About

Zaza, also known as Za or Zaza Waza, is a slang term and abbreviation for "exotic" weed or marijuana strains. Zaza's known for typically being potent, loud and expensive, often sold by dispensaries and dealers in custom baggies with logos from brands like Cookies and Runtz. Zaza has been present within internet, hip-hop and meme culture since mid-2019 when it was coined by rappers from Atlanta, Georgia.

Origin

Starting in 2019, dispensary-grade weed from California and Colorado became a symbol of clout to purchase on the U.S. East Coast. Specifically, the brand Runtz became a symbol for "exotic" weed, referenced in rap songs of the time. The term "zaza" originated from this, being an abbreviation for the word "exotic." The slang's origin can be credited to Atlanta rappers Ola Runt and Lil Keed. Ola Runt had referenced "Runtz" in songs like "WOP FREESTYLE" ^[1] uploaded to YouTube in December 2018.

Before Ola Runt used "zaza" in one of his songs, he tweeted about zaza in mid-2019. On June 22nd, 2019, he posted a tweet^[2] that attached a screenshot of Lil Keed's Instagram Story that showed weed with "Zazaaaaa ‼️" written over it (shown below, left). On December 1st, 2019, Ola Runt tweeted,^[3] "EXOTIC WEED= ZAZA" (shown below, right). Both tweets received less than ten likes.

On February 12th, 2020, Ola Runt used the word "zaza" in his song "1500 Block," ^[4] being the second track on his album Mama Tried. He uploaded the music video for the song to YouTube^[5] on the same day, where at the 00:49-minute mark he raps, "I'm smokin' on zaza, that shit be sativic" (shown below). In two years, the video received roughly 1 million views.

Spread

In early 2020, many users on Twitter referenced "smokin' on zaza" over smoking ordinary weed. For instance, on December 31st, 2019, Georgia Twitter^[5] user mrpassdawood tweeted, "gas? nigga this zaza.” On January 31st, 2020, Chicago Twitter^[6] user indiaismarie tweeted, "now everybody say they smokin zaza lol sb lyin." Both tweets earned under 10 likes.

The phrase became more notable after Ola Runt's "1500 Block," but more notably after New York rapper Money Man referenced "zaza" twice on his February 21st, 2020, album Epidemic. Specifically in the third song "Know Ya Type,"^[7] Money Man rapped, "This is real ZaZa, with the bags, I charge 'em thirty-five." The song was uploaded to YouTube on February 21st, where (at the 00:36-minute mark) Money Man says the lyric (shown below). In two years, the video received roughly 1.5 million views.

Money Man's aforementioned lyric was reiterated by multiple Twitter^[8] users continuing into the summer of 2020. This is when "zaza" started to be used online and in hip-hop music en masse. Artists such as King Von, 21 Savage and Trippie Redd all started to use "zaza" in their music continuing into the rest of 2020. Inherently, the earnest use of the term in hip-hop culture only spread further going into 2021 and 2022.

Zaza Memes

Memetic and comedic content about zaza started in early 2020 as the term became more widespread. One of the first comedic concepts for zaza in online humor was the consensus that any strain of weed was called "zaza" by both customers and dealers. Additionally, dealers would call their product "zaza" so that they could upcharge their buyers.

Instances of these clichés appeared on Twitter first. For instance, on April 14th, 2020, Twitter^[9] user lilknockstar captioned a photo of a funny-looking zaza baggie with, "I just spent $180 on this 8th he said it’s some fire," earning over 140 likes in two years (shown below, left). On May 31st, 2020, Twitter^[10] user RetcH07BIX posted a funny tweet about men raiding the Cookies store and then the next day zaza eighths only being $20. The tweet received roughly 4,500 likes in two years (shown below, right).

On July 2nd, 2020, Twitter^[11] user PhillnMyself tweeted a video sketch about being in Atlanta and having a dealer trying to sell him an expensive eighth claiming that it's zaza. In two years, the tweet received roughly 623,400 views and 19,800 likes (shown below). PhillnMyself additionally posted similar sketches on TikTok (@phillipbenjaminhudson), like one TikTok^[12] he uploaded on July 3rd, 2020 that had the same premise, earning roughly 1 million plays and 182,800 likes in two years.

These folks in Atlanta are driving me nuts! 😒 gtfoh #robots pic.twitter.com/CkUZUbraBw

— iG: Lantbo (PhillnMyself) July 2, 2020

On July 23rd, 2020, "Zaza" was added to Urban Dictionary by the user petiphobia who defined it as, "weed some of y’all mfs pay way too much for." The definition received over 370 likes in two years.^[13]

Continuing into 2021, memes about zaza continued to gain traction. For instance, on August 7th, 2021, TikToker^[14] dbook223 posted a video about losing "za" on a plane, earning roughly 452,600 plays and 64,200 likes in 11 months (shown below, left). On October 17th, 2021, TikToker^[15] hollitv posted a POV video from the perspective of zaza, earning roughly 2.6 million plays and 462,200 likes in nine months (shown below, right).

Related Memes

Ironic Zaza Memes

As "zaza" became a common slang word in 2021, ironic usage of the term also became prominent in memes, particularly with the When You Outside And You Smell That Zaza catchphrase.

When You Outside And You Smell That Zaza

When You Outside And You Smell That Zaza is a catchphrase used in ironic "hood" memes that pokes fun at marijuana use and the slang term "zaza." The phrase is typically used over image macros of characters showcasing what smelling zaza outside is like, often leading with curiosity and mischief. It was first used earnestly in an Instagram meme posted in early 2021.

On April 11th, 2021, the Instagram^[16] page funnyhoodvidz posted a video meme that was submitted by Instagram user nickthslumpgod, which captioned a scene from the Pixar film Finding Nemo with, "When you outside and you smell that ZAZA 🍃," earning roughly 2.1 million views and 241,400 likes in 14 months (shown below). The scene used is when the shark character Bruce smells blood in the water. Many creators then made ironic versions, poking fun at funnyhoodvidz's perceived cringe.

Quandale Dingle Voice / Quandale Dingle Freestyle

Ticklemytip, also written Ticklemytipp, is the creator behind the Quandale Dingle Voice on TikTok. He's made iconic TikTok sounds with his deep voice and trap remixes related to memes like Quandale Dingle, Goofy Ahh and Carmen Winstead. Ticklemytip started posting content on TikTok in 2021 but was banned in early 2022. He has additional presences on both Instagram and YouTube where he uploads his TikTok audios like "Pushin' Dingle," Quandale Dingle Freestyle and other music from "Goofy Ahh Uncle Productions."

One song of Ticklemytip's that received viral attention was his Quandale Dingle 'Freestyle' rapped to the beat of "The Race" by Tay-K. A lyric in this song and his "Pushin' Dingle" song used the word "zaza" with an ironic tone. For instance, in the "Quandale Dingle 'Freestyle,'" the lyrics read, "She said “Pass the weed.” Bitch, I don't like to pass the gas / Blowin' bubbles, blowin' zaza / She got big ol' titties / I said “Goo-goo, goo, gah-gah” at the 00:41-minute mark (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References