Avoid Building Your Fanbase Like PlaqueBoyMax

How are y'all going to tell me? Diva do not mean female performer. It just mean like, yo, you popping like you doing your [ __ ] You a diva. Like, bro, you're a diva. You're a diva. She a diva. It's not a bad thing or it doesn't have to be feminine. HOW ARE Y'ALL GOING TO TELL ME TO LOOK IT UP? [ __ ] YOU'RE TRUSTING GOOGLE OVER ME? ARE YOU STUPID? BRO, LISTEN. I'm telling y'all what I meant by the word. Google is not going to change that. Google's not going to change that. Flatboy Max has built something that almost every artist watching this video has said they wanted. And I'm not talking about followers or streams or even views. I'm talking about a community. I mean, let's be real here. Fivestar isn't just a bunch of kids who watch Plat Boy Max. They have a shared language and a shared history and lore and most importantly, a shared identity. And Max has even said it himself. Having a strong community is more important to him than being the biggest streamer out. But recently, something interesting started to happen and the person at the center of FiveStar started to change. Or at least that's what some members of FiveStar started to think. And suddenly the same community that knew what it meant to be Fivestar started having opinions on what it meant to be Plat Boy Max. And if you're a part of the 40% of artists subscribe to this channel, then hopefully one day your audience cares enough about you to tell you that you changed because that'll be when you really know that this [ __ ] is working. But I do think that Max accidentally demonstrated something that every single artist who's trying to build a real fan base needs to understand because you want people to feel like they're a part of your world, but you don't want people to start to feel like they own your world. Let me explain. But before I do, make sure you hit that subscribe button, which to be real is a pretty dangerous request to make during the video about what happens when your audience gets too invested in you. But you know what? Join the community. Become emotionally invested. Develop a strong parasocial attachment. Actually, just subscribe. Let's start there. Now, let's get back into the video. Now, to understand what happened with Max, you have to first understand what he built. Because surprisingly, FiveStar didn't start as a fan base. It started with music and friends. >> Fivear was a like a group of friends at my school that was making like music and they were trying to, you know what I'm saying? They were actually in my videos. And then what ended up happening, I was in a group chat with them >> and then I kind of started making music. Then I was kind of like, damn, I might help put everyone on streaming cuz I was the only one doing content. [ __ ] was doing music and so I was reacting to music visions and [ __ ] but [ __ ] kind of just stopped making music and [ __ ] >> I see >> when I was in you know what I'm saying then >> it but you kept rolling with it. >> Yeah. So when I was saying five star five star I'm pushing this [ __ ] harder than anybody. So now it's like become you feel me. >> Um but it started off as a collective but I made it like a community name for my [ __ ] So then it became two different entities. >> Now that clip is important because it shows that fivestar wasn't created in some marketing meeting. Max didn't just wake up one day and say hey I need a really cool name for my fan base. There was a history behind it and there was real relationships that came with it. And there was already meaning attached to the name long before millions of people would adopt it. But eventually, like any community, the meaning grew. Listen to how Max describes Fivear today. I >> I started doing this [ __ ] um because my whole [ __ ] five star. Like when I started streaming, I'm calling five star, five star, five star. And really what that [ __ ] just mean to me is on some [ __ ] like, bro, I want these I want to influence whoever watch me or just support me, etc. to be their best self. five star like on some five star African [ __ ] etc. Like five star, bro. Be be the best version of yourself that you can be. You know what I'm saying? If I could do that, then I'm doing something good. >> So, this is where I think that five star starts to become something different because as you can see now, it no longer describes Max. It describes you and you know, you being the audience that watches him because fivestar means something and there's a philosophy attached to it and a shared identity and a shared standard. And that's one of the key differences between having an audience and having a community. Because an audience says, "I watch Max." A follower says, "I want to see more of Max." A fan says, "I care about Max." But a community, a community says, "We are fivestar." And that word we is very powerful. And for artists, it's also one of the more difficult things to create because some songs come and go and algorithms change, right? And your views go up and down because of it. But a person that sees supporting you as a part of their identity is willing to stick