It’s the commercial breakthrough Nems has been waiting for. It feels good that the President of the United States knows who I am.”Īs soon as “bing bong” caught on among his core fanbase, Nems recorded a song called “Bing Bong” for his 2021 LP, “Congo.” It turned out to be a wise move, with the track now garnering radio play across the country. “But it’s awesome that he’s in the video. “When the video shows him, the line is supposed to say, ‘Hey, yo,’ but he didn’t do it,” he jokingly laments. He just wishes POTUS had delivered some of the dialogue. Their video even features a cameo from President Biden, which Nems considers the pinnacle of his newfound success. Just when you thought “bing bong” had reached its zenith, the Jonas Brothers took it to the White House. Says Nems: “I already knew it was big, but once I saw all those celebrities do it, I knew it was really taking BONG! The resulting video amassed more than 64.5 million views. “If I’m not saying it, somebody associated with me is saying it because it took off in my neighborhood.”Īudio from “Sidetalk quickly” went viral on TikTok due to the colorful characters of Coney Island, Nems’ trademark mispronunciation of Joe Biden (“Joe Byron”) and the liberal use of his signature phrase, “bing bong.” It then went on to soundtrack hundreds of thousands of TikTok videos, including Lil Nas X’s all-star rendition recorded at Variety’s Hitmakers event in December.Īt the Hitmakers event, he called on fellow attendees and honorees Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Normani, Anitta, Tinashe, Jack Harlow and Chloe Bailey to help him recreate the Sidetalk episode. “In the first episode I hosted, I said ‘bing bong’ and it just became a theme,” Nems explains. IHeartRadio Jingle Ball Lands in New York City With Ed Sheeran, Lil Nas X and Self-Described 'Swiftie,' Jimmy Fallonĥ Takeaways From Variety's Hitmakers Award Show The 21 Best Variety Cover Stories From 2021 Fans soon adopted it en masse, but the term really caught fire when he hosted an episode of “Sidetalk NYC,” a popular one-minute documentary series, which shines a light on different neighborhoods in New York City. The rapper was showing off new merchandise on social media and the words “bing bong” just popped out of his mouth.
“I started the phrase in early 2021,” Nems explains.