The Night That Gen Z Kurt Cobain Turned 18
At approximately 11:15 pm on March 18th, Nettspend touched down on the roof of 6100 Wilshire in Los Angeles. He arrived by helicopter — because how else would a teenage mumble rapper from Virginia with a rapidly growing cult following arrive at his 18th birthday party? Disembarking, he was greeted by his management team, a shockingly well armed security detail, a handful of lucky photographers chosen to capture the grand entrance, Zack Bia (of course), and one extremely overwhelmed fire marshall trying to make sense of it all.
Nettspend, government name Gunner Shepardson, got his start in the industry back in 2022 uploading rap snippets to SoundCloud from his suburban bedroom in Richmond. By 2023 — at 16 years old — he had the attention of the industry with songs like “Shine N Peace” receiving critical acclaim making both The New York Times and Fader’s songs of the year lists respectively. In December 2024 he released his debut mixtape, Bad Ass F*cking Kid peaking at #197 on the US Billboard 200 list and kicking off a rapid ascent from underground artist to cult stardom. This past month alone, he walked for Miu Miu at Paris Fashion Week, performed at LA’s high profile Rolling Loud festival, kicked off his own “BAFK” cross-country tour, and of course, turned 18.
His music is hard to describe and his lyrics are difficult to decipher — especially if you’re over 21 and have never heard of things like the 1c34 collective or trap sub genres like jerk, and if you aren’t skilled at navigating Discord servers. But regardless of how well versed you are in the world of barely legal soundcloud rappers, Nett without a doubt has an obvious allure both musically and aesthetically. If you’re unfamiliar, picture Kurt Cobain’s hair, Justin Bieber's boyish charm, and Lil Peep’s infamous slurring sad boy swagger. Whatever Nett’s formula is, it’s working.
Earlier in the night, as we first approached the towering glass office building that housed the venue, it became clear fans had already been waiting for hours in hopes they’d make it into the party. The event was initially announced via Nett’s social media and featured a somewhat cryptic RSVP link. Many hopefuls were unsure they even made it on the guest list, but with rumors circulating that Nett would potentially perform his new single Impact with fellow rising rap star xaviersobased, fans knew this was not a night to miss. Plus, a kid only turns 18 once.
While scanning the line snaking around the parking lot, it was impossible to ignore the camaraderie of this fandom. Clusters of kids in heavily branded hoodies, studded belts, and chunky sneakers buzzed with anticipation, exhaling plumes of smoke above the growing queue. One seemingly close knit group of teen boys at the front of the line met on the official Nettspend Discord. Danny, an 18 year old from Irvine explained they quickly formed a group chat to coordinate meeting up at the party. “We all just kind of got together today and we were like, dude, we need to go to the fricking party.”
Meanwhile upstairs on the 17th floor, the rapper’s extended family gathered in the panoramic event space, enjoying a moment of relative quiet before GA fans were let in. The space was sparsely decorated aside from a giant, red inflatable creature (a pony? Donkey?) that appeared onstage with Nett at Rolling Loud just days before. On the opposite side of the space, DJ’s prepared for their sets on the stage where Nett was soon to perform for the lucky fans who made it inside. The floor to ceiling windows lining the venue's full perimeter looked out at twinkling Los Angeles in all directions, providing a perfect backdrop for the rising star’s big night.
As VIP guests started to arrive, dripped out in Chrome Hearts, Balenciaga, and the like, it became clear that Nett has the attention of not just extremely online young people, but icons of the scene — many of which have orbited the SoundCloud rap space since before Nett even reached middle school.
One such attendee was Layla Shapiro, aka Toopoor: a photographer, model, DJ, designer and all around internet It-girl who is no stranger to the world of snowballing online fandom or rappers making grand entrances to parties. Shapiro, who quickly rose to fame as rap legend Lil Peep’s girlfriend and muse, was in attendance on behalf of the photographer and LA party kingpin The Cobra Snake. But security was, seemingly, airtight even with the right, scene-y credentials. “I thought I was going to be riding in the helicopter,” says Shapiro. “So I went to the house and then they were like, okay, we're actually going to send you straight there.”
