Back in January, IShowSpeed went live from Addis Ababa during his Speed Does Africa tour—and the numbers were massive. The stream pulled in over 257,000 live viewers, crossed 10 million replay views in less than 24 hours, and suddenly had Ethiopia trending worldwide. Just a day later, DDG tweeted, “i needa go to ethiopia.”
Two months later, he made it happen.
“ETHIOPIA IM HERE,” DDG posted on Sunday, March 23 via X. “LIVE ON TWITCH TOMORROW!! DONT MISS IT.” The announcement quickly gained traction, nearing 100,000 views as the 28-year-old creator—real name Darryl Granberry Jr.—kicked off a full week of IRL streaming straight from the Ethiopian capital.
Behind the scenes, MemeHouse Networks played a major role. The L.A.-based production company has rapidly become a powerhouse in the livestream space, racking up nearly five billion views in under a year. They even handled DIXSON’s livestream coverage of the 2026 Grammys.
For DDG’s Ethiopia run, MemeHouse managed the entire production remotely from Los Angeles using a cloud-based system—no on-site control room needed. By combining live internet bonding to keep connections stable and remote switching for real-time control, the team handled everything from bitrate monitoring across continents to final audio-visual output, all from their L.A. studio. It’s a strong sign that the future of live streaming is heading fully into the cloud.
But this trip wasn’t just about content. According to reports, the “Moonwalking in Calabasas” rapper partnered with Kuriftu Resorts and Ethiopian Airlines to spotlight Ethiopia’s rapidly growing economy. He also received official invites from the Ethiopian government and the Minister of Tourism to explore the country’s culture and history.
By Wednesday, he was already diving into that experience. DDG visited the Adwa Victory Memorial, a historic site honoring Ethiopia’s 1896 victory over Italian colonial forces. During the visit, he explored exhibits, checked out historical artifacts, and even took part in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony—paying homage to the country’s roots as the birthplace of coffee.
The trip, running from March 24 to 28, marks another major international production for MemeHouse, which has previously worked with artists like A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ice Spice, and Justin Bieber.
It also fits into DDG’s bigger vision. His IRL streams from Japan helped solidify his position as one of Twitch’s top creators last year, and he even recorded an entire album live on the platform alongside names like Shaboozey and DaBaby.
“I feel like it’s better when artists connect closer with the fans,” he told TMZ at the time. “So they can feel like they’re more of a part of the process rather than just being surprised.”
Now, with Addis Ababa added to the list, DDG is clearly taking that fan-first approach global.
