This is Going Viral: A space where the internet’s biggest stars share what it’s like to find fame online.
“Hello, Christ? I'm about to sin again.”
Don't be mistaken; this isn't a confession. It’s one of the many catchy lines on emerging rap duo Flyana Boss’ viral single “You Wish.” The duo, made up of Folayan and Bobbi LaNea, has taken the digital world by storm in the past three months, captivating audiences with their dynamic rap verses — like "I be Michael Phelps / all the brand deals I be swimmin' in" — and quirky personalities. The latter is best seen in their short Instagram Reels, which showcase the girls bobbing and weaving through unsuspecting crowds at various locations, from a church in Los Angeles to a random Chipotle and Times Square.
Their journey began when LaNea, a native of Detroit, and Folayan, hailing from Dallas, crossed paths at the Musicians Institute L.A. Drawn to each other's undeniable talent, they decided to join forces and form Flyana Boss. Upon moving to L.A., they embarked on a relentless pursuit of social media stardom by posting their music and quirky videos on TikTok daily for the last two years, hoping to catch the world's attention. Their dedication paid off when they dropped their first video for “You Wish” on June 15, which garnered significant attention. However, it was their ingenious idea of swapping bikes for running shoes and using the song’s second verse that drew an even bigger audience.
The girls' running videos quickly became a sensation, amassing millions of views across TikTok and other social media platforms. In fact, their unique approach has even garnered the support of celebrities like Missy Elliott and Lupita Nyong’o, who shouted them out on social media and even filmed their own running videos. But contrary to what some may think, Flyana Boss insists that their running videos were never a marketing scheme orchestrated by some greater force. “We're not schemers. We don't know about marketing. We just be trying things,” LaNea says. Jumping in, Folayan adds, “No one came [with a] magic wand and said, ‘It's your time!’ We had to create it. But the magic is Black girl magic. That's what it is.”
Beyond their catchy tunes and viral videos, what truly sets Flyana Boss apart is their unbreakable bond. As they put it, they're “the same, like a synonym.” Throughout the interview, they finish each other's sentences, adding comical theatrics, and share a genuine camaraderie that only best friends possess.
In this interview, we discuss their budding fame, get into what happens behind the scenes of their running videos, and look to what’s next.
How have you guys been adjusting to being viral sensations?
Folayan: And you know, we wanted this our whole life. We've been preparing for this our whole life, and especially since we started to do well, this is what we wanted, the big time.
Bobbi LaNea: Yeah, I think we're handling it really well.
What is the story behind your name Flyana Boss?
BL: [Halle Berry] was one of the names we were tossing around. We never officially said, “We're Halle Berry,” or anything.
F: But we wanted to do a play on some already famous person's name.
BL: Yeah, like Nipsey Hussle. That's a play on a famous actor's name. So we wanted to do something like that.
F: So she went to sleep one night; she woke up the next morning. And there's this poster of Diana Ross in her room. It's really in her room. And she says, “Flyana Boss.”
BL: And then I texted her “Flyana Boss.” We also had Cryana Boss, but we decided to go with a more positive one, fly, rather than cry. But we do be crying.
How has going to art school shaped your careers?
F: I think learning the basics is always important because then you can play with things way more, because you know where it started, and then you can just like, put your own tweak on it.
BL: Yeah, and you can take it as far as you want to take if you know where you came from.
You all have a distinct sound. How would you describe it or categorize it?
F & BL: Cute girl rap.
How did you guys settle on that?
BL: Because we're cute, we rap…
F: And we girls.
"We're not schemers. We don't know about marketing. We just be trying things."
Who do you make music for though? Who do you think is your main audience?
F: Our younger selves.
BL: Yeah, so girls like us. But also marginalized communities, people who feel like underappreciated or downtrodden or weird or odd. But we're Black women — our core is for Black women, but it's for anybody who feels like left out.
How did you all feel when Missy Elliott showed love to you both on social media?
F: Wow, crazy! Insane!
BL: Still unbelievable. Actually, every time it's brought up, like, did that really happen?
F: At first it was, are we being punked right now? I think Ashton is about to pop out.
BL: So we appreciate Missy. We love her to the day we die.
Are there any other artists or people that you admire who showed love?
BL: Lil Nas X.
F: Yeah, he commented on a video. That was wild. Lupita did the challenge, like ran towards the camera in Paris? In Chanel.
BL: I mean, Keke Palmer posted us on her story… There’s been a few.
How did you all come up with the running video plan for “You Wish”?
