Why BBNO$'s Audience Is Betraying Him... | Internet Anarchist

0:00Everyone has a mask they show to the world. That's just part of being human. There's a version of you that people see, and then there's who you are when you're alone. Maybe you act a little differently when you're with friend group A compared to when you're with friend group B. Maybe you remove a few words from your vocabulary when you're in polite company and not cracking a cold one with the boys. Everyone has marks. But for the most part, people still stick to their core values and beliefs regardless of whatever mark they wear. But what happens when you don't? What if someone builds an image that doesn't reflect what they actually believe at all? Just to make as much money as possible. Meet baby no money. A Canadian rapper and singer known for being very outspoken on progressive issues. He's been especially vocal about supporting artists and pushing back against AI. He's taken strong public stances, even going as far as removing Asmond Gold from one of his music

1:03videos. However, recently he's been criticized for not properly crediting or compensating artists is worked with, which clashes pretty hard with the image he's been putting out. Hi, I'm the internet anarchist. I create weekly youtube documentaries and today we're going to be covering Baby No Money, an internet rapper who's been under fire from every direction over the past few months. This is the story of a creator who attached his gold plated mask with Gorilla Glue only to realize that masks eventually crack. Baby No Money's real name is Alex and it's how I'm going to refer to him from now on, because Baby No Money is really annoying to say out loud. For those of you who don't know, Alex is a hugely popular rapper who's built a reputation as someone who doesn't sell out. By 2024 and into early 2025, that image was paying off in a big way. He had over 14.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, over a billion streams on his song La La La,

2:04a Juno Awards win sold out to us and a really dedicated fan base. We don't need to go through his whole career step by step, but it's worth saying this clearly. He's a big name. Even if you haven't heard of him, this isn't some random guy uploading songs online. He's packing venues and performing in front of thousands of people. What actually makes him interesting isn't the usual career timeline. It's his mask. The version of himself he presents to the world. Like I mentioned earlier, Alex is very outspoken when it comes to progressive issues. LGBTQ topics, anti-ice sentiments, things broadly in that lane. If it's even slightly progressive, there's a good chance he's talked about it publicly or brought it into his shows. A lot of that public image rests on a few key ideas. He's very, very vocal about being against AI-generated content and says he supports real artists. He also would make a statement reading, I am becoming progressively more worried for our humanity due to extensively edifying improvements

3:07to AI-generated content media, from blatant misinformation to even the recent commercial adaptations of AI. Please be wary with what you see or hear online. AI sucks and we need to stand up against it. The second pillar of his success is his perceived knowledge of internet culture, video games and stuff like that, especially streamers like Pokemaine and Asmengold. Back in 2024, before Asmengold started shifting into more political content, Alex was openly a fan. He even got a tattoo of him and showed it off to Renee Show. This question is fucking Asmengold, baby! I love my parents don't to forget to twist prime stuff! That version of things didn't last. This channel spends a lot of time talking about image, the version of yourself you project online, the branding, the reputation, the way people package themselves for an audience. But honestly, I've always thought the details that exist off-camera matter just as much, and for me one of those

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5:15screen to get 55% off your first month at Centbird. That means your first fragrance is only about $8.97, and your next month is only $17.95. Use the link in the description and code anarchist 2 at checkout, and let's get on with the video. Not long after, anything related to that got wiped from his socials, but that cleanup didn't happen fast enough to keep it out of his 2025 music video for Merry Poppins. The video opens with a disclaimer saying, at the time of recording I was unaware of certain individuals at the call beliefs. As a result, I've chosen to censor those whose values I do not support. Then it cuts to a guy sitting on a throne with a lizard covering his face, very clearly being asmengold. If you watch the video, it's actually kind of funny how much focus he gets. He's all over it, to the point where he almost feels like the main character instead of Alex. People picked up on that right away, and it quickly became the main thing everyone was talking about, more so than the song itself.

6:17What made this even more revealing was who he didn't censor. Recently a jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions for their role in designing and promoting addictive platforms. They knew their apps could contribute to anxiety, depression, and body image issues, but did not share those risks while prioritising profits. The recent history verdict underscores the consequences of those decisions. If you or your child spent years growing up on social media and experienced serious mental health struggles, you should hear this. Morgan and Morgan is stepping up to hold these platforms accountable for the harm they caused. You can use my link in the description or scan the QR code on screen to take a short quiz to see if you qualify for the case. With that being said, let's get right back into the video. MizKip was also in the video, and he had his own well-documented history of using slurs and even faced domestic abuse allegations. But none of that got the same treatment. Many have pointed out that Alex only seemed to act against people whose controversies had enough public visibility to create a PR problem. Regardless of what people thought,

