The Song Planner

Meme Rap

tagStarted 2007Peak 2017-2023Last big hit still active

Located in 2 routes

Hip-Hop / Rap → Internet / DIY / Scene RapHip-Hop / Rap → Theme / Character / Novelty Rap

Rap engineered for, or catapulted by, internet virality: short, hook-forward songs tied to a dance, a catchphrase, or a TikTok sound. Production is minimal and instantly looping, optimized for a 15-second clip, the track's reach driven by memeability and platform algorithms more than radio or lyrical depth.

History

Soulja Boy's 2007 'Crank That' fused a self-made dance with Myspace and YouTube into rap's first true internet-virality blueprint. The TikTok era industrialized it: Lil Nas X turned a meme into the longest-running US No. 1 with 'Old Town Road' (2019), and a wave of clip-optimized hits followed, the platform sound now a deliberate production target.

Defining artists

Essential listening

← Explore Hip-Hop / Rap

Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town_Road
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crank_That_(Soulja_Boy)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme