Rapper Ian, full name Ian O'Neill Smith, first emerged in 2019 as a SoundCloud producer before gaining traction as a melodic trap artist in the early 2020s.

Signed to Columbia Records' BuVision, Ian went viral with the 2024 single "Figure It Out" and quickly became a recognizable name on TikTok and YouTube.

Ian appeared in XXL's annual Freshman Class freestyle series this past June, a longstanding rite of passage for many rising rappers, but his performance left a lot of people scratching their heads in confusion.

If you've seen terrible almost-rhymes alongside Ian's face plastered across the internet this past week, here's a recap of all the "Damn I'm On My Britney Shit" memes.

Who Is Ian, and What Was His XXL Freestyle?

Ian was featured in the 2025 XXL Freshman Class freestyle, released on June 27th on YouTube. Since way back in 2007, the annual series has showcased dozens of up-and-coming rappers.

This year's class included Ray Vaughn, Samara Cyn, Eem Triplin, BabyChiefDoit and 10th spot winner EBK Jaaybo, among others. Ian’s freestyle began around the 1:14 timestamp and included the lines: "Damn, I’m on my Britney shit, oops, I hit again / Damn, I’m on my DJ Khaled shit, we the best / Damn, we rollin’ hella deep, I feel like Adele."

His appearance quickly became the breakout moment of the video, albeit for divisive reasons. On June 30th, TikToker @uknown._x0 reposted a clip of Ian’s performance with the caption, “Ian gotta give it up after this,” receiving over 900,000 views in three days.

Ian's triplet of celebrity-referencing lines became the foundation for both mockery and remix culture across social media platforms heading into July.

How Did Internet Users React To Ian's XXL Freestyle?

Following the viral TikTok on June 30th, 2025, users began parodying Ian’s freestyle as it spread online.

On July 1st, TikToker @secretasian__6 posted a brainrot version of the cypher, riffing, "Damn I'm on my Rizzler shit, oops I rizzed again," and gaining 1.7 million views and 200,000 likes in two days.

That same day, an animated TikTok by user @yodeege depicted Ian rapping in his own animation style, pulling similar numbers in just a couple of days.

@secretasian__6 Yes, I dragged this out to one minute, but ts so peak😂✌️🔥#brainrot #cover #secretasian6 #musician #cover #xxlcypher #ian #freestyle #skibiditoilet ♬ original sound – SecretAsian6

@yodeege Rhyme scheme is too advanced for my brain, brain almost fried trying to comprehend it. #ian #hiphop #animation #xxlfreshman ♬ original sound – kraftablegenuis

On July 2nd, X user @vampiric_shirin then posted a rewritten version that read, "damn I'm on my indie shit, oops I sleazed again," which reached 6,000 likes within 24 hours.

Another post by X user @terryspins mocked the lyrics with a Genius-style card overlaid on garbage cans. The meme spread rapidly across fandoms, with users adopting Ian's triplet formula to poke fun at what they thought were just mid rhymes.

How Did Ian Respond To The Hate His Freestyle Received?

On July 2nd, 2025, Ian posted a TikTok skit addressing the backlash, framing it as a joke at his own expense. In the video, he shows a fake text from his mom that reads, "my son is ahh 😭😭😭," using humor to defuse the criticism.

The post amassed over 4 million views and 900,000 likes in a single day. Rather than getting heated over the memes, Ian leaned into the moment and even won over some of his haters in the process.

@iaaaannnnnnn

Trust the process mom💔

♬ original sound – kraftablegenuis

What Are Some More Memes About Ian's XXL Freestyle?

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For the full history of Ian's XXL Freestyle, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.