7:21this is a perfect example of how Alex operates when it comes to anything political. He used to be a fan of someone and could have even believed in some of the stuff Asmengold was saying, but instead of just owning it, he immediately folded to the extremely performative audience that he had created. This is his MO, and as we'll see going forward, it's what caused what happened a few months later. Most artists follow a pretty predictable path when they blow up. They get picked up by a label, marketing kicks in, and suddenly they're everywhere, whether you are looking for them or not. Alex didn't come up like that. His rise was way more internet native. He built his name in the trenches of Twitter, TikTok and direct collaborations. Instead of waiting for industry co-signs, he leaned into viral culture. It felt organic like he was part of the same internet ecosystem as everyone else, instead of sitting above it. And for a while, that approach worked almost perfectly. It gave him a kind of credibility that a lot of bigger artists don't have. He wasn't just another

8:25industry product. He was one of us, or at least that's how it came across. But once you start looking close up, the cracks begin to show. This all started with an artist named Rysame, who got contacted by Alex's team for an animation meme. This was their first real commission, so naturally they were excited. Getting noticed by someone as that level feels like a huge opportunity, especially when you're just starting out. The problem is, they didn't even talk about payment upfront. That alone is a massive mistake in any kind of creative work. Usually, rates are discussed before anything starts. That way, both sides know what they're agreeing to. In this case, the artist went ahead and made the animation without locking that in. Once the work was finished, the offer finally came in, around $100. Now, if you know anything about animation, you already know that's low. Like, really, really low. And it wasn't until the artist talked to friends, that it fully clicked how much of an underpayment that was. They pushed back a bit, asked for more, and the team raised

9:31it slightly to around 150 bucks. That's still nowhere near what that kind of work usually goes for. To be clear, they did get paid. This isn't a situation where someone just didn't get anything. But focusing only on that, misses the bigger issue. The process itself was messy. No clear agreement, low initial offer, and a new artist being put in a position where they didn't really know how to advocate for themselves. Now, compared that to the second situation, which is where things really start to blow up. Another artist gets commissioned. This time, more experienced, someone who already hasn't established rates. For this kind of animation, they usually charge around $700. When Alex's team reaches out, they say they can only do half. And this is where the whole exposure angle comes in. They finish the animation, send it over, and expect the usual deal. A repost, some engagement, something to push their workouts to a bigger audience. That's never really happens. The post doesn't get boosted the way the other animations did.

10:33There was no meaningful follow-through. From the artist's perspective, the whole reason they accepted a lower rate just vanished. So they reach out. At first, they're just trying to understand what went wrong. Did they miss something? Was there an issue with the animation? But instead of getting a clear answer, they're met with silence. Eventually, there's some communication with the social media manager, but it doesn't resolve much. The responses were vague, kind of dismissive, and didn't really match what was originally implied. Then comes the explanation. They're told that Alex didn't realise the artist made not say for work content. And that after following them, more of that content started showing up. According to the artist, this wasn't hidden information. It was clear from the start. So now the situation shifts. It's no longer just about money or exposure. It starts looking like someone was fine to work with behind the scenes, but not okay to publicly associate with once their content didn't fit a certain image. Keep in mind, a major part of Alex's

11:35whole brand is built around supporting artists. The artist in this situation kept trying to get some kind of resolution, sending follow-ups, asking direct questions, and trying to get clarity. But nothing really ever came of it. This is what caused them to quote tweet one of Alex's tweets, essentially saying that if you're not safe for work artists, don't collaborate with him. What made this hit even harder was the double standard. The artist pointed out that Alex regularly collaborates with and pays a web models significantly more for his content. Reportedly, around $2,000 per collaboration, while using not safe for work content as the reason he couldn't even repost their animation. That contradiction is really what's turned this from a minor dispute into something that stuck. This post would completely blow up, and even get Alex's original tweet about supporting artists community-nerd it. Finally vindication on this performative asshole, sucks this happened to you, and I hope you get something out of this, but now you see who he truly is. After the

12:38backlash hit, Alex reached out himself, apologised, and offered to pay the full rate instead of the discounted one. On paper, that sounds like the situation should have been resolved. But by that point, the damage had already been done. The artist turned it down, making it clear that they were no longer interested in the money. What they wanted instead was a public acknowledgement that matched the scale of what really had happened, and that never came. From there, the situation started to spread. Screenshots were posted, including DMs and emails, and more pieces of the interaction began circulating online. As that happened, other artists started sharing their own experiences, and a passion began to take shape. People talked about low offers, inconsistent communication, and a heavy reliance on exposure as part of the pitch. There were also complaints that engagement seemed to depend on how well they post performed, then on any kind of consistent support from Alex or his team. I've seen him commission a ton of people including a friend of mine

