Who is CJ So Cool? Net Worth, House, Car, Age, Kids, Wiki Bio

Who is CJ So Cool?

Born on 29 March 1989, in Gary, Indiana, under the fire sign of Aries, CJ So Cool is a 34-year-old American YouTuber, vlogger, influencer and social media personality. He first gained fame by uploading reaction videos relating to popular trends and memes, and as his popularity slowly grew, CJ expanded his repertoire, which now includes prank videos, try-not-to-laugh challenges and much more. Even though he is now one of the biggest YouTubers, with almost seven million subscribers to his channel, he still can’t escape criticism and controversy. In recent years, he was the target of outrage because of indecent pranks and allegations that he faked having his social media accounts hacked. Nevertheless, CJ is one of the most famous current YouTube stars.

 

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Early Life and Education: A Rocky Road to Stardom

CJ So Cool was born Cordero James Brady, in a poor neighbourhood of Gary – the city currently has the third highest murder rate in the US, which is a clear indication that young CJ didn’t have an easy childhood. Even though he was surrounded by gunfire and crime, he couldn’t find sanctuary even in his own home. Raised by his maternal grandmother, he found stability in the midst of familial turmoil. His mother, battling addiction, often seemed absent, while his father’s fate remained shrouded in mystery within the confines of incarceration. Yet, in his narrative, there’s a profound tribute to his grandmother, the guiding force that prevented him from veering off course. He acknowledges, with heartfelt sincerity, that without her steadfast presence, his trajectory could have been perilously different—lost or entangled within the system.

Education and More: Changing Schools, The Navy and More

Initially educated at Theodore Roosevelt High School in his hometown, now renamed, CJ later transferred to William A Wirt High School, where he completed his matriculation. At the age of 19, he embarked on a new path, joining the Navy and earning a placement within the Presidential Guard, an experience that concluded with an honorable discharge in 2010. Undeterred by this unexpected turn, he remained determined and sought higher education at Purdue University, delving into the realm of criminology before ultimately withdrawing in 2012. With no familial support, CJ navigated the challenges independently, sustaining himself through various roles in eateries such as Chuck E. Cheese’s and Denny’s. Amidst the hustle of demanding shifts, his innate wit and humor left an indelible impression on colleagues, catalyzing a pivotal decision that would reshape his destiny forever.

Career Beginnings: From Cordero James to CJ So Cool

CJ’s journey into the world of YouTube began on 26 December 2014, when he established his channel. Initially, he curated playlists rather than uploading his own content, immersing himself in his favorite genres such as pranks and sneaker reviews. It was a period of observation and learning, with his younger brother, Desmond Anthony Ladonn Brady, known as Jinx, playing a crucial role in guiding him through the intricacies of editing and recording techniques. Then, on June 22, 2015, he took the leap, sharing his inaugural video titled “CJ Shoe Collection.” This debut offering, showcasing over 20 of his prized sneakers, including rare and limited editions, garnered immediate attention from sneaker enthusiasts worldwide, amassing over 750,000 views by mid-2019. Following his initial uploads like “CHUBBY BUNNY CHALLENGE” and “10 Facts about Cj,” it was “Let Me Explain These Kids Vlog” that propelled CJ to widespread recognition. In this video, he candidly shares the story of meeting his then-girlfriend Royalty and her three children, a narrative that resonated beyond the sneakerhead community. This vlog marked a turning point, captivating audiences from diverse backgrounds and driving his subscriber count to an impressive 100,000.

Continued Success: Focusing on His Family and Reacting to Popular Videos

Jinx, CJ’s brother, was one of the first YouTubers who dared to produce reaction videos frequently and based their channel solely around this type of content. CJ soon followed suit, and these videos brought him hundreds of millions of views. This turned out to be a clever strategy, as he would always be relevant by commenting on the latest memes, rumors and things that were happening in the world of pop culture. However, several YouTubers, such as Pewdiepie, I HATE EVERYTHING and JacksFilms accused him of stealing content, which he vehemently denied. One would think these allegations would have threatened the development of CJ’s career, but it only brought him extra publicity and further expanded his audience.

Hacking Incident: A Career in Danger

On 20 February 2016, CJ tweeted that his YouTube channel had been the target of a malicious attack and that everything he ever uploaded was deleted – immediately CJ changed his channel description to ‘My Page Was Hacked And They Deleted Everything Now I Must Start From The Bottom Again’. In the video “I Know That My Account Is Still Hacked”, he confirmed that this wasn’t the first time he had been a target of hackers who were ‘jealous of his money and fame’. Additionally, he mentioned that someone had broken into his bank account, but that authorities managed to protect his finances. He then proceeded to upload a series of hack response videos. In total, this presumed attack on his channel resulted in the loss of 1,033 videos, but on 26 February, YouTube managed to recover as many as 700 of CJ’s videos, which he announced as a ‘victory over the hackers.’

