Kurdish New Zealand rapper Fat Papi has landed on the US Billboard Hot 100 with his breakout single “Freaked Out,” a milestone achieved after a TikTok video featuring a bob haircut catapulted the track into global streaming charts, according to reports from The Guardian and The Spinoff. Baban Hussain, a 22-year-old Auckland-based artist producing music under the moniker Fat Papi, is the first Kurdish artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and only the second New Zealand rapper to accomplish the feat, following Savage, who reached number 45 with “Swing” in 2008, as reported by The Spinoff.
Fat Papi Billboard Hot 100 Success Driven by Viral TikTok Haircut Trend
How a Misheard Lyric Sparked a Global Streaming Wave
Released in May in collaboration with Perth-based producer Owen Omen, known as Prodshushy, “Freaked Out” initially received minimal traction, according to The Guardian. Two days later, UK-based TikTok influencer Jocelyn Meiere—known online as Miss Diva Bob—posted a video to her 3.1 million followers using the track as a backing track while showing off her bob haircut, shaking her hair to Hussain’s lyric “Get that bag,” which users misheard as “Get that bob,” according to The Spinoff. The video accumulated millions of views, inspiring copycat posts from high-profile artists including British singer Raye and US rapper Megan Thee Stallion, according to The Guardian.
Streaming Numbers and Global Chart Performance
While social media views do not directly factor into Billboard calculations, the viral trend drove massive listener spikes across digital service providers that do count toward official charts, according to The Spinoff. By August, “Freaked Out” reached number 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100, hit number one on the global Shazam chart, and secured positions on singles charts in the UK, Australia, and the US, according to The Guardian and The Spinoff. On Spotify, Fat Papi reached roughly seven million monthly listeners, surpassing several domestic streaming acts including Benee, Balu Brigada, and Shouse, as detailed by The Spinoff. On YouTube, the track surpassed nine million views.
Industry Milestones for the Artist and Producer
The sudden global reach represents a stark shift for Hussain, who was working from a self-run studio in Auckland with a few thousand followers just two months prior, and for Prodshushy, whose background in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands marks a first for producers from his region reaching global charts, according to The Guardian. The pair began collaborating four months prior after Hussain recorded vocals over one of Prodshushy’s beats and sent it across, leading to management and record deals, upcoming festival slots at Australia’s Spilt Milk event in December, and a new single scheduled for September release, according to The Guardian and The Spinoff.
“It’s a whirlwind. My life is completely different. It’s a very intense time and honestly amazing and everything we have ever wanted.” — Baban Hussain (Fat Papi)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Fat Papi? Fat Papi is the stage name of Baban Hussain, a 22-year-old Kurdish New Zealander rapper based in Auckland.
- What song made Fat Papi famous? His breakout single “Freaked Out,” produced by Australian artist Prodshushy, went viral on TikTok.
- Why is his Billboard chart placement historic? According to The Guardian, Hussain is the first Kurdish artist to land on the Billboard Hot 100 and only the second New Zealand rapper to do so.
- How did the song go viral? UK influencer Jocelyn Meiere used the track in a video showcasing her bob haircut, which sparked widespread imitation videos across TikTok.
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