Crank Wave

Crank wave emerged during the mid–late 2000s, when inexpensive DAWs and social media (MySpace and early YouTube) enabled teens and local scenes to turn dance routines into hits. Its catalytic moment was Soulja Boy Tell 'Em’s breakout with “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” (2007), whose stripped snap beat, bright lead, and step-by-step dance spawned a flood of copycat “Crank Dat [X]” tracks.

Producers leaned on sparse 808s, claps on 2 and 4, and simple monophonic riffs that worked well through phone speakers. Artists uploaded tracks alongside dance tutorials, and regional crews amplified them at pep rallies, school dances, and block parties. The meme-like titling and hook structures made it easy for anyone to participate, fueling thousands of user-made videos and localized remixes.

Between 2007 and 2009, crank wave bled into broader snap/crunk radio success. National hits from the Southern dance-rap continuum—often featuring instructional hooks and chanty ad‑libs—traveled via ringtones, mixtapes, and club DJs.

Though the initial wave cooled as trap and blog rap rose in the 2010s, crank wave’s blueprint—short loops, participatory hooks, and platform-native dances—directly foreshadowed later social-media rap cycles. Its DNA is audible in jerk-era West Coast dance rap and, later, in TikTok-driven micro-hits that pair simple beats with instantly teachable choreography.