When people think of Black TikTok stars, perhaps Jason Derulo isn’t high on the list. After all, when we were all first introduced to Derulo, we knew him as a music star.
“I was never really a social media guy because Twitter and Instagram didn’t really speak to me,” he said to Variety. “And when it started, TikTok was more of a dance app, and I tried a challenge or two. But because I was at home, I started to experiment with it. More than half of the top TikTok videos are comedy, so I’d post things and be like, ‘OK, they don’t respond to this, but they seem to like that,’ and learned what made it tick,” he laughs, “for lack of a better word. And it all just kinda exploded.”
But thanks to the popular social media app, Derulo has enjoyed a bit of a career renaissance. He has 49.6 million followers on TikTok as of this writing, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
But Derulo is far from the only one doing his thing on the popular social media app. In fact, these Black TikTok stars hop on the app and enjoy the great engagement, large followings and — perhaps best of all — make money from endorsements.
@khaby.lame
Number of followers: 113 million
As AfroTech previously reported, this most-followed Black TikTok star went from being unemployed to having a whole TikTok empire.
@khaby.lame Please! Don’t waste popcornKids are crazy about this 🍿Non sprecare i popcorn,i bambini ne vanno matti 🍿#learnfromkhaby #learnwithtiktok #linkinbio
@willsmith
Number of followers: 62.1 million
From the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to the Fresh Dad of TikTok — everybody loves Will Smith.
@willsmith We dropped this album 30 years ago!! Truly summer madness
@therock
Number of followers: 40.3 million
Aside from being the freakin’ Rock, he’s the second-most-followed Black celebrity on TikTok (behind Will Smith).
@therock My tips for pushing thru when your fatigue hits! #GymTok #FitnessTips #ProjectRock #RockTok #BAMF
@dtay.known
Number of followers: 13.6 million
This 23-year-old comedy creator has more than 13 million followers that love his brand of slapstick comedy.
@dtay.known Parents always act nicer around your friends 😭 (pt.2) #comedy
@iamtabithabrown
Number of followers: 4.9 million
She’s a vegan chef and icon who has translated her nearly five million TikTok followers into a global empire.
@iamtabithabrown We all need encouragement ❤️. I love you! #tabithabrown
@wisdm8
Number of followers: 6.6 million
This 19-year-old from Houston, TX, is one of the best-dressed stars on the Internet. More than six million people follow his TikTok account for fashion advice.
@wisdm8 Might mess up the timeline but oh well
@naenaetwinsofficial
Number of followers: 2.5 million
These twin choreographers have nearly three million followers that adore their killer dance moves.
@naenaetwinsofficial 😍🍑 @saucysantana
@dreaknowsbest
Number of followers: 5.4 million
This TikTok superstar won a Shorty Award for the best TikToker of the year, and her nearly six million followers agree with that assessment.
@dreaknowsbest Rapunzel has entered the chat 🙋🏽♀️ what y’all think 👀☺️ #braids #crotchetbraids
@jameshenry
Number of followers: 3.6 million
James Henry was so successful with his TikTok business that Forbes even did a cover story on him back in 2020.
@jameshenry #ad @NIVEA MEN USA has your skin lookin’ fresh post-flight for your crush… and for potential new crushes 😂. Don’t sleep on these products!
