Canadian rapper Alexander “bbno$” Gumuchian recently announced he’s retiring from music on Dec. 8th. The reason relates to a year-long bet posted on his TikTok. He told the haters he would quit his career if they reached 1 million likes.
After reaching twice the amount, Gumuchian left a message on his Instagram and said, “As you know, I am for the people. And the people have asked me to stop making music.” His fans attempted to find signs that his message could be a troll. Their perspective became divisive when bbno$ explained the situation deeper on Fear&’s podcast on Dec. 15.
How bbno$ Identifies Negative Internet Culture
Gumuchian explained his decision to Fear& podcast that he’s leaving his music career behind when co-host Hasan Piker asked him about his TikTok bet. According to the Canadian rapper, he reposted the 2024 video in March to see how anti-listeners felt about him using likes.“At first, it was 20,000 people, and I thought, ‘Oh, people like me.’ But then I saw a surplus of people hating me,” he told the Fear& crew.
Despite his success, there are a couple of reasons people choose to dislike bbno$. Many of his haters see him as a wannabe rapper and don’t care if he’s the Gen-Z Eminem. His popular music videos always depicted him doing something “too goofy for the rap scene.” However, Gumuchian’s hypnotic bars and zany visions are why his fans adore his artistry.
His main audiences are streamers and pop culture fans, which the media industry does not take seriously. Hits like It Boy, 1-800, and Bing Bong gained over 54 million views because they contain references and internet trends that catch their attention. And even when he’s not performing, bbno$ acts very humble. Yet, traditional music listeners refused to accept him. He pulls away from his stardom to give himself space and preserve his positive attitude.
No Internet Explorer Tour Cancellation
While part of his listeners accepted Gumuchian’s retirement, some do not fully believe his word. One noticeable sign is bbno$’s available concert dates. If you visit his YouTube channel or search for his name on Google, the upcoming 2026 dates will be displayed. They are linked to the venue listing site, Bandsintown. From Feb. 14 to May 7, the Canadian rapper could still be performing for his Internet Explorer Tour.
This is where Gumuchian’s followers and anti-listeners may have felt betrayed. Bandsintown has a notification called Venue Alert to send users updates on the concerts they booked for that artist, including cancellations. So far, there has been no confirmation from his associated venue sale sites or his personal website, bbnomula.com, of the tour’s discontinuation. Fans suspect bbno$’s retirement as a troll to remain undisturbed for his future performances and possibly preparing a new album.
Final 2025 Concert on Peak
Gumuchian did leave one final gift for the year after his retirement announcement. For the first time, the co-op mountain climbing simulator Peak hosted a limited-time virtual concert. Landfall and Aggrocrab hosted the event from Dec. 11 to Dec. 15.
After the Game Awards, the developers posted the update on Steam: “You might have seen the mysterious statue on shore the past few days. Some of you thought it would finally give purpose to the mysterious gem, and well…nope, that thing is still absolutely useless. That statue will be holding a bugle, which you can choose to play after spawning on shore. Blowing it will start your very own BBNO$ CONCERT FOR THIS WEEKEND!”
When the virtual concert is activated, it will summon Gumuchian’s in-game avatar to perform Two, then Ironmouse for 1-800, and finally VNILLA for Bing Bong. For a limited time, Scouts can earn an extra meter of stamina. There was also a secret Ironmouse wig by pressing “7” on your keyboard seven times. We hope to see bbno$ make a confirmation soon in 2026.
