Introduction
The hip hop cat meme originated in early 2019 from a video posted to Twitter by user @Ka5sh. The video featured a gray and white cat bobbing its head to the beat of hip hop music playing in the background. Though only a few seconds long, the video struck a chord among Twitter users and quickly went viral as a meme template, with people adding their own hip hop songs or beats over the original cat footage.
The hip hop head bobbing cat captured viewers’ attention both for its adorable dance moves and the seeming incongruity of a cat enthusiastically enjoying hip hop music. As memes often do, it spread rapidly across social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube as people repurposed the meme with their own musical remixes. While a simple concept, the hip hop cat’s sheer enthusiasm and commitment to the beat made it an appealing and funny meme format.
Popularity and Spread
The Hip Hop Cat meme first emerged in 2020, originating from a viral video of a cat bobbing its head to hip hop music. The meme quickly spread across Reddit, Twitter and other social media sites, gaining popularity in online communities focused on hip hop culture and cat memes.
According to the Know Your Meme entry on Hip Hop Cat, the meme came from “just taking some pictures of a house cat” (source). However, pairing the cat’s head bobbing with hip hop music gave it a distinct appeal.
On Reddit, the Hip Hop Cat meme spread rapidly in communities like r/hiphopheads, r/dankmemes and r/memes, as users created their own remixes and iterations. As noted in one Reddit thread, the meme’s popularity stemmed from it being “slapped onto this cat clip” and the funny pairing of the cat with hip hop music (source).
The shareable nature of the short video clip allowed the Hip Hop Cat meme to spread widely across social platforms. Its humor and musicality gave it viral appeal within internet hip hop fandoms and communities.
Criticisms and Controversies
The hip hop cat meme has come under intense scrutiny for promoting offensive stereotypes and perpetuating cultural appropriation. Many critics argue the meme relies on caricatures and simplifications of hip hop culture that reduce it to over-the-top bling, partying, and profanity (According to https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-commentary/doja-cat-miss-old-doja-controversy-1234849267/).
Use of African-American Vernacular English in the meme has been called unimaginative at best and racist at worst. The meme’s exaggerated hip hop imagery clashes with the innocent cat imagery, which some see as mocking hip hop culture. There are concerns the meme diminishes hip hop’s rich history as an artform emerging from struggle and oppression (According to https://www.tmz.com/2023/10/07/doja-cat-backlash-wear-shirt-alt-right-comedian-sam-hyde/).
Many argue that hip hop cat serves no purpose beyond shock value and guiltily laughing at offensive stereotypes. Critics say the meme perpetuates problematic assumptions about race, class, and gender. Some even go as far as calling it digital blackface – non-black people using the meme to mock black culture from behind the anonymity of social media. There are valid arguments that the meme crosses too many lines and does more harm than good.
Impact on Hip Hop Culture
The Hip Hop Cat meme has had a notable impact on real hip hop culture. Some of the key ways it has influenced hip hop include:
The meme’s popularity has spread awareness of cats and hip hop together as a concept. As noted by Know Your Meme, Hip Hop Cat is one of the earliest memes combining cats and hip hop culture. Its viral spread increased the association between cats and rappers in internet culture.
Artists have remixed the meme into their own music and content. Rappers like Lil B have created songs integrating the Hip Hop Cat meme, showing how internet culture now inspires real hip hop. The meme also spawned gifs and videos setting Hip Hop Cat to rap songs.
It reflects hip hop’s permeation into internet culture. The integration of cats and hip hop in a viral meme symbolizes how hip hop has thoroughly spread into the mainstream internet. Hip hop is now a core part of the culture and humor of sites like Reddit and Twitter.
Overall, the Hip Hop Cat meme both resulted from hip hop’s growing cultural influence, as well as further amplified the presence of hip hop on the internet and in youth culture worldwide.
Creative Uses and Remixes
The hip hop cat meme has inspired many creative remixes and musical interpretations. Musicians and meme creators have taken the original hip hop cat video and added their own unique twists. One of the most popular remixes comes from TikTok user DaHomie, who created an entire hip hop beat around the meme. As described on SoundCloud, “DaHomie took the hip hop cat meme, one of the funniest cat memes, and turned it into an absolute banger.” The remix layers the cat’s meows over hard-hitting drums, bass, and synths to make an surprisingly catchy hip hop track (DaHomie, 2022). Other musicians have made their own remixes integrating hip hop, EDM, and other genres. Overall, these creative adaptations demonstrate the versatility and humor of the original meme, while also showcasing the talent of meme creators in repurposing viral content.
Psychological Appeal
The Hip Hop Cat meme seems to resonate with internet users because of its whimsical and carefree nature. According to the Know Your Meme article, “This meme came from just taking some pictures of a house cat. Only one varitaion exist right now, though more will come.” The simplicity of the meme, originating from candid photos of a playful housecat, adds to its charm.
