Keeping Up With Kid Fury

It is no secret that black gossip blogging is becoming an increasingly saturated market. An area that only had a scarce number of bloggers only five years ago now has literally thousands of hopefuls clamoring for attention. And the biggest question from new bloggers is a tough one: what can we do to stand out from the crowd? Well, if you’re Kid Fury, the answer is simple.

With humor, of course.

Meet Kid Fury–a gossip blogger from Miami with a sharp eye for viral content and an even sharper wit to match.  In addition to his popular blog Sofurious.com, he also runs an equally popular YouTube channel, TheFuryTV.  Boasting nearly 9,000, hyper-engaged subscribers and upwards of 10,000 views per upload, The Fury TV made quite the splash in the online gossip world. Last year, the editors at VIBE were so impressed that they offered him a blogging gig at VIBE.com. I caught up with Kid Fury last week and chatted with him about his blogging career, his software must-haves and how he stays ahead of the pack.

1. You’ve gotten a lot of attention for your YouTube channel The Fury TV.  What made you decide to start making YouTube videos? Did you think that you would become as popular as you are?

I wanted to add another facet to my website and I thought that creating a YouTube channel would be an interesting way to expand my following. I really didn’t expect it to become popular and I feel that I have a lot more work to do, but I’m extremely grateful for the attention the videos have received. I didn’t think people would really watch them, because I don’t think I’m funny. Thank Sweet Daddy Jesus I was wrong.

2. What are your favorite tech gadgets and software must-haves that you use to edit your footage? Do you prefer Microsoft or Mac?

My FlipCam is like my friend/lover. We see each other maybe once a week and make magic, then go back to our regular business. I use the FlipCam to record the videos and it’s been very good to me so far.  Sony Vegas Pro 9 is the software I use to edit the videos before I upload them. It’s a pretty easy program to use once you get used to it, but I know my videos aren’t a great example of its potential. I’m not all that tech-savvy, so I do what I can. Also, I think Mac is a much better choice is for a blogger, because it’s very user-friendly.

3. You also have the website, SoFurious.com. Do you consider yourself to be more of a video blogger or more of a traditional blogger? What are some of the positives and negatives of each?

I don’t really have a description for the type of blogger that I am. Whatever you wanna call me is fine, but I just say blogger. It’s all the same to me. The positives are the fact that I can make people laugh and get paid for it. The laughter is my favorite part, but if you wanna slide me a few coins so I can purchase a jazzy pair of underwear and some Top Ramen, I’ll accept. The negatives are all the silly stereotypes that come along with blogging. I’m not a failed journalist, I don’t hate myself, and I’m not jealous of anyone, but I talk trash everyday, so it’s cool.

4. What sorts of strategies do you use to keep your users engaged across all of your different web properties (YouTube, SoFurious.com and Twitter)? Do you actively promote your content?

Humor. If I can speak my piece on it, I’m going to try and make someone laugh and I believe that’s what keeps users engaged. I promote everything across the board, but I think Twitter is the best spot to promote your work. If you have a blog and have not signed up for Twitterfeed, you don’t love yourself.

5. You frequently mention in your videos that you don’t like to hide behind Internet anonymity.  Do you think that more bloggers should make their identities know to their fan base? Have you ever been recognized by your fans, or celebrities in public?

It’s up to the blogger, but personally I can say that revealing my identity to viewers helped me brand myself. I suppose people feel closer to me as a person. Lots of my supporters say that they think of me as a “friend in the head”, so it’s great to have a close relationship with the people who support me. I’ve been stopped in the street a few times by people who recognized me and I never know how to react. I just reach for my imaginary lacefront, make sure it’s intact and then I give out hugs and shade.

6. Urban gossip blogging is a rapidly growing trend. What advice do you have for all of the freshman bloggers out there looking to get into entertainment writing?

Just have a personality. Nobody cares to read something at your site that they could easily read on a million other pages, unless you’re bringing something original. Don’t be afraid to express your own opinion. Also make sure to update as often as you can and don’t ever feel discouraged, because there may be 50-leven blogs out there, but if yours is hot, people will read it everyday.

7. Tell us about your transition into writing for Vibe.com. Are you blogging full time now?

It’s funny, I wanted to write for VIBE since I was like 14 years old. One day I got a tweet from them saying that they love me, so I asked about a writing gig and they put me on. I am a full-time blogger right now, which is tasty. I’ve been blogging since 2006, so it’s about damn time.

8. It’s a brand new year. What sorts of things can we expect from you in 2011? Do you have any goals or plans that you would like to share?

I have lots of new plans that I can’t reveal just yet, but I’m in talks with a few people for some great surprises. We’ll see what happens, but you can expect for me to continue running my mouth and speaking my ridiculous mind.

Category: Black Digerati, Featured | Tags: blogger, branding, FlipCam, Fury TV, gossip blogger, Kid Fury, Social Networking, SoFurious.com, Sony Vegas Pro 9, vibe.com