jerkin'
{{Short description|Music genre}}{{For2|the 1960s dance|The Jerk (dance)|the Amyl and the Sniffers song|Cartoon Darkness}}
{{pp-semi-protected|small=yes}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name = Jerk
| image = Kids jerkin.jpg
| caption = An image of a jerk dance performance, also referred to as jerkin'.
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|West Coast hip hop|hyphy}}
| cultural_origins = Late 2000s; Los Angeles, California
| instruments = {{hlist|Sampler|synthesizer|drums|keyboard|vocals}}
| other_topics = {{hlist|Hip hop music|history of hip hop music|timeline of hip hop}}
}}
Jerkin' or Jerk is a street dance culture and hip hop subgenre originating in urban California in the late 2000s. It gained mainstream popularity outside of California by Inland Empire-based groups New Boyz and Audio Push,{{cite web |title=Fashion Flavor: Audio Push Discusses What Killed The Jerking Culture And Their Fashion Influence On The Mainstream |url=https://www.vibe.com/2011/05/fashion-flavor-audio-push-discusses-what-killed-jerking-culture-and-their-fashion-influence/ |website=Vibe |date=2 May 2011 |access-date=18 July 2018 |ref=vibejerkindance}} and has origins in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.{{cite web|last=Reid |first=Shaheem |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615680/20090710/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716141528/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1615680/20090710/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 16, 2009 |title=New Boyz Say They're More Than Just Jerkin' Rappers – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News |publisher=MTV |date=2009-07-13 |access-date=2010-06-06}} Since breaking into the mainstream in 2009, jerkin' gained fans along the West Coast, East Coast, and in Europe, notably France and Germany, although it was heavily derided in the Southern United States.{{cite web|first=Jeff|last=Weiss |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2009-08-06/music/we-8217-re-jerkin-8217/ |title=We're Jerkin (Starring the New Boyz, J-Hawk and Pink Dollaz) – Page 1 – Music – Los Angeles |work=LA Weekly |date=2009-08-06 |access-date=2010-06-06}}
In the early 2020s, a new style of "jerk rap" formed spearheaded by New York rapper Xaviersobased alongside his collective 1c34, which was later further developed by Californian producer kashpaint as well as artists like Yhapojj and Nettspend.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-16 |title=The State of Nu-Jerk |url=https://www.passionweiss.com/2025/04/15/nu-jerk-2025-nettspend-yhapojj-xaviersobased/ |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Passion of the Weiss |language=en-US}} The scene later developed further in the UK, with rappers YT,{{Cite web |last=Selenou |first=Serge |title=YT: OI! |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yt-oi/ |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} Fimiguerrero, Lancey Foux{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds |first=Kieran |title=Fimiguerrero / Len / Lancey Foux: CONGLOMERATE |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fimiguerrero-len-lancey-foux-conglomerate/ |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} and Fakemink{{Cite web |last=Madden |first=Emma |title=fakemink: “Givenchy” |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/fakemink-givenchy/ |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} drawing influence from the sound.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-30 |title=THE FACE’s guide to the American rap underground |url=https://theface.com/music/underground-internet-rap-rage-carti-yeat-ambient-plugg-iokera-terror-jerk-krushclub-lumi-athena |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Face |language=en-gb}}
Background
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." 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".
Music
The rap group New Boyz wrote and recorded a hit in Los Angeles entitled "You're a Jerk",{{cite web|last=Roberts |first=Steven |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617232/20090729/new_boyz.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801124129/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617232/20090729/new_boyz.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2009 |title=New Boyz Challenge Chris Brown To A Jerkin' Competition – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News |publisher=MTV |date=2009-07-29 |access-date=2010-06-06}} while Audio Push wrote and recorded "Teach Me How To Jerk". As the jerk culture continued to flourish, several new groups specializing in the Jerk style were being courted and signed by major labels. Arista had signed to the group The Rej3ctz, and the label was seriously looking into many other jerk groups that were flourishing on the Internet.{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/06/jerky-boys-and-girls.html |title=Jerky boys and girls: New Boyz, Rej3ctz and more lead a new youth movement |newspaper=L.A. Times Music Blog |date=June 12, 2009 |access-date=December 18, 2009}}
Dance crews
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ThemPRangers/profile/?song-1|title=The Ranger$|work=HotNewHipHop}} Other notable crews in the Southern California area include Action Figure$, U.C.L.A. Jerk Kings, and the LOL Kid$z.
Fashion
People who jerk usually wear skinny jeans (varying from the unusual to the usual colors and washes), considered a rejection of the baggy pants style. Many elements of scene 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, including Chuck Taylor and Nike hightop shoes. Shoes may or may not be multi-colored.{{cite web |url=http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/31/skinny-jeans-movement-bringing-jerkin-online/ |title='Skinny Jeans Movement' Bringing Jerkin' Online |work=tubefilter.tv |access-date=2010-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510202054/http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/31/skinny-jeans-movement-bringing-jerkin-online/ |archive-date=2010-05-10 |url-status=dead }}
2020s Revival
File:Xaviersobased (2-2-23).jpg performing at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, NY on February 2nd, 2023.]]
In the early 2020s, a new generation of underground rappers and producers began drawing influence from the original sound, adapting its framework to fit the evolving aesthetics of cloud rap and hyperpop. This revival did not reproduce the original style verbatim but reimagined it with faster tempos, more melodic synth layers, and abstract, often humorous or off-kilter lyricism.
The sound was initially penned by New York rappers Xaviersobased and st47ic, alongside their collective 1c34, who are credited with spearheading and popularizing the movement which was then further developed by Californian producer kashpaint and later evolved by incorporating influences from Milwaukee lowend, plugg music and digicore.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-30 |title=THE FACE’s guide to the American rap underground |url=https://theface.com/music/underground-internet-rap-rage-carti-yeat-ambient-plugg-iokera-terror-jerk-krushclub-lumi-athena |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Face |language=en-gb}} Xavier's 2022 track “patchmade,” produced by Kashpaint is widely regarded as a foundational moment.
The movement was later carried forward by artists such as Yhapojj, Nettspend, Phreshboyswag and Subiibabii. Notable underground rappers like Duwap Kaine, later took influence from the style, releasing the album "DuwapSoBased" in 2023.
While rooted in the U.S., the movement gained further momentum in the UK with artists like YT, Fimiguerrero, Lancey Foux and Fakemink being credited with spearheading a "new UK rap revolution".{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2025-02-28 |title=9 underground artists leading the UK’s rap revolution |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/66191/1/dazed-uk-rappers-cover-spring-2025-victory-lap-yt-niko-b-bxks-jim-legxacy-kwes-e |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Dazed |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |date=2025-03-21 |title=Y2K Nostalgia Is Everywhere, and UK Rappers Can’t Get Enough of It |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/y2k-nostalgia-is-everywhere-and-uk-rappers-cant-get-enough-of-it/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2025-03-07 |title=5 highlights from Plaqueboymax’s UK underground livestream |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/66317/1/5-highlights-from-plaqueboymaxs-uk-underground-livestream-yt-jim-legxacy-kwes-e |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Dazed |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=25 UK Rappers To Watch In 2025 |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/joseph-jp-patterson/25-uk-rappers-to-watch-in-2025 |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Complex |language=en}}