As explained in the Orbit Media article, memes like Hip Hop Cat that feature cute animals doing silly things tap into our love of laughing at the antics of pets. They provide a moment of lighthearted absurdity that many find psychologically appealing in today’s complex world (Orbit Media). Hip Hop Cat’s actions are wholly unexpected for a cat, which makes the meme humorously surprising.
Additionally, the meme allows viewers to anthropomorphize the cat and imagine its intentions and inner thought process. This resonates with our natural tendency toward empathy and attributing human characteristics to animals. Overall, the meme’s simplicity, whimsy, and ability to anthropomorphize a cute cat likely explain its psychological pull for many internet users seeking a brief amusing distraction.
Comparing to Other Memes
The Hip Hop Cat meme has some unique aspects compared to other viral memes. While many memes are based on still images or short video clips, the Hip Hop Cat is an longer video meme featuring a dancing cat. The energetic dance moves and the perfectly synced hip hop song create a captivating video that keeps viewers engaged throughout the full length.
Another distinctive factor is the catchy hip hop tune that accompanies the meme. The beat drops and memorable lyrics like “Yeah!” make the soundtrack extremely viral and conducive for remixes or mashups. The music amplifies the hilarity of the eccentric dancing cat.
Unlike memes that rely on inside jokes within specific communities, the Hip Hop Cat has very broad, universal appeal. Its simplicity allows it to transcend language and cultural barriers. The absurdity of a cat dancing to human hip hop music creates an inherently funny situation that people across many demographics find amusing.
While many meme formats burn out quickly, the Hip Hop Cat has shown rare staying power and longevity since its emergence in 2007. Its versatility and adaptability to new contexts have allowed it to remain relevant while less dynamic memes faded away. The meme’s popularity has yet to significantly decline, cementing its status as a true viral icon.
Lasting Significance
Hip Hop Cat memes soared in popularity in late 2022 and early 2023, capturing the cultural zeitgeist with their clever use of autotuned meows and infectious dance beats. While some initially dismissed them as just another flash-in-the-pan meme, there are signs that Hip Hop Cat may have a more enduring cultural impact.
Unlike many meme fads, Hip Hop Cat has shown versatility and staying power, with new remixes and mashups still being created weeks and months after the initial explosion in popularity. As this Reddit discussion notes, people continue to find creative ways to reuse the catchy autotuned meows, pairing them with everything from pop songs to emotional movie scenes.
The repetition and catchiness of Hip Hop Cat also gives it a psychological appeal, making it easy to remix and reuse in endless iterations. Marketers and brands have already latched onto Hip Hop Cat as well, using it in commercials and social posts. All of this suggests that Hip Hop Cat will not quickly fade from public consciousness.
Of course, no meme lasts forever. But Hip Hop Cat has shown an unusual sticking power so far. With its early adoption by mainstream media and brands, as well as its ongoing viral popularity in meme culture, Hip Hop Cat seems poised to remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
Lessons Learned
The hip hop cat meme teaches some interesting lessons about internet culture and virality. At its core, it shows how a simple, relatable meme or piece of content can spread rapidly online and be creatively remixed in many different ways. As Dena Rizzo points out in her YouTube video analyzing the meme, it succeeded because it combines cute cat content with a funny “dad dancing” moment that people find humorous and endearing (Rizzo). The meme also spread quickly because the original Sims animation is easily editable and remixable. This enabled many different variations and creative adaptations.
On a deeper level, the hip hop cat represents how internet users latch onto certain pieces of content that bring joy and amusement. As this meme demonstrates, people are drawn to humorous content that allows them to briefly escape their daily stresses. The meme perhaps also signifies people’s appreciation for novelty, cute animals, and nostalgic or vintage aesthetics. While short-lived, the hip hop cat brought smiles and entertainment to many during its viral heyday.
Conclusion
Hip hop cat is a ubiquitous and long-lasting meme from The Battle Cats game, having evolved into a beloved internet symbol representing hip hop culture. Despite some criticisms of appropriation or encouragement of rebellion, the meme is ultimately lighthearted and connects people worldwide who enjoy hip hop music and culture. While hip hop cat’s origins as a character in a mobile game may seem trivial, the meme’s incredible popularity demonstrates hip hop’s widespread appeal and influence. Rather than dividing people, hip hop cat brings fans together through humor and nostalgia. Memes like this highlight how even silly or frivolous content can take on deeper cultural meaning. Hip hop cat encapsulates an entire musical genre into one cute, dancing cat. By making hip hop more accessible and family-friendly, the meme has created new hip hop appreciators. While it may seem absurd at first glance, hip hop cat represents a playful new era of music discovery fueled by internet remix culture.