{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Short description|British musician (born 1987)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox YouTube personality | name = Boyinaband | birth_name = David Paul Brown | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|8|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = Telford, Shropshire, England{{Cn||date=June 2025}} | occupation = {{flatlist| * Musician * songwriter * rapper * actor * comedian * YouTuber }} | years_active = 2007–2021 | youtube_handle = Boyinaband | youtube_display_name = | youtube_years_active = 2007–2019 | youtube_genre = {{flatlist| * Vlog * music * education }} | youtube_subscribers = 2.69 million<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | youtube_views = 354.29 million<!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT UPDATING stats_update BELOW --> | stats_update = 29 May 2026 | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | genre = {{flatlist| * Hip hop * electronic * pop * rock * heavy metal * {{nowrap|spoken word}} }} | instrument = {{flatlist| * Vocals * keyboards * guitar * bass * sampler * turntables }} | current_member_of = {{flatlist| * You and What Army }} }} }}
'''David Paul Brown'''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brown |first=David |publisher=Boyinaband |title=My Prince Ea video was removed. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgmMtNQYz0s |time=4:36 |date=27 October 2016 |website=YouTube |language=en |access-date=5 September 2022}}</ref> (born 24 August 1987<ref>{{cite tweet|user=DavePBrown|author=David Brown|number=768440470276104192|title=It's my birthday yay! Feeling so good about things recently, thanks for being so supportive since I came back :)|date=24 August 2016|access-date=15 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|number=371368917941616640|user=DavePBrown|title=@jonathanhalsall 26 AAAAAAAAAAA|author=David Brown|date=24 August 2013|access-date=31 October 2023}}</ref>), also known by his pseudonym '''Boyinaband''', is an English musician, songwriter, rapper, and YouTuber. Brown is known for his song "Don't Stay in School" and collaborations with other YouTubers such as iDubbbz, Roomie, Andrew Huang, TheOdd1sOut, Jaiden Animations, Emma Blackery, Dan Bull, Corpse Husband, and PewDiePie. His work spans various genres including electronic, hip hop and heavy metal as a producer, vocalist, rapper, songwriter, DJ and instrumentalist.
Among other endeavors are his former electronicore band You and What Army, with whom he won the Red Bull Bedroom Jam in 2010 and toured alongside Kids in Glass Houses.<ref>{{cite news |title=You And What Army Win Red Bull Bedroom Jam - News |url=https://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/you-and-what-army-win-red-bull-bedroom-jam |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=Rock Sound Magazine |language=en |archive-date=12 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912044406/https://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/you-and-what-army-win-red-bull-bedroom-jam |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kids in Glass Houses Front Man to Judge Red Bull Bedroom Jam 2011 |url=https://www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk/2011/01/kids-in-glass-houses-front-man-to-judge-red-bull-bedroom-jam-2011/ |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=Roadrunner Records UK |date=6 January 2011 |language=en}}</ref>
==Career == Brown was mostly raised in the UK, but also spent time living in the United Arab Emirates as a child. He has one sister, Hannah, who also makes YouTube videos. He describes himself as having "hated" music as a child, gravitating towards science and technology over the arts.<ref>{{Citation |title=I hated music. | date=30 July 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5hshHK0gWo |access-date=24 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
Brown started his YouTube channel as a side project for You and What Army.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiley |first1=Rachel |title=Say Hi To Dave From BoyInABand {{!}} New Media Rockstars |url=https://newmediarockstars.com/2014/10/say-hi-to-dave-from-boyinaband/ |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=newmediarockstars.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kang |first1=Inkoo |title=People Are Writing Fan Fiction About YouTubers Now. And YouTubers Are Filming Themselves Reading It. |url=https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/youtubers-are-reading-their-own-fan-fiction-awkward.html |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=Slate Magazine |date=30 April 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
On 2 February 2015, Brown published the music video for his song "Don't Stay in School", which went viral.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Homer |first1=Aaron |title='Don't Stay In School:' Video Ripping What's Taught In Schools Goes Viral |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/1813608/dont-stay-in-school-video-ripping-whats-taught-in-schools-goes-viral/ |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=The Inquisitr |date=4 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref> In the track, he criticizes the school systems for teaching topics he deems unnecessary, instead of teaching practical life skills or topics that interest students. The song has been subject to controversy for seeming to encourage students to drop out of school. However, Brown has stated that it is merely meant to critique the school system, and the words "Don't Stay in School" refer to the topics discussed in the song.<ref>{{cite web|first=Richard|last=Lawson| url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/02/youtube-digest-february-6|title=The Internet Rapper Who Is Telling Kids to Drop Out of School|magazine=Vanity Fair|publisher=Condé Nast|location=New York City|date=6 February 2015|access-date=6 May 2018}}</ref> Despite drawing controversy, the song has also received praise from students, teachers and parents.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://medium.com/synapse/don-t-stay-in-school-video-why-i-support-it-as-a-preservice-teacher-572010ce7d2e| title="Don't Stay in School" video: Why I support it as a preservice teacher| last=Berger| first=Renate| date=24 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/youtube-david-brown-boyinaband-british-politics-school-children-a9214351.html|last=Khorsandi|first=Shappi|title=My son has reached the stage where he's more influenced by YouTubers than his very cool parents|date=22 November 2019|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=31 December 2019}}</ref> The song peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Comedy Digital Track Sales chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |title="Don't Stay in School" Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/boyinaband/chart-history/CMD/song/877704 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912052103/https://www.billboard.com/music/boyinaband/chart-history/CMD/song/877704 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2021 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref>
