Who Is TikTok's Joshua Block, AKA 'World Of T-Shirts?' The 'King Of New York' Explained (2024)

New York is one of the world's most famous cities, and according to TikTok, it has a king. Meet Joshua Block, better known as @worldoftshirts or just simply World of T-Shirts on the app. For some TikTokers, Joshua Block's content can take up a lot of their "For You" pages because, well, he's always posting, sometimes up to 20 videos a day.

He's what some would call a schizoposter, meaning his posting habits mimic mental illness rather than stability. Since 2018, he's gone from scream-singing "Empire State of Mind" in the middle of Times Square to notti bopping in Harlem while "day drinking" the entire time.

Who is Joshua Block? Where did he come from? And is he okay? Let's explain.

Who Is Joshua Block, aka 'World Of T-shirts?'

Joshua Block is 21 years old and was born on August 7th, 2001, according to Redditors in his subreddit. Joshua originally lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia, however, he moved to Long Island, New York when he was in high school, specifically the town of Medford, New York, where his grandfather Thomas lives. His grandfather became his primary caretaker, leading to when he started posting to TikTok in 2018.

In a YouTube documentary on Joshua Block called "This Is My City" created by YouTuber Apex Primary in November 2021, Joshua's grandfather and special education teachers from Patchogue-Medford High School were interviewed about Joshua's life and TikTok presence. Many were aware of his large following but not active followers themselves.

Prior to his TikTok fame, Joshua put his photography skills to use by creating a CafePress website called "World of T-Shirts," hence his TikTok username.

How Did Joshua Block Become TikTok Famous?

Although Joshua had some duets and other miscellaneous dancing videos go viral early on in his TikTok career, Joshua went mega-viral after he sang "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z in Times Square. The video is indicative of Joshua's habit of traveling into the city and creating content throughout the day.

The viral video cemented Joshua as a symbol of Times Square. Many people recreated his singing video in the setting or ran into Joshua himself there as he started to frequent the location more often following his virality. Publications like Sidetalk NYC interviewed him in Times Square and he even paid for a billboard in Times Square as he earned money from TikTok to pay for it.

Did Joshua Block Step On A Fish?

One of Joshua Block's first controversies was when he was caught on camera stomping on a fish until it died. The odd TikTok video was recorded by a fan who gave him the fish, only for Joshua to kill it moments later on the sidewalk. It was posted in June 2021 but has since been deleted. It later got Joshua banned from TikTok based on "animal cruelty." The banning scared Josh, who issued a tearful apology video soon after. About a week later though, he got his page back.

Why Is Joshua Block Day Drinking?

Ever since Joshua turned 21 in August 2022, he's started an alarming habit of drinking alcohol throughout the day, prompting discourse about his possible alcoholism. At one time, he only drank Dunkin' Donuts coffee on the subway, but now, he's often chugging Twisted Tea, even bragging about it from time to time. It's unclear why he started drinking heavily. It's most likely just a byproduct of his new, legal age.

Why Did Joshua Block 'Notti Bop' In Harlem?

Given that Joshua is a New York-based creator, it comes as no surprise that he knows what the Notti Bop dance is. For those who don't, it's a controversial dance trend based on a diss track about the stabbing of 14-year-old Harlem drill rapper Notti Osama.

During one of his many drunk nights in New York, Joshua took the subway to Harlem's 145th St. and did the "punching my hips" Notti bop dance at around 6 a.m. EST. Besides just being random, his performance read as tone-deaf to many while others humorously cheered him on for being so bold.

Why Did Joshua Block Lick The Subway Floor?

In one of his most disgusting and unhinged videos to date, Joshua Block literally licked the ground of a subway car. Many believe that he was simply drunk, acting impulsively in the moment. Multiple stitches and duets surfaced with every creator labeling the act as gross and concerning.

Why Did Joshua Block Have Vomit In His Hair?

There was a video that Joshua posted in November 2022 that showed his own vomit in his hair. It was soon deleted by Joshua, however, Redditors in his subreddit raised concern over it and shared screenshots. Again, the vomit alludes to Joshua's possible drinking problem as well as the apparent enabling of his problem by fellow TikToker @thisismichaelquinn.

Is Joshua Block Boxing Daniel Larson?

In the realm of schizoposters on TikTok, Joshua Block often comes up in conversation with Daniel Larson, who's just another kid just filming everything for his cult following. The history of Daniel Larson lore goes deep, maybe deeper than Joshua's.

Regardless, in a November 2022 video, Joshua challenged Daniel to a boxing match in Times Square. Will Daniel accept his challenge? Only time will tell. Maybe Brent Peterson will show up instead.

For the full history of Joshua Block, aka World of T-shirts, be sure to check out our entry on him here for even more information.