Yousef Erakat was born on January 22, 1990 in Fremont, California. His parents are of Palestinian origin. He has three older siblings, Mohammad, Ahmad, and Noura Erakat, who is a legal scholar. Erakat attended San Jose State University and majored in theatre arts. He moved to Los Angeles after graduating to pursue his acting career.
In 2012, Erakat was listed 3rd on the list of "40 Inspiring Muslims Under 40" by MBMuslima Magazine.
On July 1, 2014, Erakat uploaded a video to his vlog channel titled "WHY I WANTED TO END MY LIFE". In this video, Erakat discussed how he passed by a tattoo parlor and got a tattoo on a whim, followed by another. He later had a nervous breakdown due to the stigma in some Arab and Muslim families concerning tattoos and had them removed.
Erakat struggles with ongoing depression, addiction and bipolar disorder. He mentions it frequently in his daily vlogging, and also announced it on VH1. He was nominated for Pranks and Show of The Year at the 5th Streamy Awards, and on September 18, 2015, won the Show of The Year award.
Erakat embarked on a five-day tour with friend and YouTube star Roman Atwood called the "Roman vs Fousey Tour" on February 24, 2016. They performed in five states along the west coast as a preview/test for their upcoming 30-day tour of the same name.
On June 3, 2017, Yousef Erakat officially reached the YouTube milestone of 10 million subscribers, thus earning him a YouTube Diamond Play Button.
