After six months spent in quarantine in a Sydney hospital room thanks to a particularly stubborn strain of TB, Christian van Vuuren has been given the green light this week to leave and enjoy regular life once again.
A former outdoor ad salesman who dubbed himself the “fully sick rapper” while in isolation, van Vuuren became a social media darling this year thanks in large part to his YouTube page that featured a dozen or so clips (1.7 million views and counting) of him playing MC and offering some insight into his experience. So naturally, now that he’s finally allowed to breathe fresh air again, van Vuuren is not only contemplating a possible return to his ad sales gig (as well as female contact, of course), but helping brands flesh out their social media strategies.
If we go by a primer on social media written by a certain former editor earlier this year whose last name sounds oddly similar to Van Vuuren’s, the man may fit the mold of a real social media “expert.” But while he’s only considering the idea at this point, the online rapper has undoubtedly become somewhat of a brand this year who’s not just posturing for the sake of some laughs and inspiration, but is also hoping to eventually monetize his content and launch a web series all while raising money for causes like Medicins Sans Frontieres.
Now give us a minute while we figure out the value of Van Vuuren’s 21,000 Facebook fans.