TikTok, a phone app allowing users to share fun videos of singing, dancing and skits, has taken the world by storm, and Naz “Itsnastynaz” Saleh is its megastar.
Saleh, or “Itsnastynaz” on TikTok, was a completely ordinary fast food worker yet a complete anomaly. He was born on April 27, 1997, in Bronx, New York, and raised by his Yemeni-descendant parents looking for a better life for their kids. When he turned 12, he started working 12 hours per day, seven days per week. Saleh hit rock bottom when excessive bullying made him drop out of high school, but things changed.
Saleh went from working in fast food to being a man who enjoys all luxuries of life, but what made Naz Saleh who he is today?
It all started when Saleh was watching a YouTube video and a Musical.ly ad popped up. He saw the famous Baby Ariel. The video made him laugh and think he could do it even better than she could if he gave it a try. That was the turning point in his life. He started performing more skits with his brother in his workplace. He became an overnight success when the third video he uploaded was viewed 5 million times, and it didn’t stop there. The video spread like wildfire and was featured on news channels internationally.
His audience skyrocketed to over 6 million followers. He was awarded the “Popular Creator” badge by TikTok after his videos broke the internet and were viewed between 100 million and 350 million times.
That’s when he quit his 84-hour-per-week job to focus full time on his TikTok career. He now sits at 13 million followers.
Saleh is now known as “The Most Generous Man in New York” after filming himself giving food and money to homeless people. His videos also caught the attention of the government, giving some of those homeless people the option to go to rehab. Many said goodbye to their previous lives and moved toward a path of happiness.
Following his quick ascent, Saleh signed deals with iconic brands such as What Do You Meme? and Fashion Nova. He even received sponsorship deals from apps on the Apple App Store. He went from working in fast food to making seven figures and driving luxury cars all in a day’s work.
Though he has found success on TikTok, life isn’t always easy for Saleh. He receives many hateful comments online.
When asked how he deals with hateful comments, Saleh said, “Receiving so much hate can be heart-breaking and really demotivating. It used to have really bad effects on my mindset and my happiness until I realized making skits, helping people and making others happy is my safe place, and no one can make me feel bad about that.”
He admits sudden fame can be a bit overwhelming, but Saleh tries to remain positive, using his power to spread as much love and happiness as he can.