F: So as far as marketing scheme, we didn't know.
BL: Yeah, we're not schemers. We don't know about marketing. We just be trying things.
F: So we told ourselves two years ago that we're just going to post every single day on TikTok, sometimes three times or two times a day, but we're not going to miss a day. We missed a couple days, but that's neither here nor there. So each time the content just got better and better. And then we met our videographer, Evan Blum, and he changed our lives. And it just transformed. And so one day, I was like, OK, I really want us to ride bikes. And I wanted him to be in a car, and we followed the car with the bikes.
BL: And then she also wanted us to run before we rented the bike.
F: Yeah, because we didn't know what else to do on the street. So we were like, let's ride, and then that video went really well.
How long after your first post did you notice it catching on?
BL: The very first runner went off. It was of the first verse though. It got like a half a million views in a day, which was the most we ever got in a day at that time. So we felt like we were on to something. We had a couple more that were recorded, that we posted. And then they all did really well.
F: And that was maybe like, two weeks, three weeks before the song came out.
BL: And then once the song came out, we dropped the second verse. And that went even crazier than the first verse did, and now we get a mill everytime we post on TikTok. It’s insane.
"No one came [with a] magic wand and said, ‘It's your time!’ We had to create it. But the magic is Black girl magic."
Wow, so your camera guy, Evan, isn’t in a car or on some sort of wheels?
BL: No, he’s running.
F: There's so many theories online. Like, “He has a backpack!”
BL: No, he's running with a Sony CVE. He played lacrosse, so he's very agile. He knows how to dodge through people. He's a one-man band, like a visionary creative director extraordinaire, Evan Blum.
Either of you former track stars?
F: I got shin splints.
BL: She hates running. I used to run growing up. I actually enjoy running. I told her for a while that I want to do a marathon. And then she's like, ”Well, guess what? We're gonna be running for the rest of our lives.”
If you could guess, how many steps have you taken throughout this process?
BL: We don't know. We don't have a clue. The steps. The video is only 25 seconds long. Yeah. And we're splitting that time.
F: But Evan goes faster on her verse.
BL: Because he hates me. One time we were filming, and he was going a little too slow. This was in the very beginning of the runners. And I'm just like, “Evan, hurry up! Run, run!” And then, ever since then he runs faster and faster every time.
How many takes do you do of each running video?
F: Most of the time, it's in places that we're not allowed to run in.
BL: So we got to get in and get out. You don't get two takes at Costco.
Do you all typically ask for permission when running through establishments like Chipotle?
BL: Oh no, you can't do that. They're gonna say no.
F: You got to ask for forgiveness.
So did you all get in trouble?
F: So while people are noticing what's happening, it's already over… We're already running out the door. Exactly.
Fans in the comments want to know if the people in the videos are extras.
F: So the Chipotle one specifically, there was a guy. He was just getting his bowl. Just a normal dude.
BL: And he's like, “Are y’all about to do a running video?”
F: And we were like, “You want to be in it?” So I stole his food. For everyone on TikTok asking, “Did you give his food back?” Yes! He was in on it. What a great guy.
You typically only do one take, but have there ever been any bloopers, like cuts of you all tripping or running into anyone?
F: Yeah, so the pizza place runner. I kept forgetting to grab a pizza because I was supposed to have a route then grab this pizza, and I kept forgetting. We did like three takes.
BL: Yeah, but we've never tripped or bumped into anyone. None of those type of bloopers.
How many more running videos you all intend on filming?
FK: Well, we're gonna keep going until the wheels fall off. Hopefully we make it to Paris.
BL: Or the Great Wall of China or Big Ben.
What is on your bucket list of places to run?
BL: The Eiffel Tower.
F: Now I want to go international, be an international runner. Take me anywhere outside the country.
Did you run into any problem filming around the church?
FK: No, we respect the Lord. Shouts out to God. Period. We didn't go in. We did get kicked out.
BL: We were on the front yard of the church, and we were trying to do a mini outside church runner. And she was like, “Oh no, you have to go.” We still did the video. But we didn't post it. Yeah.
Fans have also suggested different places to run. What are some of the weirdest requests?
F: People keep saying their house.
BL: What's so special about your house?
F: If it was Drake's house, we're gonna run through it. That seems like a cool house. But if you're living in a studio bedroom apartment in North Hollywood, California, we're not running there. There is nowhere to run. But if you have a house in the hills? Let us know — send us pics!
Why do you think these types of videos work so well?
