Before you ask; they bring the boom. That’s what they do.
You might have noticed kids talking about Costco more than usual. Maybe they yell an emphatic “BOOM!” or “DOOM!” after eating, or start making the “rizz face” at you.
That would be the result of three viral stars known to the internet as A.J., Big Justice and the Rizzler. As wild as the nicknames might sound, the three viral TikTok stars have shown up all over social media and beyond in 2024.
After their viral Costco-related videos and “BOOM or DOOM” food reviews, A.J. and Big Justice have been bringing the “Boom” beyond TikTok to mainstream media. After releasing a song, “We Bring the Boom,” their dance has become a popular celebration for college football players, with even Lebron James and son Bronny James seen doing the dance before a Los Angeles Lakers game.
The Costco guys often team up with TikTok sensation “The Rizzler,” a kid most famous for his “Rizz Face” expression, which is a mewing gesture. The three have made public appearances together on multiple occasions, including an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Here’s what to know about A.J., Big Justice, and the Rizzler.
Who are Andrew “A.J.” Befumo Jr. and Eric “Big Justice” Befumo?
A.J. Befumo, 48, is a graduate of Seton Hall University currently living in Boca Raton, Florida, according to his LinkedIn.
Before the internet fame, Befumo used his Instagram and TikTok to promote mortgage broker American Financial Network, where he worked as a regional manager since 2021.
He also started a family vlog channel “All Befumo’d up.” The channel has 1,560 subscribers and features family life vlogs of the Befumo family before their recent internet fame.
On January 29, 2024, A.J. Befumo posted a TikTok with his son, Eric Befumo, 12, in Costco asking fans to guess if their order was over or under $300. The video received over 750,000 likes and 7.9 million views, the first of their many viral Costco videos.
The father-son duo has made several public appearances after their success on TikTok and Instagram.
In the “TikTok” sketch on Saturday Night Live on October 19, the two were impersonated by Marcello Hernandez (A.J.) and Chloe Fineman (Big Justice), singing their song “We Bring the Boom,” while holding Costco Chicken Bakes.
A.J. Befumo’s entertainment experience predates his family vlog channel. Under the stage name “the American Powerchild Eric Justice,” Befumo was a former professional wrestler who came out of retirement this year for an All-Elite Wrestling appearance on Nov. 23.
“It’s amazing,” said Big Justice on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,when asked about working with his dad. “It’s not just working with my dad, it’s working with my whole family. Ashley, my mom, it’s so amazing that we accomplished all of this together.”
Why are they Called “Costco Guys?”
The Befumos started posting more Costco-related content after their initial success. On March 1, they posted their most viewed video on their TikTok, labeling themselves as “Costco Guys.” The mega-hit received 59 million views and 4.5 million likes, propelling the Costco guys into stardom.
Befumo also went viral for his famed love of the Costco Double Chunk Chocolate Cookie. Big Justice’s favorite option — the Chicken Bake, a pastry with chicken, cheese, bacon and Caesar dressing — also receives praise from fans.
Their “BOOM or DOOM” food review of the Costco food court received over 30 million views and 2.5 million likes in March 2024. The two have extended their food reviews beyond the store, and review food with other family members (A.J. Befumo’s daughter Ashley, and wife nicknamed “Mama Justice”) and other creators on the “BOOM Meter.”
In an interview on Fox Business’s “The Claman Countdown” on Nov. 22, host Liz Claman revealed to A.J. and Eric Befumo that the Costco share price had hit an all-time high, helped by sales in the food court, specifically of the Chicken Bake.
Who is “The Rizzler?”
The 3-foot-11, eight-year-old sensation doesn’t share any relation to the Befumo family.
Christian Joseph, known to the public as “The Rizzler,” has a TikTok account with his dad that first went viral when he wore an adorable Black Panther costume for Halloween. In a TikTok, he explained to his father filming why he couldn’t climb a ladder.
“Cuz mommy said it’s dangerous,” said the Rizzler.
The child star first started calling himself The Rizzler on TikTok in April 2024 and collaborated with Big Justice on his TikTok in June.
The Rizzler has been making the “Rizz Face” at various sporting events, including at Game 5 of the MLB National League Championship Series, to the crowd’s delight. The New York Knicks posted a highlight reel of the Rizzler at the Knicks celebrity game on Oct. 8. He had a collaboration with internet celebrities Logan Paul and KSI, sponsoring their hydration drink Prime in a TikTok.
