Timothée Chalamet during the “WLF” sketch on Saturday, April 10, 2021 — (Photo By: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
TikTok is spreading a bizarre conspiracy theory about Dune star Timothée Chalamet, proposing that the actor is secretly “EsDeeKid,” a viral rapper from Liverpool.
TikTokers are known to follow strange rabbit holes, diving deep into conspiracy theories and bizarre beliefs—think of the “Thank You, Beyonce” meme or the prophesied Rapture that never arrived.
Like many TikTok conspiracies, the “Chalamet is EsDeeKid” is a bit of a joke, but there are content creators who reckon that there’s a connection between the two.
Who Is The UK Rapper EsDeeKid?
EsDeeKid is a rising star in the UK hip-hop scene who released his debut record, “Rebel,” this summer.
TikTok has taken a liking to his track “LV Sandals”—the song is all over the video-sharing platform, and features another UK rapper known as Fakemink.
EsDeeKid maintains his anonymity by always keeping his face covered with a balaclava, but we know that he’s from Liverpool, as he raps with a heavy Scouse accent.
Why Does TikTok Think Timothée Chalamet Is EsDeeKid?
The evidence is a tad thin, but it all started with a TikTok from creator KJ Freeman, who first proposed the theory that Chalamet is living a Hannah Montana-esque double life as a Scouse rapper.
Her video begins with a warning to viewers, with Freeman stating, “What I’m about to say is probably one of the craziest things that you hear on this app today.”
Freeman goes on to list her reasoning, asking why Chalamet was spotted at an underground rap concert in London for Fakemink. There’s a lot resting on Chalamet’s presence at the show—it’s the foundational pillar of the theory.
Freeman reckons that the lengths EsDeeKid goes to cover his face is more than a gimmick, and proposes that Timothée has a strong motive for hiding under a mask to make music, as the leap from actor to musician rarely works out, and would risk damaging his career.
Freeman also mentions that EsDeeKid has a “Scotch” accent, which is a mispronunciation of Scouse, or perhaps Scottish.
Other than her noting that Timothée is into hip-hop, there isn’t much to Freeman’s theory, truth be told.
However, the internet has never been bound by the burden of proof to jump on a good conspiracy—Freeman’s TikTok racked up 1.6 million views, and proved fun enough to push further.
The idea spread as fans started to point out similarities between Chalamet and EsDeeKid (their eyes, mostly) and as many vague resemblances as one can spot from behind a mask.
TikTokers pointed out that the two share a similar sense of style—they seem to wear the same bandana, at least.
The conspiracy isn’t meant to be taken too seriously—the idea of Chalamet, an A-list actor, scheduling regular UK underground rap gigs and learning to sing in a flawless Scouse accent seems a tad … unlikely.
Still, the idea is appealing enough to explore, and the conspiracy theory has turned into something of a meme, with many fans leaning into the joke, just to see how far it goes.
Plus, the mystery behind EsDeeKid’s anonymous persona helped push the theory along.
Have EsDeeKid And Timothée Chalamet Spoken Out About The Theory?
Neither Chalamet or EsDeeKid have officially acknowledged the theory, but the trend has spread far enough for Chalamet to find out about it, with the star leaving an “eyes” emoji under an Instagram post about the conspiracy.
No doubt, the spread of the theory has given EsDeeKid a visibility boost, and imbued Chalamet with a bit of street cred.
Nowadays, Chalamet is tirelessly promoting his upcoming film Marty Supreme via increasingly absurd publicity stunts, so it seems unlikely that he has time to moonlight as a rising UK rap star.
However, if Chalamet ever plans to pivot into music, fans will surely be listening.