IShowSpeed is an American YouTuber and online streamer known for his energetic and dramatic behaviour during his live streams. He often visits countries around the world to showcase their culture and inventions. He is one of the streamer with love for the Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo.
IShowSpeed
Profession: Content Creator
Born: January 21, 2005
Age: 21 years old
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ohio, United States
Known for: online streaming content.
Profile Overview
Watkins was born in Ohio, United States, to parents, Darren Watkins Sr. and Mrs Watkins. His father is a YouTuber who livestreams and sings on his YouTube channel “DaddySpeed”. He often feature his family in his content. He has a younger brother named Jamal, and also has a sister whom he met for the first time in 2025.
He began his career in 2016 after launching his YouTube channel where he was posting g gaming content. He caught attention in 2021 with his verbal and physical reactions when gaming. His behaviour had led to bans from the streaming platform Twitch and video game Valorant.
He shifted his focus in 2022 to soccer related contents while often showing support for his favorite footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. He released his first single “Dooty Booty” in August 2021, on his YouTube channel.
He followed up with the release of “Shake” in November, while it sampled both “Ready or Not”, by the Fugess, and “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles. The song was also accompanied with a music video that boast of more than 211 million views on YouTube.
His love for Cristiano Ronaldo soon turned into a passion as he released the single “Ronaldo (Swey)” in June 2022. He was signed to Warner Records records in 2022 and released the single “World Cup”. He also came through with his first EP “Trip to Brazil” in March 2024.
IShowSpeed has also worked with the likes Tion Wayne, Nemzzz, VikkStar, Nicky Romero, Aitch, and so on. He also featured on the WWE Monday Night Raw and Wrestlemania XL in 2024.
Speed got involved in a controversy for his visit to Nigeria during his African tour where he was accused of ignoring the Nigerian streamer, Peller. The US streamer explained that his visit is to showcase local culture and street talent and not to build relationship with already established streamers or social media influencers.
IShowSpeed is one of the most recognized streamer in the world with Awards to back up. He won the Breakout Streamer at Streamy Awards in 2022, Best International Streamer and Streamer of the Year at The Streamer Awards in 2024, Most Influential Soccer Creator at Goal Champions Award in 2024, and Favorite Gamer at Kids Choice Awards in 2025.
Career Timeline
- 2016 – He unveiled his YouTube channel.
- 2017 – He published his first video on December 21.
- 2018 – He began streaming where he focused on fortnite.
- 2019 – He continued grinding with NBA 2k and Fortnite content while building an audience.
- 2022 – He became one of the most watched YouTube streamers.
- 2023 – He collaborated with Kai Cenat on the song titled “Dogs”.
- 2023 – He was a surprise guest at the Rolling Loud festival in Portugal and performed “Shake”, and “World Cup”.
- 2024 – He released his first extended play “Trip 2 Brazil”.
- 2025 – He began a South American tour.
- 2025 – He participated in the Royal Rumble as a surprise guest
- 2026 – He toured Africa including Nigeria and Benin Republic.
Personal Details
- Alternative Name: Speed
- Nationality: American
- Religion: Christianity
- Height: 5 feet 8 inches
- Parents: Darren Watkins Sr., Mrs Watkins
- Siblings: Jamal (Dian J. Watkins)
- Official Websites: Instagram @ishowspeed
Trivia
- His real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr.
- He became popular in 2021 through viral tiktok clips.
- He has a $500,000 Lamborghini Huracan dedicated to Cristiano Ronaldo.
- He often plays horror games like Five Nights at Freddy’s.
- He has been romantically linked to actress Vanessa Anne Williams since 2024.
- He has an estimated net worth of $30 million.
