Back in August, it started as a joke, British Youtube comedian Michael Dapaah appeared on the BBC Radio show “Fire In The Booth” and spit a freestyle as Big Shaq. It was meant to mimic and parody grime, the sub-genre of rap that reigns supreme in the UK, but now after the “freestyle” went viral to the nth power, “Mans Not Hot” is set to become the biggest grime song ever.
With his vast array of gun sound effects and the phrase “mans not hot” the song was catchy enough to garner a true music video and is available for stream on Spotify and other streaming services.
According to Stereogum, “Mans Not Hot” currently sits at 11 on the UK charts, and is poised to both rise there and land on Billboard charts in the US soon. A stateside thumbprint for the song would be a major breakthrough for grime, as it hasn’t yet captivated Americans in quite the way it does the Brits or Drake.
Even in a laughing at them and not with them sense, having “Mans Not Hot” gain popularity in the US could cause some fans to give the foreign sound a listen, an that’s always a plus. Whether it surpasses hits from Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and the like remains to be seen, but what started off as a viral sensation is truly making an impact now and it can’t be denied.
