New Jersey-based social media personality Young King Dave, who recently rose to viral fame online through "smoking doinks" on Instagram, has died. He was 19.
The social media star, real name David James Nixon, died Thursday in a New Jersey hospital due to complications stemming from a collapsed lung, Motherboard reports. Nixon had reportedly been in the hospital for several weeks prior to his death, which was confirmed via his Instagram account.
A Middletown native, Nixon was known for his popular Instagram videos, which typically featured him smoking marijuana — or "loud," as he called it — and encouraging followers to enjoy their day. He also coined the phrase "smoking doinks" to describe smoking joints or blunts, which has since become a popular reference online.
At the time of his death, Nixon had about 256,000 followers on his Instagram page. He first gained popularity online in Jan. 2017 with an Instagram video in which he asked who among his viewers was "trying to chill, smoke some loud" because "it's f— nice out." In September last year, he stopped by Lancaster, where videos showed him "smoking big Doinks in Amish," as Nixon said online. The video was later featured on Comedy Central's Tosh.O.
In addition to his social media presence, Nixon was an aspiring rapper who published songs to Soundcloud and YouTube. A video for his song "Taking Dabs," a reference to marijuana concentrates like hash oil, was released in March, and currently has about 34,000 views.
As Nixon told Mass Appeal in a video profile last year, he began smoking marijuana at age 12, and acknowledged that he "invented doinks, bro." In his final Instagram post from March this year, Nixon complained of breathing problems.
"Yo, I be smoking so much loud I get out of breath, my guy," Nixon said in the video.
Following his death, Nixon's family set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs and arrange a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So far, the fund has raised about $7,000 of its $10,000 goal.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss and he will be greatly missed," Nixon's family wrote on the GoFundMe page. "He was a very special person with a big heart and a great sense of humor. We remember all the good times and how he made us smile and are very grateful for all the prayers and well wishes of friends and family."
As news of Nixon's death spread online, fans responded with tributes to the late social media star:
The doinks will forever live on ����❤️#ripyoungkingdave
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