Pretty much everyone who uses social media uses YouTube, and, what with it being the premiere video watching apparatus, the traffic it gets tends to lead to the success of a lot of channels. Some creators have even been able to make a career out of creating YouTube videos, something that baffles older generations. Creators like Felix Kjellberg (aka Pewdiepie), Philip DeFranco, Jenna Mourey (aka Jenna Marbles), and so many more have all gained enough popularity that creating content for YouTube has become their career.

But I’m not here to talk about them, I’m here to talk about seven of my favorite YouTube channels that are on the upswing, but aren’t super popular or famous quite yet.

Before I begin, I have to give a shout out to my good friends over at RagingWalrusFilmz. They make some very funny content, and I’m not just featuring them because I know most of them and have been in some of their videos. Absolutely no bias here at all.

Here we go!

FroggyFreshRap

Genre: Music/Comedy

Subscribers (currently): 518,073

"FroggyFreshRap" is the brainchild of Tyler Cassidy, a "Southern speaking" American rapper, who makes generally silly or comedic rap songs about his life and experiences, almost always facing the antagonist of James. FF was featured on an episode of “Tosh.0” a few years ago, but was using his original moniker, Krispy Kreme, at the time. The donut company quickly ordered a cease and desist order for trademark infringement, and Froggy Fresh changed his name based on fan voting poll for a new name.

The1janitor

Genre: People & Blogs

Subscribers (currently): 86,972

The1janitor is a channel that often deals with "the issues of our time," as cliché and terrible as that sounds. He discusses racism, sexism, gender equality, and several other hot and controversial topics, but always does so in a well-thought out and researched manner. I always quote his ending catchphrase “Das Jus Me Doe” at the end of all of my articles. Plus, he has awesome hair.

Savannah Brown

Genre: Poetry and Blogs

Subscribers (currently): 246,517

Like feminism? Like original poetry and sometimes music? Like slam poetry so good it gives you goosebumps? Check out Sav Brown. Her poetry and videos touch on her experiences: what being a social outcast in high school was like, being a woman and a feminist today is like, and also her view of the world and her anxieties. She has already published a book of her poetry titled “Graffiti (and other poems)”, and she’s only 19 years old.

Kids with Problems

Genre: Comedy

Subscribers (currently): 109,070

After the end of "Cyndago," Ryan Magee and Matt Watson restarted Matt’s old channel and began creating sketches as "Kids with Problems." There aren’t a whole lot of new videos on there yet, but if you go back and watch old "Cyndago" videos, the potential for hilarity is definitely there. There are definitely some gems on KWP already, so here’s to hoping they make some more classic videos in the future.

YourMovieSucksDOTorg

Genre: Film Review

Subscribers (currently): 357,278

There’s a lot of film and movie review channels on YouTube that are pretty great (Belated Media, The Nostalgia Critic, etc.) but "YMS" feels a lot different. Adam, the creator of "YMS," puts so much detail into his criticisms, and even the editing of his reviews, that it feels really professional. You should be warned though that he has intense viewpoints and has been accused of never liking anything popular, but his criticisms of a film are never “it was boring” or “I didn’t like the plot”—he goes into detail and has enough knowledge of how films are made that it makes for an enlightening experience for the viewer.

LazarBeam

Genre: Gaming

Subscribers (currently): 360,518

No, not "Lazer Team," the film from the very popular channel "Rooster Teeth," but "LazarBeam," the moniker for Lannan, an Australian let’s player that focuses mainly on Madden and GTA challenge videos. Gaming channels are kind of hit or miss, and if you don’t usually like them, this probably won’t change your mind. He is Australian, so minimally the vocal commentary is varied from the typical American accent. He’s funny, and as he’s grown his editing skills have vastly improved, so his content is only getting better as time goes by.

TheThirdPew

Genre: Comedy

Subscribers (currently): 369,765

Nathan Zed may say that his videos are comedy, and he is definitely very funny, but "TheThirdPew" also has some of the most authentic and honest content on YouTube. Similar to the1janitor, he talks about ‘real issues;' he is well-spoken and has his finger on the pulse of his generation. He talks about the future, his fears, his goals, and online culture. If I had to pick one of the seven of these that will definitely be a leader of this ‘second or third wave’ of YouTube, it would definitely be "TheThirdPew."

"Das Jus Me Doe!" - the1janitor

Who are some of your favorite YouTubers?

Let me know in the comments down below!

Thanks for reading everyone!