The original Harlem Shake dance was created in the early 1980s by a Harlem street dancer known as Al B. (Albert Boyce), and the later viral meme format was kicked off in 2013 by YouTuber Filthy Frank using producer Baauer’s track “Harlem Shake.”

Quick Scoop: Who made the Harlem Shake?

1. The original Harlem Shake (the dance)

  • The Harlem Shake began as a hip‑hop street dance in Harlem, New York, around 1981.
  • It was created by a local dancer called Al B. (Albert Boyce), who performed it at Rucker Park basketball games; it was first nicknamed “the Albee.”
  • As it spread beyond the neighborhood, the move became known as the Harlem Shake and later showed up in mainstream hip‑hop, including G. Dep’s 2001 video “Let’s Get It.”

2. The viral “Harlem Shake” meme (2013)

  • In 2012, producer Baauer released the instrumental track “Harlem Shake,” which became the soundtrack to the meme.
  • The 2013 meme format—one person dancing alone before a sudden jump‑cut to a chaotic group scene—was popularized by YouTuber Filthy Frank (George Miller) in a short skit on his channel.
  • A follow‑up clip by Australian group TheSunnyCoastSkate copied that format and helped spark the global wave of “Harlem Shake” videos across YouTube and social media.

3. Dance vs. meme: why people argue about “who made it”

  • Harlem locals and dancers point out that the meme’s flailing chaos looks nothing like the original shoulder‑driven Harlem Shake style from the 1980s.
  • Many in Harlem stress that the real Harlem Shake is part of local Black cultural history, whereas the 2013 meme is more of a separate internet trend that borrowed the name and song title.

4. Simple breakdown

  • Created the original Harlem Shake dance: Al B. (Albert Boyce), Harlem street dancer in the early 1980s.
  • Made the “Harlem Shake” song used in the meme: Baauer (producer).
  • Sparked the 2013 viral meme format: Filthy Frank (George Miller) and early replicators like TheSunnyCoastSkate on YouTube.

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