F: Honestly, we asked TikTok, and they said, “Y'all got the juice.”
BL: I think it's a combination of a few things: The song is actually really good. Phat beats, phat bars. Also, we’re fire whether we're standing or running. So if we run, it's fire. I don't know what to say here.
F: Yeah, the song is good; the visuals are good. They're like, “Where are these girls going? What are they doing? Who are these groups?”
BL: There's a lot of questions to be asked when you're watching this.
Copycat videos are popping up everywhere. What are your thoughts on people doing your trend?
BL: We love inspiring people; we love being influenced or being influencers. Whatever. Keep running. We love it.
How do you maintain your individuality in a rap duo?
F: We always like to say we're the same, but different…
BL: Like a synonym. We both are very supportive of each other's individuality, and we bond over our commonalities. So she wants to wear these ears; I fucks with it, because that's her. And I love her for being her.
What inspired you to wear fairy ears?
F: A year ago, I came to Bobbi and I was like, “I got the perfect idea.” I was like, ”We need a thing. What if we wear elf ears all the time?” And she was like, “Girl, if you like it, I love it. Do you.” And it took me a little while. Manager at a dispensary that I worked at, they were wearing ears and they're also a cute Black girl. And I was like, “I love your ears.” They really inspired me to start wearing them.
Megan Thee Stallion called you two onstage at the Essence Fest. How was that experience and interaction with Meg?
F: No. We were just in the front because we're big Meg Thee Stallion fans. We were just giving her energy, nailing all of her lyrics. And then she's like, “We need some hotties onstage.” She was like, “Fairy girl.” And I was like, “No!” And she said, “Why not you?” I was like, ”We have to go together.” But she didn't know who we were. But then Twitter went crazy… And I’m not a twerker, so I was just in the corner.
BL: And I wasn't wearing my twerk attire. I love to twerk, but I was wearing a short dress and I just couldn't throw it the way I wanted to. It's one of the biggest regrets in my life.
F: But I looked at the video, and the thumper was thumping.
When you blow up like you guys have, people tend to think there are some magical forces at play that are helping you guys. What would you say to people who think just like someone's behind the scenes, calling the shots?
F: Google's free. You can go and…
BL: See our come-up. You can see when our edges weren't laid, and our braids were fuzzy. We were making crappy TikToks for a very, very long time.
F: Two years straight posting every day and no one came [with a] magic wand and said, “It's your time!” We had to create it. But the magic is Black girl magic. That's what it is.
F: Mixed with the algorithm. Something about the algorithm is loving us right now.
"We’re not going to run forever."
What is the biggest misconception about you all?
F: I'd say the industry plant one.
BL: Yeah, it's really annoying. Who plants industry plants? What garden is this? We both are from working-class families. We didn't have industry connections. We moved from our towns to L.A. to make our dreams come true, and somehow it happened.
F: Yeah, we met our managers four years ago. And they helped us put out our first song. Yeah, and then they started a JV with Atlantic. We were all just working at it.
What even is an industry plant?
BL: I don't fully know either. And before we got called this, I thought maybe there was such a thing, but it’s not. You plant yourself — the industry can’t plant you.
F: You can have a lot of money and put a lot of money towards your stuff, and it still doesn't go viral, because that's how the algorithm works.
What are you two currently working on?
F: A lot more music. Yeah. That's pretty much it.
BL: We want to go on tour.
F: Real bad… Brand deals are in our DMs.
BL: Yeah, they're percolating manifestation.
Are you all working on an EP or an album of any sort?
F: We're not quite sure. We just know we're gonna have more releases this year.
BL: We want to build the Flyana Boss world. But we’re not sure what form it is — if it's a single project or album, we don't know yet. We're still running.
What would you name your fan base?
BL: We were just talking about this in the car.
F: We want them to name themselves, because that's more authentic. But a couple of names that have crossed our timelines is Bossies, Besties, Fly Girls.
BL: Someone wrote the Sprinters. But we’re not going to run forever.
F: Yeah, my legs can’t.
Is there anything on your bucket list of career goals?
F: Tour.
BL: I want to do the Super Bowl.
What is the most important thing people should know about you right now?
BL: We're best friends in real life. That’s not fake. This is literally the best friend I've ever had in my life. And I'm so grateful to be on this journey with her.
F: I love you so much. We always have this moment when we look into each other’s eyes, and we start crying.
BL: Yeah, we love each other. We love doing this, and we're really grateful for everything that has happened to us recently.
