Nettspend

Gunner Shepardson, known professionally as Nettspend, is an American rapper, songwriter, and singer. He broke through in late 2023 when a snippet of his track "Drankdrankdrank" went viral on Twitter, and that momentum carried into 2024, when his song "Shine N Peace" landed on year-end best-of lists from The Fader and The New York Times. On December 6, 2024, he released his debut mixtape Bad Ass F*cking Kid, which peaked at number 197 on the Billboard 200, and his debut studio album, Early Life Crisis, dropped on March 6, 2026, debuting at number 39 on the Billboard charts. At just 19, Nettspend has built a devoted online following through a steady stream of singles and a raw, unfiltered style that resonates with Gen Z listeners. [edit]

Gunner Shepardson, who would later be known as Nettspend, was born on March 18, 2007, in Richmond, Virginia, United States . He grew up in Lakeside, a middle-class suburb of Richmond with a population of about 12,000 . Music was present in his home life, as his father played guitar and sang lead in a country band called The Five and Dimers . Shepardson’s own musical journey began early; he first tried rapping in fifth grade, making beats and writing lyrics on BandLab using his phone . His initial experiments with music involved recording directly with his mobile device, laying the groundwork for his future sound.

His formal education took him to Hermitage High School, but his attendance was cut short. He dropped out in ninth grade, a decision partly influenced by the isolation imposed by COVID-19 lockdowns . His expulsion in 2022 further propelled him away from traditional schooling and deeper into nascent music communities, where he sought support and creative outlets . By December 2022, Shepardson was actively releasing tracks on SoundCloud under his birth name, Gunner, starting with the song "NK" .

A pivotal connection came through a school friend, who introduced him to New York rapper Xaviersobased . This introduction led him to join various online Discord groups, most notably WitchGang, where he met many of the producers who would shape his early sound . This burgeoning online network became a vital creative home, providing him with a steady pipeline for new music and collaborations . This period of intense creative output and community building culminated in late 2023, when a snippet of his track "Drankdrankdrank" went viral on Twitter, marking his initial breakthrough into wider recognition .[edit]

Nettspend's breakthrough came in late 2023 when a snippet of "Drankdrankdrank" went viral on Twitter, drawing thousands of shares. He followed with "Shine N Peace," which earned spots on year-end best-of lists from The Fader and The New York Times. On March 16, 2024, he performed at Rolling Loud for the first time, a major milestone that introduced his chaotic live energy to a wider audience. That year he dropped a string of singles including "Nothing Like Uuu," "That One Song" (later removed due to an uncleared Deftones sample), and "F*CK SWAG," which showed a noticeable evolution in his songwriting. December 6, 2024, saw the release of his debut mixtape Bad Ass F*cking Kid, which cracked the Billboard 200 at number 197. After a nine-month gap, he released the Gone Too Soon EP in 2025. On March 6, 2026, his debut studio album Early Life Crisis arrived, debuting at number 39 on the Billboard charts. The fashion industry took notice too, Nettspend attended Vogue World in Paris, appeared in a Heaven by Marc Jacobs campaign, and worked with Venice Beach designer Eli Russell Linnetz on visuals. [edit]

Nettspend's music fuses trap with a layered, disorienting production style known as "jerk," built on glitchy Auto-Tuned vocals and bass-heavy beats. His look evolved from a kid-next-door appearance to a bleached-blond, rock 'n' roll aesthetic by age 17. The media has called him "Gen-Z's underground savior" and "one of the most polarizing flows and sounds in the game." The Fader describes him as "endlessly seen and discussed, but ostensibly misunderstood." His social media presence is carefully nonchalant, built on "aura-maxxing" and "shitposting lingua franca" that his fans eat up. He doesn't have an official fandom name, but his supporters engage heavily in online communities built around his Discord and Twitter presence. [edit]

Nettspend has cultivated a fiercely loyal following since his late 2023 viral breakthrough, though this community remains distinctively informal. His audience is defined by a shared appreciation for his raw, unfiltered output and the disorienting "jerk" production style that sets him apart from mainstream trap peers. Fans engage primarily through standard social media interactions on platforms like Instagram, where he maintains a significant presence with over 800,000 followers. Despite the intensity of his online support, there is no formal name documented for his fanbase, nor are there organized campaigns, birthday billboards, or specific rituals that define a structured fandom culture. The connection between Nettspend and his listeners feels organic rather than engineered, built on the immediate resonance of tracks like "Shine N Peace" and the polarizing nature of his artistic evolution. His cultural footprint expanded significantly in 2026 with the release of *Early Life Crisis* and high-profile appearances such as the Gucci pop-up event in Soho, where he treated the runway as a stage. These moments have solidified his status as a key figure in Gen-Z music, yet they have not yet coalesced into the legendary folklore seen with older icons. While stories circulate about his early days making beats on BandLab at age nine or the brief removal of "That One Song," these serve more as career trivia than mythic legends that drive fan behavior. The iFANN Global Fame Engine has evaluated Nettspend's standing within the global landscape; however, the engine has determined that he does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings.[edit]

Gunner Shepardson began his musical journey at just nine years old, crafting songs on BandLab via his phone while playing Little League baseball under his father's coaching. His early discography includes the track "That One Song," which was pulled from streaming services shortly after release due to an uncleared Deftones sample. Before establishing his solo career, he spent time with the digicore collective Novagang. Critics have drawn parallels between his raw energy and figures like Kurt Cobain, Justin Bieber, Brad Renfro, and Daniel Johns. On "Beach leak," he explicitly positions himself in the lineage of Future while acknowledging his generation with the line "I feel like Future but Gen Z." A persistent story among fans recounts his transformation from a kid-next-door look to a bleached-blond rock aesthetic by seventeen, a visual shift that mirrored his sonic rebellion. Another anecdote often shared involves his debut mixtape, *Bad Ass F*cking Kid*, which reportedly reached number 197 on the Billboard 200 despite its explicit title and aggressive content. More recently, the narrative of his July 2026 Gucci pop-up appearance has gained traction, where reports suggest he turned the fashion show into an impromptu concert, blurring the lines between high fashion and underground hip-hop performance.[edit]

Shepardson has three siblings. His father was a country singer and songwriter who performed in a band called The Five and Dimers, playing guitar and providing lead vocals. His mother and father both worked standard 9-to-5 jobs, giving him a middle-class upbringing in Lakeside, Virginia. He grew up in a close-knit household with uncles and grandparents nearby. As of 2026, he has no reported spouse or children. [edit]

Nettspend is closely associated with New York rapper Xaviersobased, who he connected with in 2023 through fellow rapper Zuro. He has collaborated with OsamaSon and Yafo JJ. His early music communities included Novagang, 1c34, WitchGang, and reklusl1ve, which supported him after his expulsion from school. Designer Eli Russell Linnetz worked with him on visuals for his projects. [edit]

Nettspend's public dating history is limited. In 2024, he was romantically linked to influencer Mazzy Joya, though the duration and status of that relationship were never confirmed by either party. As of 2026, no credible sources report a current partner. He has referenced "fake friends and unreliable lovers" in his music, including a mention of a "frenemy fakemink" on the track "halftime" from Early Life Crisis, but these appear to be artistic expressions rather than confirmed relationships. [edit]

As of 2026, no credible net worth estimates have been publicly reported for Nettspend. At 19 years old and with only a few years of professional releases, his financial details remain private. His income likely comes from music streaming revenue, live performances including Rolling Loud, brand collaborations such as the Heaven by Marc Jacobs campaign, and merchandise sales. Without confirmed figures, his net worth is not reliably calculable. [edit]