Sketch (streamer)

{{Short description|American Twitch Streamer and YouTuber (born 1998)}}

{{Infobox Twitch streamer

| name = Sketch

| image =

| caption = Sketch YouTube Icon

| birth_name = Kylie Cox

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|25|2024|04|25}}

| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.

| occupation = {{hlist|Twitch streamer|YouTuber}}

| channel_name = thesketchreal

| years_active = 2023–present

| genre = Gaming

| games = Madden NFL

| followers = 1.5 million

| associated_acts = Jynxzi

| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality| subbox = yes

| channel_handle = TheSketchReal

| years_active = 2023–present

| genre = Gaming

| subscribers = 647 thousand

| views = 244 million

| network =

| associated_acts =

| silver_button = y

| silver_year = 2024{{Cite web |url=https://socialblade.com/twitch/user/thesketchreal/monthly |title=thesketchreal's Twitch Detailed Monthly Analytics}}

| gold_button =

| gold_year =

| diamond_button =

| diamond_year =

| ruby_button =

| ruby_year =

| red_diamond_button =

| red_diamond_year =

}}

| stats_update = January 12, 2025

}}

Kylie Cox (born 1998 or 1999), known online as Sketch or TheSketchReal, is an American Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He is well known for his catchphrase, "What's up, brother?", which went viral and became a trend on the short-form video platform TikTok in 2024.{{Cite web |last=Marcin |first=Tim |date=2024-04-12 |title=Meet Sketch, the streamer taking over the sports world |url=https://mashable.com/article/who-is-sketch-streamer-whats-up-brother-sports |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Mashable |language=en}} He was named Best Sports Streamer and nominated for Best Breakout Streamer at the 2024 Streamer Awards.

Early life

Cox was born around 1998 to 1999 in Houston, Texas.

Cox attended the Woodlands Christian Academy and played linebacker for the school's football team. He went to Mississippi State University, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma, Texas State University, and, eventually, Lone Star College before deciding to leave academics.

From 2020 to 2023, Cox worked in real estate before his career in gaming.

Online career

= 2023: Early career =

Cox started streaming on TikTok playing Madden NFL 24, an American football video game.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-10 |title='What's up, brother?': How a rising livestreamer's celebrations made it to the big leagues |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sketch-livestreamer-viral-whats-up-brother-athletes-sports-celebration-rcna147022 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Esguerra |first=Tyler |date=2024-04-17 |title=Who is Sketch, streaming's newest rising star? |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/who-is-sketch-streamings-newest-rising-star |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}} He then later began dual-streaming on both TikTok and Twitch in July 2023.{{Cite web |title=thesketchreal - Streamer Overview & Stats |url=https://twitchtracker.com/thesketchreal |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=TwitchTracker |language=en}} Later in November 2023, he began publishing his content on YouTube, posting Madden NFL 24 gameplay and vlog videos.{{Cite web |title=The Sketch Real - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/@TheSketchReal/videos |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.youtube.com}}

= 2024–present: TikTok viral and collaborations =

On April 24, 2024, the Houston Texans revealed on Twitter that Cox would announce one of their 2024 NFL draft picks.{{Cite web |last=HoustonTexans |date=April 24, 2024 |title=What's up, Brother ☝️ Who's ready for @thesketchreal to announce a draft pick this weekend? 👀 |url=https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1783197147267035359 |access-date=April 28, 2024 |website=Twitter}} Later, on April 27, 2024, Cox announced the Houston Texans fourth-round pick, as the Texans selected Ohio State's Cade Stover with pick No. 123.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-27 |title=YouTuber Sketch (of "What's up, brother?" fame) announced the Texans' fourth-round pick at the 2024 NFL Draft |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/04/sketch-texans-nfl-draft-pick-announcement-youtube |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kimble |first=Kade |date=2024-04-27 |title=VIDEO: Sketch Announces Texans' Fourth-Round Draft Pick |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/texans/houston-texans-draft-ohio-state-cade-stover-sketch-announcement |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Sports Illustrated Houston Texans News, Analysis and More |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Sketch announces Texans Round 4 pick; team selects Ohio State TE Cade Stover |url=https://www.houstontexans.com/news/sketch-announces-houston-texans-round-4-pick-team-selects-ohion-state-te-cade-stover |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.houstontexans.com |language=en-US}}