with you through all of that. And in Max's case, that wasn't even accidental. >> I mean, technically, yeah, you got to have your overnight blow up this [ __ ] fast. But that [ __ ] don't really keep people like a bro, I I care about community more than being [music] the biggest streamer on Twitch. You get what I'm saying? Like, if I when I'm the biggest streamer on Twitch, I also want I still want this [music] [ __ ] to be what it's supposed to be. You get what I'm saying? In terms of like five star and [ __ ] Now, that clip is why I don't want this video to become here's what Plat Boy Max did wrong. Because in terms of building a community, he actually did a lot of things right. I mean, he built something that people actually care about belonging to. And the thing about people wanting to belong to something is that eventually you have to decide what that thing represents. Which brings us to Max's five-star Twitter community because at one point he decided that he didn't like what it had grown into. He found himself having to make a very hard decision. >> I will be deleting the com. That is the first point of doing this [ __ ] and rebuilding it the right way, bro. And yes, I'm making a new one. Yes, of course. With y'all [ __ ] if you're not five star, get the [ __ ] out the com. If you're not five star, get the [ __ ] out the chat. I'm on that. >> Now, I want you guys to really think about that, right? Like, think about what an artist or a influencer has to be thinking to want to delete their community. And it's not like this is something that just sprung up overnight. This is a community space that he had been building over time and he got to some real numbers. And I can only imagine what goes through somebody's head to even think something like that, right? Like I couldn't even imagine wanting to wake up one day and delete no labels necessary. But it's one thing to think it. And the thing with Max is that he actually eventually did it. And afterward he explained why. >> It's helped to usher in a new era of Five Star. It's good times and it's con lots of bangers, but there's not 134,000 [ __ ] who's five star, bro. There's a lot of frauds in this [ __ ] And I can't let anybody touch this [ __ ] We can't just let anybody touch [music] this [ __ ] bro. We can't. I got to persevere this [ __ ] man. [music] [ __ ] crazy. What a girl running ahead, though. [ __ ] man. >> Damn, y'all. I ain't even going to lie, man. That just kind of broke my heart. But I don't think Max was trying to destroy his community. I think that he was protecting the meaning of it. Basically, he had an idea of what FiveStar was supposed to mean. And when parts of the community no longer represented that, he basically said, "Hey, that's not us." And as a person who carried FiveStar from a group of friends making music into what it became today, he felt like he's the person that gets to decide where to draw that line, which makes sense. But here's the thing. There is something interesting about giving thousands, if not millions of people a shared identity, because eventually they're going to start protecting meanings, too. And that's where things start to get complicated. Which brings us back to D.Va. Now, if you've heard of Platboy Max or you watch Plat Boy Max, then you've probably heard the word D.Va 50,000 times over the past couple of weeks. But before we decide what it means, I think it's only fair to let Max describe what he thinks it means. >> Let me ask you this before I make my assumption. >> All right. All right. >> What is What does diva mean to you? You're like, "Shit, [ __ ] I'm a bad [ __ ] so I'm on some fly shit." >> You a bad [ __ ] >> Actually, like I'm obviously [ __ ] >> No, I I get what you're saying. Oh, so like the same type of >> You know how bad [ __ ] bro? Bad [ __ ] are the most confident people in the world. That's what it means, bro. And [ __ ] is taking it on some weird [ __ ] talking about I want to be a girl. [ __ ] are you dumb as [ __ ] or [ __ ] >> Nah, gang. I ain't going to lie. >> What you mean? >> I ain't going to lie. Uh, if you feel like you a bad [ __ ] gang. You was a bad [ __ ] gang. You making N you're making it sound weird, though. Like, >> really? >> Yeah. >> I'm supporting you. [clears throat] >> Oh [ __ ] Thank you. >> The man that support. YEAH, BUT >> NO. SHOUT OUT MAX. HE A BAD [ __ ] >> OKAY. SO, >> so that's the definition, right? Or at least according to Max. Cuz for him, being a diva is about confidence. It's about not being afraid to be yourself. It's about being fly and popping your [ __ ] And look, you don't necessarily have to agree with his definition. As we saw at the top of the video, his own chat didn't even really agree with his definition. But what interested me wasn't even whether or not Max was using the dictionary definition of the word, but it was more so why he became frustrated with the conversation. Because from Max's perspective, he's basically saying, "How are you going to tell me what I mean when I call myself something?" And that argument becomes a lot more interesting when it's no longer just about a word. Because around