At 9pm when the doors opened and fans began pouring in, the energy quickly shifted from a low-key family reunion to a penthouse rager. Even in the dim light, it was obvious Nett’s fans have clear, defined taste — which makes sense for kids who spend hours a day scrolling Reddit and Discord. Brightly dyed hair, fuzzy boots, elaborate denim, hype-y sneakers, and the occasional camo balaclava were the uniform, but plenty of fans put their own, unique spin on their looks.
Enter: Sophia, a 21 year-old Nettspend Discord moderator from Burbank wearing a cropped halter top that perfectly displayed her iconic lower back tattoo reading “HOLLYWOOD” in bold impact font. She leans casually against the venue wall alongside her crew of supportive guy friends who cheer her on as she models for our photographer. She tells me excitedly about her job at Little Caesars Pizza and insists I don't look a day over 20. Most importantly, she insists she is Nettspend’s biggest fan in North America. “I was at LA night one,” she beams, “and I did touch his hand. And when he looked me in the eyes, I could tell he said, ‘you're my biggest fan.’”
But securing the title of “biggest fan” here won’t come easily. When asked about Nettspend’s growing fandom, just a few feet from Sophia, self-declared OG Nett fan Kobe from Chicago tosses his hair while breaking down some major changes. “A lot of the fans kind of glazed him,” he explains “they were glazing yo, and then they finally came around. They tried to bend Nettspend, but he made it and he's mainstream now.” But a growing fanbase also means growing hype. As the night goes on Kobe predicts how the event will play out after Nett arrives. “I feel like all the fans are going to psych out. It's going to be a fun time. Everybody's going to catch a vibe.”
At 10:45 the helicopter approaches 6100 Wilshire. Nettspend’s support act Ty takes the stage, photographers fight their way to rooftop, the fire marshall attempts to hold back fans crowding the roof stairwell, and lingering fans storm the main stage area. In an attempt to carve an entry path for the birthday boy, fans were corralled behind stanchions. Even the tight security struggled to keep the crowd, consisting mostly of teenage boys, contained — kids pushed and shoved, clawing their way towards the aisle. One particularly rowdy section of the crowd required a metal barrier fence be brought in as reinforcement.
Meanwhile, as DJ’s continued to keep the crowd roaring, all eyes were glued to a massive projection screen broadcasting Nett’s landing. As he emerged from the helicopter and began his descent from the roof to the penthouse, security continued pushing back crazed fans attempting to rush the aisle. Press and industry execs braced for an impending stampede — hell hath no fury like teenage fanboys begging to brush hands with their idol.
At long last, there he was: a lanky teen himself in a leather jacket with a mop of tousled ombre blonde and black hair obscuring his face, one trippy, white color-contact adorned eye peeking through. Surrounded by a clearly necessary four-man security detail, Nett and his girlfriend Mazzy Joya approached the stage like Gen Z Kurt and Courtney. Finally, in front of hundreds of flashing phones (alongside a number of vintage Canon PowerShots, and clunky camcorders) and backed by the booming of a blown out bass, Nettspend took the mic and began performing — the penthouse was, quite literally, shaking.
Upon exiting the stage, Nett and Mazzy were, again, chased by screaming fans as security escorted them to the safety of their green room where they joined close family for birthday cake and Raising Canes chicken. Meanwhile, fans continued banging on the walls and clawing their way towards the door, in hopes of, perhaps, securing an invite to the close knit celebration happening within.
But as the night came to an end, there was still one more opportunity for fans to charge the star — and give security one final run for their money. Downstairs on the Wilshire sidewalk, another crowd formed waiting outside Nett’s red and white striped getaway car, waiting to catch the rapper making his exit. One particular fan, Jorge, traveled all the way from Newark, New Jersey via Spirit Airlines in hopes to catch Nett at this exact moment. “I couldn't do my private jet today,” he joked.
When Jorge’s big moment came, he did everything right, Eyes on the prize, as Nett approached, Jorge expertly positioned himself in hopes of getting Nett’s signature. At last they were face to face. “Do you got a marker?” Asks Nett, now draped in an American flag. Jorge passes him the printed photo he brought all the way from Newark. But somehow, amid the commotion and security ushering Nett into the car, Jorge and his photo were forgotten. The car pulls away and the crowd disperses. Jorge is left shaken.
“I came here with the intent to ask him to sign my picture and it didn't happen today. So I'm pretty heartbroken. He said, I love you. And I love him too.”
