From West Virginia to the National Spotlight: Creators on the Rise
By Amanda Barber
After a Huntington-based content creator was recently featured in a DaBaby music video, West Virginia creators are showing that their influence extends far beyond state lines. Black By God highlights five creators in West Virginia, or with Mountain State roots, who have gained national attention.
Lydia Rivera
Huntington-based creator Lydia Rivera, also known as @lilibabii1313, was recently featured as a dancer in the music video for rapper DaBaby’s hit, “POP DAT THANG.” Snippets of the track were already trending across social media before its official release, and shortly after the music video dropped on March 13th, it ranked No. 4 on YouTube Charts.
On TikTok and Instagram, Lydia regularly shares fun, fierce dance clips as well as “get ready with me” (GRWM) videos. Both her accounts have a significant following, with 1.7M on TikTok and 251K on Instagram. The influencer is also on Facebook, where she has 52K followers.
As Lydia’s fame rises, she has been the celebrity guest at several local festivities, including an upcoming event at Cheers of Beckley on Saturday (doors open at 9 p.m.). The event will feature meet-and-greet opportunities and a “Good Knees Challenge” with cash prizes. She also recently held her “POP DAT THANG” Birthday Bash at Scoobies in Dunbar and appeared at an NBA Jersey Party at G3 Lounge in Wheeling.
@dababy OFFICIAL VIDEO OUT NOW📺🔥🔥🔥 #POPDATTHANG ♬ POP DAT THANG – DaBaby
Autumn D. Hodges
Parkersburg-based creator Autumn D. Hodges was invited to the Goli Gala – an event dubbed the “Oscars for Creators,” held in collaboration with Goli Nutrition Inc. and TikTok. Over 600 North American creators were given exclusive “Golden Ticket” invitations. The March 3rd event in Anaheim, California, marked the industry’s first awards ceremony honoring digital creators’ impact on how consumers discover and purchase products.
Autumn is part of Amazon’s Influencer Program, where established creators earn revenue by sharing product recommendations. She has an official Amazon page and regularly shares products on her TikTok (@autumatic4thepeople), which has 35.1K followers. Autumn also has a 20K following on Facebook, where she posts about day-to-day life, her motorbiking hobby, and shares uplifting and humorous content from other accounts.
In Autumn’s social media bio, she describes herself not only as an influencer, but also a fitness enthusiast, holistic lover, wife and “blue-collar mama” – a steelworker and mom of three.
Edmond L. Harvey
Edmond L. Harvey has West Virginia roots – he grew up in the state, attended Capital High School in Charleston, and graduated from Fairmont State University. Now, he lives in Denver, Colorado, and works as a real estate agent. With 62.8K Instagram followers (@edmondlharvey) and 4K Facebook followers, Edmond uploads fun, high-energy videos that drive interest in the real estate properties he’s involved with. He also consistently shares content about his rollerblading and snowboarding hobbies.
Edmond appeared on digital screens nationwide when he starred on Season 9 of “Love Is Blind.” On the show, he shares about being from West Virginia. To watch Edmond’s “Love Is Blind” journey, stream the show on Netflix.
John Russell
John Russell (@heyjohnrussell) is a Wheeling-based influencer and journalist who has recently reported with More Perfect Union. John is an example of how worlds of social media and journalism can blend. He often shares clips from his reporting across TikTok (188.8K followers), Instagram (65.3K followers), X (16.4K followers) and YouTube (1.58K subscribers). But John’s social media presence extends beyond journalism.
During 2024 and 2025, John and Jessica Burbank produced the “Jess and John Pod,” in which they discussed news and politics. The cohosts shared podcast clips on their personal platforms and on an Instagram account they created for the show. Additionally, John makes short-form reels expressing his own perspectives on current issues, which he posts to his channels. His LinkTree also indicates that “The @heyjohnrussell Broadcast” is coming soon to YouTube Live.
John has drawn national attention through his work, demonstrating that journalists can do more than cover issues – the content created alongside their reporting can build audiences and carry impact. In 2025, John and his team at More Perfect Union won an Emmy for their story on Elliot County, Kentucky. John was also among several influencers invited to deliver a speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois.
Dalton & Sako
Dalton and Sako are West Virginia content creators whose influence reaches way beyond state lines. With millions of followers on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, the couple’s lighthearted videos about their lives not only resonate with West Virginians, but with audiences across the country.
The couple has openly shared comical stories about how they got together. Now, they’re married, own a home together, and are parenting their son, “Joe Chuck.” They regularly upload fun content about their parenting journey, property renovations, off-road vehicle adventures, being an interracial couple, and more.
Dalton and Sako even make comical content about living in West Virginia. Some videos poke fun at Dalton’s Mountain State pride, what a “moving to West Virginia starter pack” includes, and “We live in West Virginia” jokes. Viewers can also catch glimpses of the state’s tourism spots on the couple’s platforms.
In addition to Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, Dalton and Sako have popular accounts on X and YouTube.
From viral dance floors to national stages, these creators are showing what it means to represent West Virginia in the digital age. Whether through authenticity, entrepreneurship, humor, storytelling or advocacy, each influencer is using social media to amplify their voice.
As their platforms grow, so does recognition that talent rooted in West Virginia can resonate far beyond its borders, proving that the state is not just a backdrop, but a launching pad for creators making a nationwide impact.
(Editor’s note: Each creator’s follower count is subject to change from the date this article was published.)
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