the same time, some fans started to notice other changes. Changes like this. >> If I'm stroking the ground or doing some wild nut [ __ ] or twerking, why do [ __ ] not Why don't we twerk? Now that I think about it, my [ __ ] why is twerk a genderneutral dance? Twerking is the only genderneutral dance. I'm tweaking, bro. I'm not GOING TO LIE. I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT about that [ __ ] Like, that is the only genderneutral dance, bro. Everything else we share. Now, I want to be careful because this is the part where the video could easily become Max did some things that his fans thought were questionable and they got mad about it. And while it might be a conversation for some people, I don't actually think it's the most interesting conversation because when I started to look through the things that people were saying, you know, people in his fan base, I started to see a lot of different accusations. He's changed. He's forcing it. He's just doing this for attention. And the big one, this isn't really him. And this Reddit post I found probably explains that fan sentiment better than any video so far. All right, so I'mma read through this Reddit post. And this is from a fan in Plat Boy Max's Reddit community. And the fan says, "I'm not going to lie, bro. Most [ __ ] don't care about this [ __ ] But this [ __ ] Max was genuinely funny before 2025. Now the [ __ ] just does and says gay [ __ ] trying to be funny. First, he did the Thawn song, which didn't make sense to me cuz he said he was getting his vasectomy to help with his problems with lust and to prevent having children. I don't understand how he keeps doing this [ __ ] even with these reasons. Then he got the diva tab which is just gay. And I don't see how this could be another zesty joke. Like come on, bro. Then he got the [ __ ] wig done on his head for Summer Smash like he a bad [ __ ] or something. Like there's no way you could have shown me Max today back in 2023 and I want to believe it. And if you go through the comments on his post, you can actually tell that his fan base is pretty split on what this fan is feeling. Right. So the first comment says, "It's like the gay [ __ ] grew on his fan base, too. Last time I saw Max be genuine was during subathon when he cried on the phone with his mom. That's just straight jokes. Another fan says, "I think he tries too hard to get attention sometimes, but a lot of fans are just pushing hate onto him and I couldn't imagine how he feels right now." Another fan says, "People change, little [ __ ] Your humor changes. His content isn't for you no more, and you should be content with that. He's not harming anyone who cares. Also, the gay [ __ ] quote unquote, has always been an integral part of Max's humor and personality since the very beginning. Laugh my ass off." So, as you can see, his community is pretty split on the changes that Max has displayed over the last few months. But I want to go back to the post that sparked the conversation and look at the way that that fan described Max because they're not just saying, "I don't like his content anymore." They're basically creating a timeline of when Max stopped being Max to them. There was the Max that they became a fan of and then the thong song and then the diva tag and then the wig. And eventually that fan arrives at the conclusion of this can't be him. this can't be the real Plat Boy Max. Now, you could argue that that's just one person's opinion, and we did see people pushing back against them underneath that post. So, while there were some fans who felt like Max just tries too hard for clips, there were also other fans who feels like he was just having hate projected onto him. So, I'm not showing you this to say that five-star turned against Plat Boy Max. Obviously, that's not it's not true. But I'm showing this to you guys because of what the argument represent. This person had watched Max for so long that they felt like they were qualified to determine what was actually authentic for Max. And that is where community gets complicated. Do you guys remember our progression from the top of the video? Viewers say, "I want to watch Max." Followers say, "I want to see more of Max." A fan says, "I care about Max." And as important as that last stage is, there's actually one more stage that I didn't tell you guys about, and that's ownership. and ownership says that's not what Max does or that's not something the real Max would do or he's just forcing it or probably the most dangerous one that's not really him. And I think that there's a very thin line between feeling like you know someone and feeling qualified to tell them who they are. Now if you're an artist watching this, there's obviously a step that has to happen before you can build a community that's invested in you. People have to actually find you and find your music. And that's one of the main reasons that we built placement. After spending the last seven years marketing music, I realized that most independent artists spend more time researching where to promote their music than actually promoting the music. So, we built the infrastructure