Dance challenges are still one of the most entertaining trends on TikTok. A current frontrunner is the “Keep Dat N***a” challenge.
Unlike some of the other challenges on the app, the dance, which was born of iCandy’s single of the same name, will take a lot more patience and a few rehearsals. But judging by the hundreds of thousands of videos already uploaded to TikTok, it’s a lot of fun and worth the effort.
Although the challenge became popular in 2023, the song was actually released on Nov. 24, 2022. And if the beat sounds a little familiar, it’s because iCandy samples KC & the Sunshine Band’s 1975 single “Boogie Shoes.”
As the dance challenge continues to grow in popularity, take a second to get up to speed on what the dance entails and who the artist is behind the viral song below.
iCandy is an emerging rapper coming out of Pompano Beach, Florida. She started making music when she was 14 years old, but didn’t start pursuing a serious music career until she was 16. According to an interview she did with “Off The Porch” in 2021, her “struggle” motivated her to pursue a music career. “It gave me a voice so I could really express myself,” she said. Growing up, iCandy says her nickname was always “Candy,” but when she started rapping, friends and family suggested she use the moniker iCandy. “Keep Dat N***a” might be her breakout song, but the rapper says the first song that put her on the radar in her hometown was a love song she released in high school called “Feelings.” Now, iCandy has a handful of danceable songs uploaded to streaming platforms.
“Keep Dat N***a” is a new dance challenge that has been trending on TikTok. Anyone can participate as long as you have a camera, speaker, and ample dancing space. The challenge involves a complex dance routine that mimics some of the lyrics in the song’s chorus. For instance, when the song says, “pretty face, and a real nice figure,” dancers are supposed to swat their hands by their face and then move their hips in a circular motion. When the song says, “shoot your shot,” you act like you’re taking a jumpshot. The dance overall looks a little intimidating, but luckily, some creators have broken it down step by step. Check out this tutorial below.
A lot of digital creators and TikTok creators are getting into the challenge. As of May 8, 2023, more than 240,000 videos have been uploaded to the social media platform under the song’s name, and the numbers continue to grow.
It’s hard to pin down an exact start date, but it appears the challenge might have begun in the first weeks of January 2023, coinciding with when the artist herself introduced the song to YouTube and TikTok. In the video, iCandy is seen dancing along to the track. The dance she is doing is not the exact routine that later went viral, but there are similar moves. In the comments, fans claim that “this goin to be the song of the summer.” Since then, several creators have uploaded videos, including Love Island’s Season 2 contestant, Justine Ndiba.