More Controversy: The Laxative Prank

Already notorious for his over-the-top prank videos, CJ made headlines on 18 May 2016, when he uploaded a clip in which he buys laxatives in a drug store, and proceeds to secretly put them into his kids’ food. Afterwards, the video shows the children holding their bellies in pain and running to the restroom. YouTubers such as DramaAlert and Scarce slammed him for this action, accusing him of child abuse and attempted poisoning. A day later, CJ revealed that his kids were completely okay and that he had consulted a doctor before administering laxatives this way. Again, this incident only attracted more subscribers to his channel, verifying the old saying ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity’. By all accounts, the authorities didn’t take any legal action against CJ because of this incident.

Music Career

CJ is a multi-talented man who dabbles in hip-hop, in addition to his YouTube prowess. His first song is named “Wanna Do”, and features his younger brother under the moniker Jinx Da Rebel. Afterwards, he teamed up with his wife Royalty to record “Memories”, “Fuego” and “Go”. So far, “Fuego” has been a success, with a total of six million views on YouTube. Other than serious songs, CJ has also recorded a number of parodies, such as “Tired”, “So Cool Anthem” and “Salty”, which is his most popular song, with an astonishing 17 million views. Unlike most celebrities who try their hand at rapping, CJ has been fairly successful, which even resulted in a small-scale tour around California and Nevada.

Personal Life: Who is CJ’s Wife Royalty? Do They Have Any Children Together?

CJ is currently married to Royalty, who herself is a popular social media personality. The two entered a relationship in July 2012 after meeting at the Planet Hollywood casino in Las Vegas, and have been going strong ever since. Together, they’re raising four children – Royalty has three children from a previous relationship, J’alliyah, Karnation and Leonidas, and CJ’s daughter, Camari was born on 6 November 2011, when he was in a relationship with another woman.

So Cool Mansion

In 2017, CJ was missing from YouTube for a couple of weeks. On 23 August, he uploaded “Surprising My Family With A Mega Mansion”, where he confessed that he was focused on sorting out some personal matters and preparing a big reveal for his family. In the second part of the video, he surprises his wife and his children by buying a huge mansion in the suburbs of Las Vegas; this is his most popular video, with 25 million views as of June 2019, and garnered positive reactions from around the world, praising CJ’s generosity. The “So Cool Mansion” has a total of 12 bedrooms with 10 bathrooms and two guest houses, set in over four acres of space.

Obsessions: Cars, Sneakers and Tattoos

When he became a YouTube star, CJ started investing a lot of money into expensive vehicles. In total, he and Royalty have a collection of five custom-made sports cars, which they rotate on a regular basis. As for tattoos, CJ has them all over his body, with the most recognizable being a drawing of a Polo shirt, his favorite piece of clothing, located on his waist. From the beginning, CJ’s obsession with sneakers has been evident, as he’s admitted that he had over a hundred pairs of Nike and Air Jordan models. He’s still adding new pairs to his collection but doesn’t wear them all, most likely because he has a lot of limited edition releases, which are worth a lot of money on the resale market.

 

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Body Measurements: How Tall is CJ So Cool?

CJ So Cool is 5ft 11in (180cm) tall – his other measurements are unknown. Ever since he became famous, CJ has been known for his muscular build. He goes to the gym at least four times a week to maintain his physique, but because of working out too much, he suffered seven muscle tears in his back and is an active user of medicinal marijuana to reduce the pain he sometimes feels.

What is CJ So Cool’s Net Worth?

According to several credible sources, CJ So Cool has a net worth of approximately $10 million, as of 2024, accumulated largely through monetization of his YouTube videos, in addition to merchandise sales and guest appearances at conventions around the US.

 

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Online Presence

CJ has accounts on a number of different platforms. His bread and butter, of course, is YouTube – “CJ SO COOL” has more than 9 million subscribers and over 2.5 billion unique views. On Facebook, he also has an official page that has 45,000 ‘likes’. This account is unavailable at present. He is also an avid Instagram user with over 5.2 million fans. CJ and Royalty also run an Instagram profile for their kids, which already has more than 554,000 followers.