to make that easier. All you have to do is describe your release and placement can match you with platforms that match your budget, your goals, and your genre of music. If you're an artist, then you'll be served curated opportunities that you can approve or reject. And if you're a marketer, then you get full database access so you can build campaigns your own way. Because let's be real, discovery isn't the same thing as community. And you can't turn somebody into a fan if they don't discover you in the first place. So, if placement sounds like something you're interested in, click the link below this video to get started with your free 7-day trial. All right, y'all. Let's get back to Max. So, I think that this is where we have to zoom out for a second because artists are constantly being told that they need to build a community. I mean, how many times have you guys heard show your personality, go live, build a Discord, show them the process, let people into your world. And for the record, I agree with all of that. I mean, we've talked before on this channel about artists who got millions of views, but couldn't get those viewers to care about them enough to actually care about the music. And Max is basically the opposite case study because people care a lot and that is powerful. But that closeness creates something else and that's familiarity. And familiarity creates expectation. I mean, think about somebody you've watched for years, right? Maybe you know a young handsome marketer with long luscious locks. But it it doesn't have to be that guy. You can think about somebody else. You know how they talk. You know their sense of humor. You know how they dress. You might even know their friends or what they like or what makes them happy or what makes them sad or what breaks their heart. And eventually, even though you've never met this person, your brain starts to build a model of them. And the better a creator becomes at making you feel like you know them, then the more confident you become in telling them when they're not being themselves. And that's the paradox. We love you for you can slowly become you're not the you that we fell in love with. And best believe that this isn't just a creator problem. Artists are going to experience this too because what happens when your music changes or what happens when the way that you dress changes? What happens when you become more confident or become more private? What happens when you find new collaborators or find new friends? What happens if you just develop new interests? Or what if none of this is actually new? And what if you're just showing your audience a side of yourself that you had never shown them before? To you, that might feel like growth, but to someone that has spent years watching you, then that starts to feel like inconsistency. Which brings us back to something that Max did earlier. Remember Max looked at his community, didn't like what it had become, and basically said, "This isn't Five-Star." And he did create the identity, so he felt qualified to protect it. But now parts of FiveStar are looking back at Max and saying, "That's not really you." So Max got to decide who was really Fivestar, but Fivestar got to decide who is really Plat Boy Max. And eventually that conversation stopped happening behind username and Reddit and Twitch comments. And eventually he was met with that conversation face to face. >> Are you going to tell your son that you are a diva? >> Daddy, what's diva? >> Hey, hey, hey. Get the [ __ ] out of here. That is an abomination. Max, I am not proud of you. I am proud of everything else you did. Nominations changing the game changing your skin to baky diva. >> Diva start with DD. >> Don't lose yourself. Don't sell your soul. Max, they want your soul cuz you changed the game. Don't sell your soul. You know I have a soul. You know I don't hold my tongue. You have to d me on that. You got five. I give you no diva. Um, like if they, how do I explain it? Hate on me or don't [ __ ] with me, that's cool. Cuz at the end of the day, it's like I don't know them. But on my own platform, it's like, damn, bro. If you [ __ ] with me and really felt that way, why would you say all the streaming and [ __ ] don't care about them for real? You just know it go viral, [ __ ] This is me, [ __ ] I'm prison. This is me, [ __ ] Like, I don't give a [ __ ] bro. I might be a little weird, bro. Might tell some [ __ ] [ __ ] get cold. Think I'm gay. I don't give a [ __ ] What's wrong with being gay? There's nothing wrong with that [ __ ] bro. Y'all [ __ ] is whack. You're corny and you just think the next [ __ ] think. Don't have your own mind, bro. That [ __ ] whack. But I'mma be myself regardless. None of y'all can just [ __ ] with me. Don't care. You might think that [ __ ] cuz you're [snorts] closeminded, but it's one love, bro. It's one love. It's one love, bro. It don't matter. [ __ ] g them at they straight. Don't matter, bro. Why don't we just love each other, bro? So, I'm here, bro. [ __ ] OJ. If you fight with me, [ __ ] you said that [ __ ] off camera. You could have pull me aside. I'd love to talk to you