In May 2024, Cox participated in the AT&T Annihilator Cup, a livestreamed gaming tournament hosted by AT&T.{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2024 |title=AT&T Annihilator Cup Returns, Watch Live Beginning May 2 |url=https://about.att.com/story/2024/annihilator-cup.html |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=AT&T |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=May 24, 2024 |title=Doublelift Wins 2024 AT&T Annihilator Cup |url=https://about.att.com/story/2024/annihilator-cup-winner.html |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=AT&T |language=en-US}} In June 2024, Cox appeared alongside other streamers in the official trailer for Fortnite Reload, a new game mode for Fortnite.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.ign.com/videos/fortnite-reload-official-trailer-ft-kai-cenat-sketch-and-amp-team |title=Fortnite Reload - Official Trailer (ft. Kai Cenat, Sketch, and AMP Team) - IGN |date=2024-06-22 |language=en |access-date=2024-06-26 |via=IGN}} In July 2024, Cox was featured in an advertisement video promoting Sidemen's Best Cereal.{{Cite web |last=Hale |first=James |date=2024-07-03 |title=The Sidemen tap 'Madden' streamer Sketch to star in ritzy ad for Best Cereal |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2024/07/03/sidemen-sketch-best-cereal-ad/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Tubefilter |language=en-US}} On July 13, he appeared in a MrBeast video titled "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000".{{Cite web|url=https://www.indy100.com/celebrities/mrbeast-biggest-video-ever-influencers|title=Who are all the influencers in MrBeast's 'biggest video ever'?|date=June 6, 2024|first=Jake|last=Brigstock|website=Indy100|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607015446/https://www.indy100.com/celebrities/mrbeast-biggest-video-ever-influencers|archive-date=June 7, 2024|url-status=live|access-date=July 27, 2024}}

In November 2024, he was ranked 14th by Complex Networks in its list of "The 25 Best Streamers Right Now".{{Cite web |date=November 26, 2024 |title=The 25 Best Streamers on the Internet Right Now, Ranked |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/levi-winslow/best-internet-streamers-kick-rumble-twitch-youtube |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Complex Networks |language=en}} Later that month, he was ranked fifth by Dexerto on its list of "The 10 best Streamers of 2024".{{Cite web |date=2024-11-28 |title=The 10 best Streamers of 2024 |url=https://www.dexerto.com/twitch/best-streamers-2024-2984134/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}

In December 2024, he won Best Sports Streamer at the 2024 Streamer Awards and was also nominated for Best Breakout Streamer.{{Cite web |last=Linhares |first=Nádia |date=2024-12-09 |title=All 2024 Streamer Awards winners |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/all-2024-streamer-awards-winners |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}

== What's up, brother? ==

"What's up, brother?" was Cox's catchphrase, first seen during a FaceTime call with fellow Twitch streamer and friend, Nicholas Stewart, known as Jynxzi. Stewart called him during a stream, to which Cox replied by saying the line with his index finger pointing up.{{Cite web |last=Esguerra |first=Tyler |date=2024-04-17 |title=Best Sketch one liners: Funniest moments and quotes from popular streamer |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/best-sketch-one-liners-funniest-moments-and-quotes-from-popular-streamer |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}

Cox went viral on TikTok after a trend in which women say Cox's catchphrase, "What's up, brother?" to their boyfriends, along with pointing their index finger up to see if they recognized it. The men would either be confused, or respond in Cox's voice, "What's up, brother!" or wave their arms and say "Tuesday, Tuesday."{{Cite web |date=2024-04-11 |title=What's up brother, explained: The TikTok meme taking over the sports world with athletes holding up 1 finger |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/04/whats-up-brother-explained-tiktok-meme-who-is-sketch |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}

The trend has been adopted by lots of professional sports teams, such as the Dallas Mavericks, the Tennessee Titans, the Final Four teams in March Madness, and the NFL. Some professional sports players were seen doing Cox's celebration, such as Bryce Harper, Johan Rojas, Bo Naylor, Kyle Tucker, and many more.

