Logo
Takeoff (from left), Quavo and Offset of Southern rap group Migos.Nathan SissleTakeoff (from left), Quavo and Offset of Southern rap group Migos.Nathan Sissle

Still doing the whip and the nae-nae at parties? Then get with the times, because the dance made famous by Silentó is old news. The latest craze has been ushered in by rising hip-hop trio Migos.

The dance, popularized by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who celebrates touchdowns with it, has its origins in Atlanta hip-hop circles.

It’s based on an incredibly simple motion that makes it look like you’re sneezing into your arm. Newton picked it up from Migos’ 2015 track “Look at My Dab” and its subsequent video. And over the last six months, the likes of Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates and Stevie Wonder have all been spotted doing it.

“We gave the world dab fever!” laughs unofficial frontman Quavo (real name Quavious Marshall). And to many, the dance is more famous than the group. But 24-year-old Quavo insists that while Gates and Clinton are probably not so up to speed on Migos’ tough, Southern trap musical style, Newton has been a fan of the group since the start.

“Cam was into us back when we did ‘Versace,’” says Quavo, referring to their breakout 2013 hit. “We speak to him on the phone sometimes — he’s a fan of us and we’re a fan of his. We know people have been saying negative things about Cam [in the wake of the Super Bowl], but he’s gonna bounce back even stronger next season.”

Quavo himself had designs on being a football star. Growing up just outside Atlanta, he played quarterback on his high-school football team until his love of music took over. “I still have that competitiveness,” he says.

Warning: Video contains strong language

The trio (completed by 21-year-old Kirshnik Ball, a k a Takeoff, and 24-year-old Kiari Cephus, a k a Offset) released their first mixtape, “Juug Season,” in 2011. Their first full-length album, “Yung Rich Nation,” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart last year.

But instead of celebrating success, Migos was dealing with turmoil after Offset was jailed in a police bust on the group’s tour bus in April 2015. Cops found guns and a small amount of marijuana, and while Quavo and Takeoff made bail, Offset remained incarcerated because of previous felonies on his rap sheet.

“Being in jail was humbling,” says the MC, who was released in December. “I used it to get closer to God. I feel like it was his way of telling me to slow down and see the bigger picture. Now I think about what could happen and the consequences before acting. As long as I do that, everything will be good.”

Warning: Video contains strong language

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy