Student Spotlight: Javon Laprade

By Kenza Bey, Lucy Caroff (Sophomores)

A career in entertainment is one of the most desired in the 21st century. Everyone knows at least one person who is trying to “make it” through entertainment, whether it be making music and posting it on SoundCloud, making YouTube videos, or trying to go viral on TikTok.

  Today, The Eagle Times is highlighting sophomore Javon Laprade, who has been uploading music and YouTube videos for several years. Javon got started young, saying “I got a camera for Christmas when I was like 10 and I just took my action figures and recorded” Ever since then he has been recording, editing, and creating all types of content. His first YouTube video was uploaded in 2016 and his first song came out in 2019, online he goes by the alias “Javoow.”

Javon, like many of today’s teens, wants to create a career for himself in the entertainment industry. As he said, “It’s hard to get into it really, to like succeed and make money, but, if I could, I would be very happy.” Javon has already taken small steps in the process of being able to make a living off of YouTube, monetizing his channel and making a few hundred bucks from the program. The monetization program requires creators to have at least a thousand subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last year. Although he does not make much, Javon says “I think I get paid a fair amount for the amount of views or plays I get on my songs or videos, but I could always get bigger, you know, make more money.”

The most viewed video on Javon’s channel, a fan-made trailer for the Super Mario Movie, has 425,676 views as of January 17, 2022. Javon claims to have made the movie to, “Capitalize off of the popularity and discussion [of the movie].”

Despite the simple concept, any video that gains traction also attracts controversy. “I was almost canceled and was harassed in my comments… people accused me of clickbaiting even though I said that it was fake in the title,” said Javon. 

As someone who was 15 years old at the time, Javon did not cope well with the hate he received. “It made me really sad… I didn’t really overcome it, I just tried to make better videos… I was sad for a minute and just kept it pushing you know” This type of hateful response is routine on the internet and Javon has made sure to not let it deflect his desire to pursue his passions.

Javon dedicates a lot of time and effort to his content. He comes up with his concepts, finds time to shoot the videos or record the music, and then does all of his own editing. He says to make a single video “I usually spend like two to three hours a day” and “editing sometimes takes up to five hours” he is dedicated to this content creation and willing to work as hard as he needs to eventually succeed. Javon doesn’t just create content for success or fame, he also does it for more personal reasons. “You know how people write stuff in a diary… this is my way to do that,” he said. 

Javon uses his creative process as an outlet, “It’s just fun… it’s how I express myself.” He also hopes that his content sends some sort of positive message. “I want it to be fun…Some people care too much about life, they need to just stop caring and have fun.” Javon hopes that people will be inspired by his work as he has been inspired by other artists along his journey.Javon is open minded when it comes to his future. When asked what he would like to pursue he said “I want to be an overall entertainer… I don’t want to be put in a box.” He wants to continue making music and videos, but he also sees himself going into some sort of acting. Javon has already had some experience in this field, he was a member of the shakespeare club in elementary school and also starred in a student film titled “The Loop” earlier this school year. “I think [acting] would be a really good experience for me.. In the future I would really enjoy it.” Javon is carefree, and ready to take what life offers him. But he is also hardworking, inspired, and determined. He doesn’t exactly have everything figured out yet, but with the support of his family and friends and his belief in his abilities, he is prepared to continue working hard for his dreams, and ready to live a life he can be proud of.