13:40and only offering like 100 bucks. It's made me a bit uncomfortable how low the price he gave was. At the same time, it was not completely one-sided. Some artists came forward, and said they had genuinely good experiences. They described being paid fairly, having clear communication, and running into no issues at all. As one of the animators he has commissioned, I can confirm that I was paid. Mistakes can happen, and by the looks of it, baby no money tried to make it right. Alex eventually addressed everything publicly. There is conversation regarding me not paying creatives for commissions. One individual has been relentlessly hurt me because of an oversight on me not reposing their content. A month ago, I offered to pay his full rate and formally apologized. For being unable to repost his content to lead my audience to find his page, it was a fundamental oversight on my behalf. Although they haven't stopped her- me. I have never not paid out animators, I have commissioned thousands of artists, and I will continue to commission more because I believe in propelling art

14:44forward. From his point of view, it came across as a mistake that had been blown out of proportion. From the outside, though, it did not feel that simple. When someone builds their image around supporting artists speaking out against AI, and doing things the right way, people are naturally going to hold them to a higher standard. There is less room for inconsistency, and less willingness to brush things off as minor mistakes. That is really what all of this comes down to. It's not just about whether artists were paid, it is about whether the way they were treated actually lined up with the image being presented to millions of people. From an outsider's perspective, it looks like Alex was just saying all of those things to build a brand of fans and profit off of them instead of genuinely believing it. After the artist's Alex head commission started speaking up, that was basically the moment where anything even remotely tied to him started getting picked apart. More artists came forward saying he hadn't properly credited them, and it wasn't just people on Twitter either. Other TikTok creators started calling him out too, accusing him of straight-up

15:49plagiarism. One of the bigger ones was a creator named Dearest Sinner, who made a video saying Alex never credited her as the inspiration. If you actually look at both videos side by side, it's pretty obvious what happened. Alex clearly saw her original post and decided to run with the same idea. It's basically the exact same video, just swapped out with him dressed as Leon in a thong. There's not really any subtlety here. Eventually, he did update his Instagram bio to credit her, and Sinner even acknowledged that in a tweet, but she also pointed out that he never fixed the TikTok's description, which is the one that actually blew up and got way more views. Side note, these TikTok's he makes a wild on their own. Most of them are him cross-dressing, sometimes even as characters like Pommini or Leon. A few months later, another wave of backlash hit, when a tweet went viral, accusing him of being racist, along with an audio clip that supposedly

16:52had him saying the inward. The clip got passed around like crazy, but the situation behind it was a complete mess with people twisting things and straight-up lying. The only part that actually matters is that it wasn't even him in the audio, and he came out and said that directly. These songs are not mine guys, that is 61 banks. An artist I signed seven years ago to my defunct record label. At that point, even Alex himself was acknowledging how much hate was coming his way. He started posting about it both on Twitter and TikTok, reacting to everything that had been piling up around him. It's important to keep in mind here that even with all of this going on, Alex is still doing completely fine career-wise. His tour is still happening. His performances are still moving forwards like nothing ever happened, and if anything, the numbers show that he's actually more relevant right now than he's been for a while. This bike he got in March from all of this drama basically proves that, but honestly, that's not even the point here. If we're being

17:53real, this whole controversy barely even deserves that label. Most of it is just people blowing shit way out of proportion. I seriously doubt Alex was sitting there like some cartoon villain rubbing his hands together and laughing about underpaying artists. When you commission over 100 people, yeah, some things are going to fall through the cracks. That's just how it works. And if we're talking about one or two people out of that many, that's not some insane failure. That's a relatively normal margin of error whether people want to admit it or not. What this actually comes down to is the kind of audience that latches onto stuff like this and runs with it. The real issue is the image he built and how clean and polished it was. When you present yourself as someone who never has any controversy, never messes up and never does anything wrong, you're basically sitting yourself up for this exact situation. You create this version of yourself that isn't even realistic. And then the second something small comes out, people lose their minds over it. Because it doesn't match the perfect version they had in their head. That's why the reaction

18:57feels so over the top. It's not really about what he did, it's about the fact that it broke the illusion. People had already decided who he was supposed to be and anything that doesn't line up with that hits way harder than it normally would. Meanwhile, creators who have always been a little messy don't get hit the same because nobody expected perfection from them in the first place. The funny part is that a little bit of controversy actually helps. It makes you look like a real person instead of some fake untudgable version of one. The people who actually get wrecked by scandals aren't the ones who slip up once in a while, they're the ones who spend years pretending they never would. Pokemain being a perfect example, who Alex has even collaborated with in the past. At the end of the day, Alex will most likely be fine financially and have a very successful music career going forwards. But he is the definition of being captured by your audience. And he is at the mercy of whether or not he can keep up the facade for long enough. If I were a betting man, I would bet that he will be held to higher and higher and soon impossible to maintain

20:01ethical standards. By the very mob he currently wishes to please. Then he'll make a mistake and they will devour him with glee. Before I close off this video, just want to say massive thank you to centbird. You can get 55% off your first month using code anarchist 2 or scan the q-alker on screen. Thank you for watching.