EsDeeKid Debuts on Billboard 200 Amid Viral Rumors He’s Secretly Timothée Chalamet

Propelling the rapper’s debut album, ‘Rebel’ onto the chart for the first time.

Summary

• Underground rapper EsDeeKid debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 131
• This success was fueled by a viral rumor that he is secretly Timothée Chalamet
• The speculation caused his streaming activity to jump by over 145% in three weeks

Underground Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid is making his Billboard 200 debut, a success largely driven by the widespread rumor that he is secretly Timothée Chalamet.

The speculation began with a viral TikTok video on November 11, proposing that the balaclava-wearing, identity-concealing rapper is actually Chalamet, who is currently focusing on the Oscar campaign trail for his upcoming film, Marty Supreme. Though the speculation is entirely unproven, it exploded across social media, quickly drawing millions of new listeners to EsDeeKid’s music.

The rumor directly translated into EsDeeKid’s phenomenal streaming growth. According to Luminate, EsDeeKid’s official on-demand streams jumped dramatically from 5.8 million (November 7-13) to over 9.005 million (November 14-20). Over three weeks, the rapper’s catalog streaming activity increased by over 145%. This boost was significant enough to propel his debut album, Rebel, onto the Billboard charts for the first time, landing at No. 131 on the Billboard 200.

Despite the viral nature of the claim, neither EsDeeKid nor Timothée Chalamet has commented on the speculation. Regardless of the rapper’s true identity, the rumor has cemented EsDeeKid’s unexpected Billboard debut and given his previously underground career a substantial boost.