A Unique Remix Takes Over TikTok
Over the past few weeks, a unique remix combining 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" with Nicki Minaj's "Beez in the Trap" has become a viral sensation on TikTok. This unexpected blend has captured the attention of celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter, Demi Lovato, Malala Yousafzai, and Simone Biles, who have all participated in the trend.
The videos begin with Linda Perry's iconic vocals from "What's Up?" - "I wake up in the morning and I step outside" - before transitioning into the catchy beat of Minaj's "Beez in the Trap." As Perry delivers the song's high notes, Minaj's rap voice takes over with the line, "Bitches ain't shit, and they ain't say nothing." This mashup has become one of the most shared tracks this month, used as a soundtrack for everything from Halloween costumes to showcasing friendships with diverse personalities.
The Creator Behind the Trend
DJ Aux Lord, an Ohio-based college senior, is the mastermind behind the viral sound. They chose to remain anonymous, not revealing their name or gender. Despite the massive success, Aux Lord admits they were surprised by the reaction. "I'm so gagged," they told Rolling Stone. "It's just been so crazy."
The remix was initially posted on their TikTok page in August, receiving 50,000 likes but not much more traction. Aux Lord, who is classically trained in piano and currently studying psychology, created the account to share their adventurous mashups with close friends. They never anticipated such a large response.
"I think it's really fun to mix songs that don't have to do with each other," they said. "There was no real reason why I chose to mix these. I don't know if they were in the same key or similar keys, but I thought it was so funny. The beat on 'Beez' is so catchy that it went so well with the vocals."
The Impact of the Trend
Only Aux Lord's close friends know who is behind the account, which has been viewed millions of times and used over 400,000 times on the platform. Notable users include members of Katseye, Dancing with the Stars competitors, Marcello Hernández, and, most recently, Lovato, Troye Sivan, Rachel Sennott, and Adéla.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Linda Perry called the remix "ridiculous in all the best ways," saying it made her get on TikTok for the first time. Earlier this month, she joined artist Sophia Treadway in a lip-sync video using the song.
"She convinced me, and then after we released the version of me doing 'What's Up' and her doing 'Beez,' her followers were like 'FLIP IT' and honestly, I don't know what that means," Perry said with a laugh. "I mean, it's pretty awesome, I must say. It's out of control."
The Rise in Music Streams
The trend has led to a significant increase in Spotify streams for Minaj's track, which jumped 460 percent globally this month. Gen Z listeners drove a 2,120 percent jump in discovery of Minaj's music through the song. Meanwhile, 4 Non-Blondes' "What's Up" saw a 75 percent boost. This increase might seem small, but it's because it already saw a jump last month thanks to Cardi B and Lizzo's "What's Goin' On," which sampled the original.
Minaj, for her part, used the TikTok sound to share a carousel of photos and encouraged fans to support those doing the trend: "Barbz, show love to the ppl doing the trend. love you. You're cute. Or whatever."
A New Journey for DJ Aux Lord
DJ Aux Lord jokes that their close friends call them "Radio Rebel," a nod to the secret DJ character played by Debby Ryan in the Disney Channel Original, since they've been spinning at parties at their college (including one this weekend) without anyone knowing they're behind the viral trend.
Beyond the Perry-Minaj mashup, they've also blended HorsegiirL with the Beatles, Taylor Swift with Charli XCX, and Chappell Roan's "The Subway" with City Girls' "Act Up" - all while using an app on their iPad called DJ Pro. (At parties, they clarify, they use their DDJ-FLX4.)
"A lot of people think music mixing and DJing are hard to get into as a hobby, but it goes to show you don't need expensive equipment to reach a large audience," they said. "I think I'm going to keep doing it for fun for now. It's a fun hobby, but I might branch out in the winter and see if I could DJ at gigs as a side hustle. I didn't think I was going to go this far."
A Future Collaboration?
Linda Perry, for her part, is manifesting a real-life moment with the Queen of Rap: "I think everyone is trying to get Nicki and me to do one together," she said. "It would be fun, and the best part is? 'I love Nicki Minaj!'"
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