Addison Pierre Maalouf (Arabic: أديسون بيير معلوف), known online as YourFellowArab or Arab, is a Lebanese-American YouTuber and online streamer based in Atlanta, Georgia. [2]He became known for touring dangerous locations and went viral for meeting up with gangs in Latin America and Lebanon.
| YourFellowArab | ||||||||||
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
| Born | Addison Pierre Maalouf | |||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||
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| Website | arabuncut | |||||||||
| YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Also known as | Arab | |||||||||
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| Genres | ||||||||||
| Subscribers | 1.64 million (main) 2.1 million (combined)[1] | |||||||||
| Total views | 583 million[1] | |||||||||
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Twitch information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2016–2023 | |||||||||
| Genres |
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| Games | ||||||||||
| Followers | 622,000 | |||||||||
Online career
editGaming and Twitch streaming
editMaalouf uploaded his first YouTube video on April 18, 2016, where he began making commentary and skits and later began live-streaming himself playing video games like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V. In 2019 he partook in Fortnite tournaments winning prize money and started coaching other people on the game.
After the 2020 Beirut explosion, Maalouf raised nearly $20,000 in donations for the Red Cross.[3]
On October 30, 2021, he uploaded a video titled "The End" where he announced that he would stop live-streaming video games and instead start filming real-life interactions with people. He also launched his website, Arabuncut.com.[4]
Adventures
editOn December 11, 2022, he uploaded a video on YouTube titled "im lost" where he expressed his desire to document and explore dangerous and rarely visited areas himself. Some of his first viral videos was of him exploring South Africa and documenting a rare meeting with Nouh Zaiter, a Lebanese drug lord wanted by Interpol, in the Beqaa Valley.[5] In July 2023, he gained large media attention internationally after interviewing members of the Balaclava-clad favela gang in Rio de Janeiro.[6] He revisited Brazil in January 2024 with YouTuber IShowSpeed; they visited Cidade de Deus community in Rio de Janeiro.[7]
Kidnapping
editAmidst the ongoing gang war, on March 13, 2024, Maalouf traveled to Haiti to interview notorious gang leader named Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier. However, 24 hours after Maalouf's arrival, he was allegedly taken by members of the 400 Mawozo gang and held for a ransom of $40,000 (which increased to $600,000) along with his guide Sean Roubens Jean Sacra.[8][9] On March 28, Maalouf's brother posted on X (formerly Twitter) confirming his disappearance, as did fellow YouTuber Miles Routledge and close friend Sneako.[10] On March 30, 2024, Maalouf announced on X that he had been released.[11] On April 5, 2024, Maalouf released his first interview about the kidnapping via his YouTube channel and later released a video series that documented the kidnapping.
References
edit- ^ a b "About YourFellowArab". YouTube.
- ^ https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/03/29/arab-american-youtuber-reportedly-kidnapped-in-haiti/
- ^ "Tiltify - Made for Fundraisers". tiltify.com. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf-KROUSYOk
- ^ "'يوتيوبر' لبناني شهير مخطوف في هايتي". MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- ^ Aiken, Adam (2023-09-24). "Balaclava-clad favela gang with AK-47s reveal how traitors are dealt with". Daily Star. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Turismo do crime: rappers e youtubers estrangeiros viralizam nas redes ao posarem com drogas e armas em favelas do Rio". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ IV, Antonio Pequeño. "American YouTuber Reportedly Kidnapped In Haiti—What We Know About His Disappearance". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ Vaishnavi, Arya (March 29, 2024). "YouTuber YourFellowArab kidnapped in Haiti for $600k ransom while trying to interview gang leader 'Barbecue'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "YouTuber YourFellowArab kidnapped in Haiti for $600k ransom while trying to interview gang leader 'Barbecue'". Hindustan Times. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "YouTuber YourFellowArab Released In Haiti, Was Kidnapped 'Due To Color'". TimesNow. 2024-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.