Kai Carlo Cenat III (/ˈkaɪ sɪˈnæt/ KY sin-AT; born December 16, 2001) is an American online streamer and YouTuber. He is best known for his live streams and comedy-based content he uploads on YouTube. He is currently the second most-subscribed Twitch streamer and the 12th most followed Twitch streamer with approximately nine million followers, surpassing Ludwig Ahgren's record during a February 2023 subathon.[a][4][5] He was named "Streamer of the Year" at the 2023 and 2024 Streamer Awards.[6]
| Kai Cenat | ||||||||||
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 Cenat in 2021 | ||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Born | Kai Carlo Cenat III[1] December 16, 2001 New York City, U.S. | |||||||||
| Education | State University of New York at Morrisville (dropped out) | |||||||||
| Occupations |
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| Website | kaicenat | |||||||||
| Twitch information | ||||||||||
| Also known as | KC3 | |||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2021–present | |||||||||
| Genres |
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| Games | GTA Online[2] | |||||||||
| Followers | 9 million | |||||||||
| Associated acts | ||||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2018–present | |||||||||
| Genre | Comedy | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 5.11 million[3] | |||||||||
| Total views | 320 million[3] | |||||||||
| Associated acts | AMP (Any Means Possible) | |||||||||
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Last updated: February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||
Early life and education
Cenat was born to parents from the Caribbean; a mother from Trinidad and Tobago and a father from Haiti.[7][8][9] Becoming estranged from his father, Cenat was raised by his mother along with his three other siblings, a twin sister named Kaiya,[10] an older brother named Devonte,[11] and a younger brother named Kaleel.[9][12]
Cenat attended Frederick Douglass Academy for his secondary education. He graduated high school in 2019[13] and then attended the State University of New York at Morrisville in August 27, 2019,[14][15] to study Business Administration. He eventually dropped out in 2020[16] due to the struggle of keeping up with schoolwork and content creation.[17][18]
Career
Cenat uploaded his first YouTube video on January 13, 2018,[19] and began making videos surrounding pranks and challenges.[20] He joined the YouTube group AMP (Any Means Possible) after being discovered by fellow Bronx-born YouTuber Fanum. He started regularly appearing in the channel's videos. He began streaming on Twitch in February 2021 after migrating from YouTube, broadcasting gaming and reaction content.[21][22]
Cenat had an acting role in the trailer for Polo G's June 2022 single "Distraction".[23] On May 8, 2022, Cenat released his debut single "Bustdown Rollie Avalanche" with NLE Choppa.
In 2022, Cenat began including celebrity guests on his streams, including Bobby Shmurda in April,[24] Lil Baby in October, and 21 Savage in November, who helped him receive his highest viewership at the time with 283,245 concurrent viewers at its peak.[25]
In October 2022, Cenat was nominated for the 12th Streamy Awards in the "Streamer of the Year" and "Breakout Streamer" categories,[26][27][28] winning the former in December. [29]
On January 31, 2023, Cenat began a month-long subathon. On February 28, 2023, he became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, reaching 306,621 subscribers at its peak.[30] On March 11, 2023, Cenat won "Streamer of the Year" at the 12th Streamer Awards.[31]
In March 2023, Cenat was reported to be making approximately $23,280 per month from his sleep streams, resulting in an annual income of $285,480. According to Streams Charts, his sleeping broadcasts have amassed over 5.6 million hours watched, showcasing the significant viewer engagement during these streams.[32]
On April 17, 2023, Cenat was temporarily suspended on Twitch for reasons undisclosed, though he eventually returned, with him initially noting it as a permanent ban in error.[33]
In May 2023, Cenat announced a livestreamed show with IShowSpeed exclusively on Rumble, titled the Kai 'N Speed Show.[34]
In September 2023, Cenat was featured on the music video for Offset's single "Fan" alongside Fanum.[35][36] In the following month, he made his music video directorial debut with American rapper a Boogie wit da Hoodie.[37]
On December 14, 2023 Nicki Minaj appeared on Cenat's stream which broke his previous peak viewership record by 40,000 resulting in 348,593 concurrent viewers.[38][39]
On February 8, 2024 during a livestream Cenat announced that he has officially partnered with Nike stating, "I would like to announce that we are officially a part of the Nike family". He became the first streamer to get signed with the company.[40][41]
2023 Union Square riot
On August 4, 2023, Cenat announced a giveaway of PlayStation 5 consoles and gift cards, in Union Square, Manhattan with Twitch streamer Fanum. Thousands of his followers appeared at the impromptu event, which soon spiraled out of control and devolved into a riot. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) mobilized forces in the area as a large group swarmed a Best Buy and other businesses in the area.[42] Cenat was arrested by the NYPD for inciting civil unrest; police also made 65 other arrests.[43][44][45] He was later charged by the NYPD with first-degree rioting, inciting a riot, and unlawful assembly.[45]
Cultural impact
Cenat is credited with popularizing viral internet slang words such as Rizz, which is derived from "charisma" and defined as "style, charm, or attractiveness";[46][47] and Gyat, a permutation of "Goddamn" that is used in reference to a person with prominent buttocks. Oxford University Press named Rizz its word of the year for 2023,[48] and Gyat was nominated for the American Dialect Society's 2023 Word of The Year.[49][50]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12th Streamy Awards | Streamer of the Year | Himself | Won[citation needed] | [28] |
| Breakout Streamer | Nominated | ||||
| 2023 | The Streamer Awards | Streamer of the Year | Won | [51] | |
| The Esports Awards | Streamer of the Year | Nominated | [52] | ||
| 2024 | The Streamer Awards | Streamer of the Year | Won | [53] | |
| Best Just Chatting Streamer | Won | ||||
| Best Streamed Event | 7 Days In | Nominated |
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Bustdown Rollie Avalanche" (featuring NLE Choppa) | 2022 | Non-album single |
| "Dogs"[54] (with IShowSpeed) | 2023 | Non-album single |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The End of the Road Begins - Intro"[55] | 2023 | — | Fast X (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Good Burger 2 | Disgruntled Customer | Guest appearance |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | "Shoot" | Adot | Himself |
| 2022 | "Distraction" | Polo G | |
| "Just Wanna Rock" | Lil Uzi Vert | ||
| "Plenty" | FaZe Kaysan feat. Nardo Wick, G Herbo, Babyface Ray & BIG30 | ||
| 2023 | "Fan" | Offset |
See also
Notes
References
External links
