Diddy Can’t “Harlem Shake” Away From Infectious NY Anthem

Written By S. Samuel

Bad Boy Records CEO Diddy recently reacted to the buzz New York producer Baauer has created with his infectious "Harlem Shake" trap music anthem.

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Looking deeper than just the song’s beat, Puffy co-signed the widespread attention “Harlem Shake” has received and how it has inspired people to show off their dance moves.

“It’s fun; it’s a fun version. Any time people are dancing, especially in this day and age when everybody’s trying to be so cool, and people are letting loose, letting off some steam, I agree with it.” The way Diddy sees it, the new dance is all about having fun, and he’s ready to support anything that promotes Harlem in a positive light. “I do want people to get educated on the real Harlem Shake, it’s something that’s an art form, but anything that’s branding Harlem, my hometown, I’m all for it.” (MTV)

The catchy record even motivated Terror Squad leader Fat Joe to support it earlier this month.

“Harlem Shake” mania continues to sweep the nation. From entire sports teams to puppies, Baauer’s hit song has spawned thousands of viral videos on YouTube. Now Fat Joe is getting in on the craze. The Bronx rapper busts out the robot while dancing with his Terror Squad and Epidemic family in the studio. (Rap-Up)

Not only popular in the Big Apple, “Harlem Shake” has turned into a global phenomenon.

Some students and education officials in North Africa are in an uproar over — of all things — the “Harlem Shake.” The viral dance video that has spawned thousands of copycats and plenty of eyerolls around the world is not so popular with authorities in Tunisia, where education minister Abdeltif Abid called it “an insult to the educational message” and promised an investigation into a version filmed at a local high school. In Egypt on Feb. 23, police arrested four university students for filming a version of the dance outside in their underwear, reports Lebanon’s Daily Star. Since then, Egypt Daily News reports a student group called “Satiric Revolutionary Struggle” has cropped up in Cairo, with plans to dance the Harlem Shake in front of the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters. (Washington Post)

Despite its growing appeal, the dance has received backlash for its lack of originality.

The real Harlem Shake, a much more raw, technical, fluid, frenetic dance, was born in New York City about 14 years ago. But while some in Harlem have taken offense at the rebranding, and posted videos of their own in response, the four-man dance crew many credit as having pioneered and popularized the dance see another shot at stardom, the kind that burns brighter and longer than a 30-second parody. “I’m not a hater,” said Maurice “Motion ” Strayhorne, one of the original Harlem Shakers as part of the Crazy Boyz dance crew. “But it’s bitter in the sense of, it’s like they’re disrespecting the whole style of dancing.” (New York Times)

Check out Fat Joe’s “Harlem Shake” dance:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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