| Jerkin' | |
|---|---|
 An image of a jerk dance performance, also referred to as jerkin'. | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 2000s; Los Angeles, California |
| Typical instruments |
|
| Derivative forms | Jerk |
| Other topics | |
Jerkin' orJerk is astreet dance culture andhip hop subgenre originating in urban California in the late 2000s. It gained mainstream popularity outside of California byInland Empire-based groupsNew Boyz andAudio Push,[1] and has origins in theLos Angeles metropolitan area.[2] Since breaking into the mainstream in 2009, jerkin' gained fans along theWest Coast,East Coast, and in Europe, notably France and Germany, although it was heavily derided in the Southern United States.[3]
During the early 2020s, the original jerk rap scene inspired amicrogenre simply known as "jerk", which was spearheaded by New York rapperXaviersobased alongside his collective1c34, and Californian producerkashpaint, who reimagined the sound of jerk rap with contemporaneous influences, a style which later saw wider prominence in theUnited Kingdom.
According to Oktane of Audio Push, jerkin' culture came from gang members dancing at parties, stating: "Jerking actually came from gang-banging. Like, it was a dance that gang members did. Like, the anti-dance. If you were in the party and everyone was dancing, [the gang members] would be doing the jerk."[1] The dance itself consists of moving your legs in and out called the "jerk", and doing other moves such as the "reject", "dip", and "pindrop".[4]
The rap groupNew Boyz pioneered jerk rap through their hit in Los Angeles entitled "You're a Jerk",[5] followed byAudio Push's "Teach Me How to Jerk". As the jerk subculture continued to flourish, several new groups specializing in jerk rap were courted and signed by major labels.Arista Records had signed the groupthe Rej3ctz, whilst jerk groups Cold Flamez and Pink Dollaz also gained recognition.[6][7] Once Jerkin' went mainstream, new dance crews and artists began competing and performing at events in Southern California as well as in other parts of the world as its popularity spread. The Ranger$ crew not only competes in dance contests, winning numerous awards, but have recorded several songs and have been signed to a major label.[8] Other notable crews in the Southern California area include Action Figure$, U.C.L.A. Jerk Kings, and the LOL Kid$z.[6]
People who jerk usually wearskinny jeans (varying from the unusual to the usual colors and washes), considered a rejection of thebaggy pants style. Many elements ofscene and the raver are used in the jerkin' movement, such as bright colored clothing, tight pants, or novelty graphic tees. Additionally, people who engage in jerk dances generally wear hightop or retro shoes, includingChuck Taylor andNike hightop shoes. Shoes may or may not be multi-colored.[4]
.jpg)
In the early 2020s, a new generation of underground rappers and producers began drawing influence from the original jerk rap sound into a new genre simply known as "jerk". Although, the revival did not reproduce the original style verbatim, instead reimagining it with faster tempos, more melodic synth layers, and abstract, often humorous or off-kilter lyricism.[9]
The sound was initially penned by New York rapperXaviersobased, alongside his collective1c34, who are credited with spearheading and popularizing the movement which was then further developed by Californian producer kashpaint and later evolved by incorporating influences fromMilwaukee lowend,plugg music anddigicore.[10] Xavier's 2022 track "Patchmade", produced by kashpaint is widely regarded as a foundational moment.[10][9]
The movement was later carried forward by artists, Phreshboyswag and Subiibabii. Earlier works by rappersNettspend andYhapojj also helped popularize the genre. Notable underground rappers likeDuwap Kaine, later took influence from the style, releasing the albumDuwapSoBased in 2023.[10] While rooted in the United States, the movement gained further momentum in the UK with artists likeYT,[11] Len, Fimiguerrero,[12] andFakemink[13] being credited with spearheading a "new UK rap revolution".[14][15][16][17]
