![]() It got me here, now my goal is maintaining it. “Right now, DJs are playing ‘Bing Bong’ all across America. “We have an album called ‘Beast Music’ that we’re putting the final touches on, so that’s dropping next,” he says. ![]() He has a collaborative project on the way with Grammy-winning producer Scram Jones and is already looking beyond it. Back in August, Nems who many might know from Sidetalk NYC or, more recently, REVOLT’s The Crew League dropped off a hard-hitting single titled Bing Bong, which is taken from the equally dope project CONGO.Today (Mar. Nems refuses to let this opportunity pass. It’s great to take at least one person off the streets.” We’re working on furnishing it, trying to make him do the right thing with the money. Since appearing in the video, well-wishers banded together to raise money for housing. That good karma extends to the fine folk of Coney Island, including a homeless resident named TJ, who says the iconic line “Wassup, baby? Take me out to dinner” in the “Sidetalk” audio. I’m replacing all the bad karma that I created in my younger years with good karma.” People would cross the street when they saw me. “But I lived on the wrong side of life for a long time. “I’ve been clean and sober for 12 years,” he says with deep pride. In some ways, Nems views the recognition as a reward for rebuilding his life from the ground up. “I look back at those days now and, and think, ‘Yo, let’s say I would’ve signed to a million-dollar deal, I might have killed myself doing drugs. “I had record deals with Shady Records and Def Jam, and I lost them going in and out of jail, and being addicted to drugs.” Not that he has any regrets. “My whole life, I always thought I messed up,” Nems confesses. It’s a remarkable reversal of fortune for an artist who thought he had blown his shot. “People always ask, ‘Don’t you get tired of saying ‘bing bong?’’ or ‘Does it annoy you when people want to take pictures?’ No, I love it! I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.” YOOOO It’s the commercial breakthrough Nems has been waiting for. It feels good that the President of the United States knows who I am.”Īs soon as “bing bong” caught on among his core fanbase, Nems recorded a song called “Bing Bong” for his 2021 LP, “Congo.” It turned out to be a wise move, with the track now garnering radio play across the country. “But it’s awesome that he’s in the video. “When the video shows him, the line is supposed to say, ‘Hey, yo,’ but he didn’t do it,” he jokingly laments. He just wishes POTUS had delivered some of the dialogue. Their video even features a cameo from President Biden, which Nems considers the pinnacle of his newfound success. Just when you thought “bing bong” had reached its zenith, the Jonas Brothers took it to the White House. Says Nems: “I already knew it was big, but once I saw all those celebrities do it, I knew it was really taking off.” BONG! The resulting video amassed more than 64.5 million views. ![]() ![]() “If I’m not saying it, somebody associated with me is saying it because it took off in my neighborhood.”Īudio from “Sidetalk quickly” went viral on TikTok due to the colorful characters of Coney Island, Nems’ trademark mispronunciation of Joe Biden (“Joe Byron”) and the liberal use of his signature phrase, “bing bong.” It then went on to soundtrack hundreds of thousands of TikTok videos, including Lil Nas X’s all-star rendition recorded at Variety’s Hitmakers event in December.Īt the Hitmakers event, he called on fellow attendees and honorees Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne, Normani, Anitta, Tinashe, Jack Harlow and Chloe Bailey to help him recreate the Sidetalk episode. ![]() Now identifiable by the “bing-bong” intro, an onomatopoeia for NY subway doors closing, Sidetalk is evolving into an entire movement, spearheaded by the show’s charismatic host Nems-who is also a rapper.“In the first episode I hosted, I said ‘bing bong’ and it just became a theme,” Nems explains. Sidetalk’s viral video of New Yorkers celebrating a New York Knicks victory back in October, which exploded in-part because of one enthusiastic fan yelling “bing-bong” in the mic, has spawned a plethora of memes. Sidetalk, a YouTube channel that showcases the true essence of what it means to an authentic New Yorker, is doing its due diligence to pay homage to NY through their videos. The love for NY continues, and those who are native to the city hold the most reverence for it’s wondrousness. Jazz legend Frank Sinatra created an entire theme song for the big apple with New York, New York, inspiring Jay-Z to honor New York in the new millennium with Empire State of Mind. New York is a very special place, and because of the city’s idiosyncratic attributes there have been many odes made in its honor. ![]()
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