Topline
Everyone from Sabrina Carpenter to Malala Yousafzai is lip-syncing on TikTok to an unexpected remix mashing up Nicki Minaj’s hit “Beez in the Trap” with 4 Non Blondes’ ‘90’s classic, “What’s Up,” which has been used in hundreds of thousands of videos on the social media platform with both artists embracing the trend.
Nicki Minaj and 4 Non Blondes have both embraced the bizarre viral trend. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Key Facts
While appearing on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” this week, Yousafzai joined Fallon in a TikTok video lip-syncing to the bizarre remix—Fallon started by singing along to the 4 Non Blondes song, while Yousafzai took Minaj’s rap verse.
In a follow-up post, Yousafzai shared a video of herself learning Minaj’s verse, crossing out a few swear words she didn’t want to say and joking that rehearsing for both that video and speeches to the United Nations are “difficult for different reasons.”
Yousafzai and Fallon’s take on the 4 Non Blondes-Minaj trend may be the most popular one yet, with their video garnering nearly 10 million likes and 62 million views.
In the bizarrely catchy trend that is dominating TikTok, 4 Non Blondes first sing a line from “What’s Up” over the instantly recognizable beat to Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap,” and Minaj then raps an expletive-laden line from the hook to her own song.
Participants in the trend typically stand back-to-back as a cameraperson pans from one person, who sings the 4 Non Blondes line, to the other, who raps along with Minaj.
The original remix was created and posted by TikTok user @dj.auxlord, who posts mashups to plenty of random and seemingly incompatible songs, in August, but the trend took off in October with more than 462,000 posts using the remix shared on the app.
Who Else Has Taken Part In The Trend?
Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter joined “Saturday Night Live” cast member Marcello Hernandez for the trend ahead of Carpenter’s “SNL” hosting gig over the weekend, garnering more than 3.6 million likes and 18 million views. Co-stars from the 1993 film “The Sandlot,” Patrick Renna and Chauncey Leopardi, recreated the trend on a baseball field, receiving more than 2 million likes. Demi Lovato posted a TikTok on Thursday lip-syncing to the songs alongside singers Troye Sivan and Adéla and actress Rachel Sennott. Katseye, the girl group that made waves over the summer with their viral Gap ad, also joined in the trend. TikTok users have also put their own spin on the trend, with many using it to debut their Halloween costumes. One user earned more than 2 million likes using the remix to debut his costume as the central characters from the 2004 film “White Chicks,” and another user garnered 2 million likes unveiling a Pennywise costume, the clown from “It.”
How Have 4 Non Blondes And Nicki Minaj Responded?
“We can’t believe the love this trend is getting!” 4 Non Blondes and lead singer Linda Perry said in a joint Instagram post Thursday, sharing some of their favorite iterations of the trend, including those starring Carpenter and celebrities from “Dancing with the Stars.” “Crazy,” Perry added in a comment. Perry posted her own video on TikTok, joining artist Sophia Treadway, in which Perry took over Minaj’s verse. Minaj has also embraced the trend—she reposted Yousafzai and Fallon’s take on the remix this week, and she reposted a video by the TikTok account @retirementhouse Friday morning, offering praise: “🔟🔟🔟.”
Tangent
“What’s Up” surged on the U.S. iTunes chart as the trend continues to dominate, with the 32-year-old song ranking No. 28 as of Friday morning. Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap” re-entered the rap digital song sales Billboard chart last week at No. 2, a new peak for the 13-year-old song.
Further Reading
What Is ‘Group 7’? TikTok Trend Helps Singer Sophia James Find A New Audience (Forbes)
What Is ‘67’? Viral Internet ‘Brainrot’ Meme Frustrates Teachers, Sparks ‘South Park’ Parody (Forbes)