off camera. WHY YOU SAYING THAT [ __ ] ON CAMERA? >> NOW, I want to be clear. I do think that this is something that could happen to anyone with an audience. And it's easy to imagine hate or someone's opinion of you as a comment you can ignore or a DM you can just swipe away from. But if you continue growing, if you continue going outside and moving and shaking, then eventually those conversations and those opinions will meet you somewhere in your real life. And after everything happened, Max eventually did talk about the situation. And I think it's important and fair that we let him talk about how he experienced that moment. >> And for that reason, I know you told Kai you feel bad and you want to talk to me, but you don't feel bad. I don't believe you feel bad. And I don't want to have a conversation with you because if you didn't get this backlash, you wouldn't feel bad. If the comments were like, Yeah, this Max [ __ ] he's on the loose end. He pushing weird [ __ ] to kids. He's a oddball. OJ's right. OJ did great. I love OJ. You wouldn't have probably taught me in the rest of university. You would have just been happy. >> I'm not going to tell you whether I think OJ was right. I'm not going to tell you if I think that Max overreacted. And I'm definitely not spending the last few minutes of this video deciding who is and who isn't allowed to twerk because I don't think that that's actually what this story is about. I think that what happened between Max and OJ is an extreme version of something that every successful community eventually has to navigate change. And that's why despite the title of this video, I don't actually think that people should avoid building their community like Plat Boy Mac. I mean, most artists would kill for that. People showing up constantly, knowing your lore, knowing your inside jokes, people connecting with each other because of you and defending their community, sticking around while your music or your sound or your image changes. Yeah, that's incredible. And again, most artists would kill for that. So the lesson isn't don't build fivestar. The lesson is understand what comes with building something that strong because community can create belonging. Belonging creates investment and investment creates expectation. And eventually expectations can start to feel like ownership. And I think it's important for artists to understand that distinction as early as they can because your goal shouldn't just be to make people feel like they know you. Your goal should be to make people feel invested in your journey. And those two things do sound very similar, but they're actually very different because a journey assumes movement and it assumes change. And it assumes that the person that you believe in today may not be the same person 5 years or 10 years from now. And it also comes with understanding that that's okay. Maybe the artist does change genres. Maybe the artist stops making the type of content that originally blew them up. Maybe their fashion changes. Maybe their personality changes. Maybe their priorities in life change. Maybe that artist grows into something that their earliest fans could have never predicted. And that's okay because a healthy community should have enough identity to make people feel like they belong somewhere without that identity becoming a cage for the person at the center of it. And I think that's the real lesson from Plat Boy Max. You want your fans to say, "I'm with you on the journey." Not, "I get to choose the destination." Because the strongest communities aren't necessarily the ones that never change. They're the ones that can survive when the person that's at the center of it eventually does. So, build a Discord, start a fan base, give it a name, give people some inside jokes, and give people something to believe in. Make them feel like they're a part of something bigger than just streaming your music. But always remember, you want people to feel like they're a part of your world, but you don't want them to believe that your world belongs to them. And if you enjoy music industry deep dives like this, then consider becoming a member of the channel. Members get access to exclusive videos and breakdowns that we don't release publicly. you know, stuff like this. So, let's get into step one. How do you become an industry plant 101? Step one is to make great music. You got the best marketing plan. You can have the the savviest group of people behind you that are that are playing as your team and kind of helping you build. If fans do not feel like they have a song or a batch of songs alike, then almost none of this [ __ ] works, right? So, if that's your kind of content, hit the join button below and become a member today. But guys, I want to know what y'all think. At what point in an artist or creator's career does investment turn into entitlement into who that person should become? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Other than that, if you like this video, make sure you hit the like button, subscribe, share this with an artist that needs a little bit of gain today. My name is Cory and I'll see you next