“I started wheelies at nine or ten. That’s when I was fully on dirt bikes,” said Braxton on the episode.
When Braxton and fellow Baltimore locals began capturing their antics in YouTube videos, the urban dirt bike phenomenon blew up. In the process, young Braxton became a standout personality with his fluid riding style, endless wheelies, and bike control beyond his age. One clip featured a particularly long street in Baltimore, and Braxton pulled a wheelie down the entire length. “That video went out and my name was buzzing on the internet. That was one of the first videos.”
For a major career boost, Braxton was discovered by rapper Meek Mill as a teenager. “When Meek found me, he was watching me on YouTube. He was watching all the Baltimore videos and at the time I was one of the youngest guys riding dirt bikes,” said Braxton, who was 13 years old when the rapper contacted him about helping his career. “Nobody was making money off riding dirt bikes yet.”
His legend grew wings when Braxton dropped the ‘Chino’s Day in the Life’ video in 2012, which by now has garnered more than 13 million views. Taking things to the next level, Meek Mill signed Braxton to the Dreamchasers label. As a result, the West Baltimore native has contributed motocross stunts to music videos for blockbuster songs such as “Litty,” “Ima Boss,” and “Glow Up.”
In 2016, Braxton’s meteoric rise almost came to a halt when he suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head in a drive-by incident while visiting family in Baltimore. Miraculously, he survived, but a bullet remains lodged in his skull to this day: “The doctor said, ‘Don’t play the lottery… because you already won!’”
Today, Braxton is a key figure in the #bikelife movement and leads mass ride-alongs in major cities. He sees urban dirt bike riding as a unifying force and envisions a professional competitive league for the burgeoning sport.
Burning rubber on city streets has already netted the social media star hot endorsements, including a 2018 ad for the Supreme brand. An official Monster Energy athlete since 2011, he makes regular VIP appearances at motorsports events including the SuperCross series. In 2020, Braxton played the lead in the bike life movie Charm City Kings, produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Now the sky is the limit and Braxton stays busy with a new video project currently in the works in Miami, where the special podcast episode was recorded. Asked about the key to his supernatural riding style, Braxton offered: “I never think about what I’m doing when I ride. Because the minute that I think about it, I feel like I will hurt myself. So, I just think about nothing while I’m riding!