Later in December 2024, Twitch named "What's up, brother?" the catchphrase of the year in the platform's 2024 recap.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-11 |title=Twitch named “Whats up brother!” the phrase of the year |url=https://www.dexerto.com/twitch/twitch-named-whats-up-brother-the-phrase-of-the-year-3004168/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}

Personal life

Cox currently resides in Houston, Texas,{{Cite news |last=Vann |first=Leah |title=Who is Texans superfan Sketch? And why should we care? |url=https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/houston-texans-sketch-gaming-19422402.php |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=Chron |language=en}} and is a supporter of the Houston Texans.{{Cite web |last=Snavely |first=Adam |date=2024-04-24 |title=Sketch will receive one of football fandom's greatest honors from Houston Texans at 2024 NFL Draft |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/sketch-will-receive-one-of-football-fandoms-greatest-honors-from-houston-texans-at-2024-nfl-draft |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}

= OnlyFans leak =

On July 7, 2024, a YouTuber named Pocketbook posted a 17-minute video titled "The Real Sketch: The Untold Story of Jamie Mar". In the video, Pocketbook claimed that before Cox's streaming career took off, he used to post OnlyFans content under the "Jamie Mar" username. The video soon went viral across social media, as the content that Cox participated in features gay pornography, sparking homophobic and anti-sex work comments and backlash from a number of individuals.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-09 |title=A streamer's leaked OnlyFans content sparks a wave of support: 'He'll be my homie tomorrow' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/streamers-leaked-onlyfans-content-sparks-wave-support-ll-homie-tomorro-rcna160849 |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Duwe |first=Scott |date=2024-07-08 |title=FaZe Banks backs Sketch, calls out 'weirdos' amid OnlyFans drama |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/faze-banks-backs-sketch-calls-out-weirdos-amid-onlyfans-drama |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Conor |title=Sketch OnlyFans Leak, Explained: Twitch Streamer Confirms He Created Adult Content During 'Dark Time' |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/07/09/sketch-onlyfans-leak-explained-twitch-streamer-confirms-he-created-adult-content-during-dark-time/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Forbes |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Shepard |first=Kenneth |date=2024-07-11 |title=Twitch Star OnlyFans Controversy Is Turning People Away From Homophobia |url=https://kotaku.com/sketch-streamer-onlyfans-controversy-homophobia-react-1851587183 |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Kotaku |language=en}} On July 8, 2024, Cox went live on his Twitch channel and confirmed the rumors surrounding his former career path, stating he was going through a rough patch during that time in his life. Cox further explained that the videos were from two years ago, described himself as a "changed" person, and said he was dealing with addiction during that period of his life.{{Cite web |last=Snavely |first=Adam |date=2024-07-08 |title=Sketch addresses OnlyFans claims: 'That was a dark time' |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/sketch-addresses-onlyfans-claims-that-was-a-dark-time |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Dot Esports |language=en-US}} Throughout the stream, Cox made multiple jokes in light of the situation, such as stating that he "did not have sexual relations with that man... I'm just kidding, I did, possibly," referencing a Bill Clinton quote during the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. Multiple other social media personalities and athletes publicly expressed their support towards Cox afterwards.{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Abigail |title=Twitch Streamer Sketch Speaks Out After Past OnlyFans Content Leaked: 'I'm Owning Up to It' |url=https://people.com/twitch-streamer-sketch-speaks-out-onlyfans-content-leaked-8675266 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=People |date=July 9, 2024 |language=en}}

Charity soccer matches

File:Sketch penalty save 1980.webm's penalty in the Sidemen Charity Match at the Wembley Stadium in March 2025]]

On June 2, 2024, Cox played as a goalkeeper in a soccer charity match held by British YouTube group Beta Squad and American YouTube group AMP at Selhurst Park stadium in London, UK, as part of Team AMP. The event raised money for The Water Project. The match ended in a 6–6 draw after a pitch invasion forced the game to be called off.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-02 |title=Beta Squad vs AMP LIVE! Charity match abandoned after pitch invasion |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/beta-squad-vs-amp-live-stream-2024-latest-score-result-watch-tv-team-news-b1161552.html |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-GB}}

On March 8, 2025, Cox played as a goalkeeper in the 2025 Sidemen Charity Match, organised by British YouTube group the Sidemen, representing YouTube Allstars. The event raised money for BBC Children in Need, Bright Side and M7 Education. The match was played at Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom, in front of a sellout crowd of 90,000. He went on to make a crucial save in the game's penalty shoot-out and was voted player of the match.{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Alex |date=2025-03-08 |title=Speed scores winning penalty as YouTube Allstars win Sidemen Charity Match |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/sidemen-charity-match-2025-speed-penalty-youtube-allstars-b1215504.html |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=The Standard |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sidemen |date=March 8, 2025 |title=Very well deserved 👏 |url=https://x.com/Sidemen/status/1898437781258408344 |access-date=March 10, 2025 |website=X (formerly known as Twitter)}}