About once a year a new hip-hop song will come out accompanied by a dance…and it goes viral. These dances, often silly and easily mastered, will take over middle school dance floors for a few months until they’re overshadowed by the next. Some of these hip-hop dances fade away quickly and others keep popping up, like at your cousin’s wedding (just when you had almost gotten the tune permanently out of your head…smh).
We are happy to inform you that FanLabel runs various hip-hop contests regularly within the app (be sure to play). For the point of this blog, though, we will torture you even more with these contagious songs. Check out our FanLabel picks, as we start you off on your hip-hop dance fad journey back in 1996.
1996
“Jump on It” – Sir Mix-a-Lot
One of the earliest of its kind, the song samples “Apache” by The Sugarhill Gang.
2006
“Pop, Lock & Drop It” – Huey
The title of the song says it all–the dance includes three moves: “pop,” “lock,” and “drop.”
2007
“Crank That (Soulja Boy)” – Soulja Boy Tell’em
Arguably the most well known and iconic of the coordinated hip-hop dances (and our favorite over here at FanLabel)! No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks, and even nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Song.
“Cupid Shuffle” – Cupid
The lyrics of the song are the instructions to the dance–so easy, your grandma could do it!
“2 Step” – Unk
Peaked at No. 24 Billboard Hot 100
2008
“Stanky Legg” – GS Boyz
Not sure I want to know where the term “stanky” came from.
“Wobble” – V.I.C.
This song came out in 2008, but was not popularized until 2012, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at 94 in 2012. The initial version of the song was revised to have offensive words and phrases removed.
2009
“You’re a Jerk” – New Boyz
I know.
2010
“Teach me how to Dougie” – Cali Swag District
Peaked at No. 1 Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs
2011
“Cat Daddy” – The Rej3ctz
Popularized after Chris Brown performed the dance at one of his concerts and also featured in the song’s music video. The dance also gained a lot of attention after Kate Upton’s rendition was temporarily banned from YouTube for being too provocative–the video today has 27 million views.
2015
“Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” – Silentó
Peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Hit the Quan”- iLoveMemphis
Rich Homie Quan performed this dance in one of his music videos, as a result it became a viral sensation and iLoveMemphis created the song “Hit the Quan” based on the dance.
“Milly Rock” – 2 Milly
2 Milly has been doing the Milly Rock dance for years but just recently named it and came out with the song.
2016
“Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)” – Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
What all the kids born in 2005 are doing these days.
2018
“In My Feelings Challenge,” Drake
Also know as #DoTheShiggy, as comedian Shiggy created the new dance fad to Drake’s current hit “In My Feelings.”
Check out actor Will Smith take the dance to new heights atop a bridge in Budapest (via Instagram):
