One of the most viral songs on TikTok right now is "Oi" by Certified Trapper, a song released in 2023 that features the addictive hook, "beat the koto nai." The song is being used alongside edited videos of cats and dogs doing an elaborate dance known as the Haidilao dance. But what does "koto nai" mean and how did the meme start? Here's what you need to know.

What Is 'Beat The Koto Nai' And What Does It Mean?

Certified Trapper released "Oi" back in November 2023. Near the end of the song, the artist raps, "Beat the koto nai, oi, beat the b---h p---y, yeah." This portion of the song was uploaded to TikTok that month and went viral, with over 12,000 TikTokers using the sound in two months. But what does "beat the koto nai" even mean?

The truth is, we don't have a solid answer, however, some have speculated on the meaning of the phrase. One TikToker, @melly__mike, speculates that "koto nai" refers to the Japanese "koto wa nai," which translates to the incomplete sentence "there is no need to" or "there is no possibility that." He also suggests the "beat the" part has a spicy meaning based on the following lyrics, positing that the phrase essentially means "Don't worry, make love."

@melly__mike The party ended 7 hours ago WHY IS BRO STILL HERE?!!😂😂 #kotonaioi #beatthekotonai #certifiedtrapper #mellymike ♬ Suspense, horror, piano and music box – takaya

How Is 'Beat The Koto Nai' Used In Memes?

Since going viral in November 2023, the "beat the koto nai" sound has been used thousands of times on TikTok. Some of the most popular memes set the song to people doing the viral Haidilao "Subject Three" dance, a dance performed at Haidilao restaurants by the staff.

Others take this meme a step further and set the song to edited videos of dogs and cats doing the dance. These videos have been called "creepy" by some, claiming they give off big uncanny valley vibes. The videos often feature takes on the caption "the party ended two hours ago and he's still here."

@hwungii beat da koto nai oi😭😭🙏🔥🔥⁉️⁉️⁉️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ #fyp #foryoupage #fypシ #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #zyxcba #fy #meme #dogdancing #beatdakotonai ♬ original sound – Obama Man

@0bamaman.1 beat da koto nai #certifiedtrapper #relatable #memes #dogdancing #dogs #party #tiktok #trending #fypシ #fyp ♬ original sound – Obama Man

@bigbomboclaat_ Oi #beatthekoto #oi #fyp #fypシ゚viral #trend #dancing ♬ original sound – My Soul Gone

@jb.gmr Beat da koto nai oi😫🙏 #fyp #jbgmr #viral #beattokotonai #kotonaioi #beatdakota #kotonai ♬ original sound – JB

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For the full history of Beat the Koto Nai, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.