How Khaby Lame became a TikTok superstar at age 21 … without saying a word

If you spend time on social media, you’ve surely seen a video of Khaby Lame. This recognizable young man among a thousand has enjoyed phenomenal success in recent months. What made him famous? Make fun of tutorials, these mini clips supposed to give Internet users tips to do everyday things more easily but which, in the end, sometimes turn out to be more complicated than normal. An example ? Peel a banana with a knife when it is much easier to do it with his fingers.

During the confinement, the young man seized the phenomenon and reacted to it. way, remaining silent and taking jaded facial expressions. And the success was immediately there. So much so that CNN devoted a long article to him .

The beginning of fame

It all started completely by chance. Following the loss of his job in an Italian factory, the 21-year-old decides to register on TikTok. “ I wanted to make people laugh during the Covid “, he explained to the American media. Like many, he first publishes videos where he dances, sings and takes up challenges. But, very quickly, he wants to do different things. “I had an idea when I saw tutorials circulating. I decided to make it a little simpler.”

It is indeed difficult to be simpler. In his videos, the Senegalese laughs and adapts the tutorials to his sauce without uttering a single word. A concept he claims. “I wanted to reach as many people as possible, and the best way was not to speak” , details- he does. Speaking is not necessary anyway as long as he manages to convey his emotions brilliantly, by nodding his head in annoyance, rolling his eyes or using his hands. “ My facial expressions are funny and make people laugh” .

His love of simplicity is also evident in the process of making the videos. With him, no very expensive technique, everything is done with the means at hand, without the fuss.

D ‘ a modest background to celebrity

During confinement, his creations circulated a lot, to the point that he is today the second most influential Tiktoker. Every day, he gains roughly 200,000 subscribers. In general, all of its channels are successful. “People send me the tutorials they see or tag me in them. They know I’m the one who solves the problems, so they call on me.” However, this new celebrity did not rise to his head. Even if he earns a lot of money today thanks to his videos – he did not want to reveal his salary – he says he only bought one phone with it. It must be said that the young “star” comes from a modest background.

Khaby Lame, whose real name is Khabane Lame, moved to Italy with his parents when he was only 1 year old. Senegalese therefore speak Italian fluently, even if they do not yet have the nationality of their country of residence. He spent most of his childhood in social housing, with his three siblings. By her own admission, her parents still can’t believe what is happening to her. “ It was unexpected for them as for the rest of the world “. But, like all good parents, the most important thing for them is the happiness of their son. “They wanted me to be good in my life, and that I have a job that brings me joy “. This is clearly the case.