone. But when you set fire to social media and ultimately catch the respect of Ms. “Classy, Bougie, Ratchet” herself, #MeganTheeStallion, continue to conquer the game you must. Initially, other creators who ~could never~ attempted to whitewash the origins of the challenge and appropriate the credit she deserved. With the skills and a bright smile on her face, this one got the last laugh.

@queen.kekeeee is: The Savage Choreo Princess #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Who else misses Vine everyday? That was #KelzWashington’s platform of choice to speak hilariously real on South Florida life and culture before moving to LA with a dollar and a dream. But like a phoenix from the ashes, Kelz rebuilt his personal brand of funny on Instagram and TikTok, amassing 3.5M followers. Nobody does a duet reaction video like Kelz, and that’s why…

@Kelz Washington is: The Reinvention King #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Protip: Be your own best hype person. But some days, if you just ain’t feelin’ it, #JazzmyneJay will hold you down, too. The body-positive model and queer creative has an unparalleled ability to find joy in every inch of herself and remind others to do the same, even in moments while getting candid about mental health.

@JazzmyneJay is: The Bawdy & Affirmations Boss #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Godspeed if you ever find yourself on Mama’s bad side. That’s London Charles’ signature character, in a robe and bonnet, raising three knuckleheaded sons who are growing up while Black. She’s not one to play with, but she will crack you up.

@TheLondonCharles is: The Hood Storyteller. #YoungBlackAndFreeform

Behold the melanin-poppin’ excellence of the #YoungBlackAndFreeform inaugural honorees. Content makers and thought leaders spanning across all genres of creativity. Watch this space as Freeform innovates and collaborates with some of these folks.

Okay, but let’s discuss how Mary Sanderson is a queer icon for this tho.

Writing a dissertation about it while we watch #HocusPocus on Halloween night (Saturday) at 9:20|8:20c on Freeform. 

I heard y’all like sharkcoochie boards. Here’s a #31NightsOfHalloween one. 

Watch your favorite Halloween movies all October long on Freeform. 

Tired: Sweater weather

Wired:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 

Watch 31 Nights of Halloween on Freeform all October long.