Later that year, Brown published the song "Spectrum" featuring fellow YouTubers Cryaotic and Minx focusing on LGBT issues and him voicing his support for the community in collaboration with the UK-based LGBT charity ''somewhereto_''.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.gscene.com/arts/music/youtube-artist-boyinaband-launches-new-lgbt-music-video/| title=Youtube Artist Boyinaband Launches New LGBT Music Video| last=Gustafon| first=Paul| date=10 April 2015}}</ref>
In 2017, Brown collaborated with iDubbbz to create a diss track against RiceGum titled "Asian Jake Paul" as part of iDubbbz's ''Content Cop'' series.<ref name=nw>{{cite news |last1=Asarch |first1=Steven |title=PewDiePie briefly lost the war against T-Series, but is on top again |url=https://www.newsweek.com/pewdiepie-t-series-congratulations-youtube-subscriber-count-1381925 |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=Newsweek |date=1 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The song peaked at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |title="Asian Jake Paul" Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/boyinaband/chart-history/rbt/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref>
On 31 March 2019, Brown collaborated with PewDiePie and RoomieOfficial in an upbeat rap/synth pop/hip hop music video titled "Congratulations".<ref name=nw/> The music video was based on sarcastically congratulating T-Series in surpassing PewDiePie in subscribers, while also bringing up the corporation's past scandals and criticizing the caste system in India.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=PewDiePie concedes to T-Series in battle for YouTube's biggest channel |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/31/18289617/pewdiepie-tseries-congratulations-subscribe-youtube-diss-track-100-million |access-date=12 September 2021 |work=The Verge |date=31 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> It peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Comedy Digital Track Sales chart.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/comedy-digital-track-sales/2019-04-13|title=Comedy Digital Track Sales - Week of April 27, 2019|last=|first=|date=|magazine=Billboard|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013180319/https://www.billboard.com/charts/comedy-digital-track-sales/2019-04-27|archive-date=13 October 2019|access-date=17 November 2019}}</ref>
Brown has been on a hiatus from online content, citing mental health issues in a 2021 YouTube community post.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boyinaband talks about his mental health |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ4FyiI_1mWI2AtLS5ChdPQ/community?lb=UgxnkVekLpXgJ8kZHGh4AaABCQ |access-date=20 July 2023 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>
== Discography == ===Albums=== * ''Quite a Lot of Songs'' (2013) * ''Merry Christmix'' (2013)
===Singles=== {{div col}} * "Djentstep" (2012) * "2.99" (2013) * "Djentrance" (2013) * "Midnight" (ft. Veela) (2013) * "Chipstep" (ft. Andrew Huang) (2013) * "Djentrap" (2013) * "Producer Name Rap" (2013) * "Point at All the Things" (featuring Jack Frags) (2013) * "Battlefield vs Call of Duty Rap Battle" (featuring Jack Frags) (2013) * "Hello Monsta" (featuring Minx and Markiplier) (2013) * "Pointless Fast Rap" (2013) * "I Am Mildly Annoyed" (featuring Cookiebreed) (2014) * "Day-Z Hero vs Bandit Rap Battle" (featuring Jack Frags) (2014) * "That Girl" (featuring Cookiebreed, Patty Walters and VeeOneEye) (2014) * "Too Much Fun" (featuring Minx) (2014) * "Limelight" (featuring Cryaotic) (2014) * "You Look Like a Girl" (2014) * "How to Get a Number One Song" (featuring Roomie) (2014) * "Murder" (featuring Minx & Chilled) (2014) * "Town of Salem" (featuring Minx) (2014) * "Christmix 4" (2014) * "Dead Fast Rap" (2014) * "Don't Stay in School" (2015) * "Spectrum" (featuring Cryaotic and Minx) (2015) * "I'm Not Dead" (2016) * "Top of the Props" (featuring Minx) (2016) * "Prancer Rap" (featuring TheOdd1sOut) (2018) * "Dancing With You Forever" (with Party In Backyard) (2024){{div col end}}
===Collaborations=== * "Time Bomb" – Feint and Boyinaband (featuring Veela) (2012) * "Super Mario Dubstep Cypher" – None Like Joshua (featuring Boyinaband, Dan Bull and Veela) (2013) * "A to Z" – Boyinaband and Andrew Huang (2013) * "Counter Strike Porch" Dan Bull (featuring Boyinaband) (2014) * "Xbox One vs. PS4 Rap Battle" – Boyinaband and Oliver Age 24 (2014) * ''Xenocide'' (EP) – Seamless, None Like Joshua and Boyinaband (2014) * "Bible Rap" – Boyinaband and Dan Bull (2014) * "A to Z 2" – Andrew Huang and Boyinaband (2014) * ''Plants vs. Zombies'' (EP) – Dan Bull and Boyinaband (2015) * "Asian Jake Paul" – iDubbbz (featuring Boyinaband) (2017) * "Empty" (featuring Jaiden Animations) (2018) * "Life Is Fun" (with TheOdd1sOut) (2018) * "Congratulations" by PewDiePie (featuring Boyinaband and Roomie) (2019) * "Luke Skywalker vs Harry Potter" by Epic Rap Battles of History, as Harry Potter (2020) * "Coco" by PewDiePie (2021)
===With You and What Army=== {{Main|You and What Army#Discography}} * ''Soundtrack to the Apocalypse'' (2009) * ''The End of the Beginning'' (2010) * ''You and What Army'' EP (2012)
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:English hip-hop musicians Category:English male rappers Category:21st-century British male rappers Category:21st-century British rappers Category:English multi-instrumentalists Category:English YouTubers Category:British music YouTubers Category:People from Telford Category:YouTube channels launched in 2007 Category:English electronic musicians Category:English spoken word artists Category:English pop musicians Category:English rock musicians Category:English heavy metal musicians Category:Entertainers from Shropshire Category:Musicians from Shropshire