Who are the parents of The Island Boys?
Introduction
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok since October of 2021—or if you follow Jake Paul and watched his December 2021 fight against Tyron Woodley—you may have heard of the Island Boys.
The petite West Palm Beach twins with weird hair and face tattoos were everywhere for a little while.
And going by a handful of videos that have surfaced over the past 12 months, people aren’t happy about it.
Still, there’s no denying that the self-styled one-hit wonder rappers were really, really famous for a little while.
The TikTok twins went viral for the incredibly memorable—and also not that good—song they released in October of 2021.
“I’m an Island Boy” was initially filmed on a phone camera and uploaded to TikTok, where it racked up 9 million views before it was taken down.
The pair then released the song with an official music video a few months later.
The song was memorable and became a worldwide meme thanks to its catchy lyrics and basic premise.
While most of the world was happy to just cringe and make a joke of it—including Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart on their hit 2021 and Done show—some people were a little upset.
The official music video for I’m an Island Boy features a cast of bikini-clad women waving Cuban flags.
Was this cultural appropriation?
The question led to an uproar of accusations and online hate.
The boys’ personal details were shared online in forums, they had bottles hurled at them at Jake Paul’s fight, and they were booed off stage at their own concert.
Did they really appropriate Cuban culture?
Or was it just that being famous didn’t necessarily mean people liked the Island Boys?
As it turns out, it wasn’t cultural appropriation.
Here’s what we know.
Who are the Island Boys’ parents?
Franky and Alex Venegas were born just out of Fort Lauderdale on July 16, 2001. Franky came first, and two minutes later, his fraternal twin brother, Alex, arrived. Their parents were hard workers who had immigrated to the US from Cuba in the 1990s—so the boys had every right to be flying the Cuban flag when they found fame.
In a recording of a phone call between the Island Boys and their mom in 2021, she explained that while her kids were born in the US, both she and her late husband were born in Cuba.
“You were born in the United States, but your parents and your ancestors are all Cuban. But yes, you are officially Cuban.”
Sadly, Franky and Alex—who started going by Kodiyakredd and Flyysoulja when they began rapping—lost their father when they were just little kids. Their mom raised them on her own from that point.
Franky and Alex Venegas’s parent’s names are undisclosed.
Struggles for the Island Boys
In late 2021, Flyysoulja posted a reply to a fan’s question on TikTok.
In the clip, Alex Venegas was asked, “how rich were your parents?”
He replies that they “weren’t even rich” and spoke about how his father had passed away.
He states in the video that this happened when he was 4 years old, although, in other clips, he says he lost his father when he was 6.
He talks about the struggles he and his brother went through after losing their father, explaining that—while their mom did her best to provide for them in every way—the pair were “hard headed” and got in a lot of trouble.
With criminal charges ranging from burglary and vehicle theft to drug possession, and rap sheets that begin when the pair were in their early teens, they have had many brushes with the law.
In the clip, Alex states that the twins are still going because of everything they’ve learned about “what not to do, and what to do.”
Backlash for the Island Boys
The video was well received by most fans, who sent their condolences on the loss of the Venegas twins’ dad.
Some in the comments section pointed out the irony of boys being raised by a widowed mom and a video in which Kodiyakredd allegedly assaults a woman.
In the video [NSFW], the woman hits him back, and he begins crying and asking her to let go of his hand.
In March 2022, a police report surfaced after police attended a call-out at the rented home of Alex and Franky.
The girlfriend of Alex Venegas alleged that she had been assaulted by his brother.
She declined to press charges.
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Did the twin brothers really say they were “thuggin’”?
They did.
YouTube uber celebrity—and fellow controversial creator—Logan Paul invited the twins onto his Impaulsive podcast in December of 2021.
Just half an hour into the interview, which featured George Janko—of Vine and YouTube fame—the Island Boys started to get a little heated.
Janko suggested they invest the money they had made to that point, and the pair didn’t take it well.
Flyysoulja clapped back with, “I probably make more money than you,” and Kodiyakredd doubled down by saying the pair didn’t need financial advice.
Things escalated, and the Island Boys walked off the recording set.
In footage filmed away from the podcast, Janko is seen discussing the issue with Alex and Franky, when Alex says:
“you know I’m thugging, though, right?”
Following the cringeworthy comment, Paul steps in and tells Janko, fellow co-host Mike Majlak, and the Venegas brothers that it’s over, and the pair leave the location.
FAQs
Are the Island Boys from a wealthy family?
It is assumed that the Island Boys come from a wealthy family. However, this assumption is not entirely accurate. Their wealth does not come from their family’s wealth but rather from their hard work and determination.
In 2021, the twins’ TikTok video went viral, which propelled them into stardom overnight. Despite this success, however, it is important to note that the twins remain grounded in many ways.
Where did the Island Boys get their money?
The Island Boys’ primary source of income is through their social media accounts, such as TikTok and YouTube.
They have also been able to monetize their content by working with brands and sponsorships. In addition, they have released several music singles which have been successful on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
READ THIS NEXT: Where are The Island Boys originally from?
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Lourie Helzer
Update: 2024-07-22