ST. LOUIS — There’s a decent chance that if you’re a parent, you’re not going to know who this story is about.
But there’s an even better chance that your children will, especially if they’re a middle or high school student in St. Louis County.
Right now, there is a social media personality who’s become extremely popular in the metro area. But it’s not necessarily for the right reasons.
And your kids may already be following or have engaged with him online or in real life. Some have even taken things to extremes to get his attention, including setting themselves on fire, chugging beer to the point of getting sick and smashing tables over their heads.
His name is Norey Amos, but he is more well-known as “The Black Frat.”
And if you follow him on Instagram or Snapchat, then you will quickly see he leads quite the interesting life for being an unemployed 18-year-old who legally cannot drive.
His social media videos and posts frequently include lavish trips to high-end retail stores at Plaza Frontenac, large amounts of money and designer clothes and apparent overnight stays at expensive hotels in Clayton.
But there’s more.
Amos also occasionally shares footage of him with firearms, smoking marijuana, consuming alcohol and going to strip clubs until the early morning hours. And yet, this isn’t what caught the attention of schools and law enforcement.
Amos first appeared on their radar in at least 2017, when he began to cement a reputation for using Snapchat to sell vaping materials, like JUUL pods, to area students.
Particularly in private school circles in West County, Amos became known among students for engaging with them on digital platforms and attending, or trying to attend, various school events.
The issue prompted warnings, letters and/or e-mails from at least four schools that we know of, including Visitation Academy, Westminster Christian, St. Joseph’s Academy and Chaminade College Prep. Each school told parents to be cautious of Amos and that his behavior could be in conflict with their values and beliefs.
Additionally, St. Joseph’s accused Amos of using their logo on his Instagram without their permission. But Chaminade and Westminster had more serious allegations.
They accuse Amos of trying to infiltrate public and private school events. In a police report from November 2017, Creve Coeur Police issued a trespass warning to Amos for attempting to gain access to a Chaminade basketball game.
All the schools declined to comment for the story.
Officers described Amos as a “local rapper” who is known for going to these events to sell drugs for a place to party. Other than that, 5 On Your Side has been unable to find Amos listed in any other pending criminal case across the metro.
Though, admittedly, he told us he has been in trouble repeatedly for driving offenses. As a result, he said he is not able to have a license again until he is at least 21. He also told us that before he turned 18, he did have “issues” that came before juvenile court.
So, we wanted to know more about Amos’ life as The Black Frat. He agreed to meet with us and answer some questions about his background and the allegations he’s faced from area schools.
“I am an easy target in St. Louis. I have a lot of haters. A lot of people who don’t like me,” he said.
Right off the bat, Amos denies ever using social media platforms to sell drugs or alcohol. Though, he admits to using Snapchat to sell JUUL pods to West County students. “I probably made $100,000 in all,” he claimed when we asked how much he’s made by doing that.
But he insists he has never sold JUUL pods to someone younger than 18, which would be illegal in Missouri.
So what about the schools’ warnings to parents? Amos said their fears are overblown. He claims he only tries to go to school events to “see his fans” and support “friends” who are playing.
“It’s just bull crap. Basically, I am just an 18-year-old old kid who’s just living my life. I’m not doing nothing illegal. I’m just chilling, shopping and doing my everyday thing,” he said.
Amos told us he was born into a broken home in south St. Louis. He said his mom raised him while his dad served time in jail. He said he struggled all through school until he dropped out at age 15 from Mehlville High School and turned to partying.
“I have never been a big fan of school. I dropped out freshman year and just started living me,” he said.
That chapter of his life, he claimed, went down a dark road. Amos said he struggled with substance abuse and still continues to drink and smoke. “I went to four rehabs,” he said.
Then came social media and his infamous alter-ego “The Black Frat.” He said he got the name because of other kids in school.
“Party like a frat boy, drunk like a frat boy. So people started calling me that,” he said.
And to this day, his activity and resulting behavior have continued to gain in popularity with hundreds of kids swarming to see Amos at the mall or a Friday night football game.
And whether you agree or disagree with how he lives his life, he makes no apologies.
“People can take me or leave me. That’s how I live my life.”
