Brooklyn native Desiigner's mumbling homage to BMW X6s, sipping lean at leisure, Versace sheets and juggin' in the ATL hardly seems like a universally relatable experience that would trigger a national obsession on par with the "Macarena," and yet it's done just that.
It's also been covered in just about every genre, although this folk version is particularly prone to trigger secondhand embarrassment...
The song has even managed to transcend generational gaps - meaning your dad might at least know the chorus, even if he thinks it's about an animal.
Panda's reign has been so complete that Drake hasn't yet managed to edge "One Dance" from number two to number one. Previously, Desiigner wrested the top slot from Rihanna whose infectious single "Work" had been enjoying a nine-week supremacy. Desiigner's Billboard success also makes him the first rapper to debut on the Hot 100 chart since Iggy Azalea released "Fancy."
His sudden rise to fame becomes more interesting when one considers some of the veteran artists who are either still waiting to score a number one single or never had a number one during their career. Of course there are plenty of factors that contribute to a song's commercial success, and not having a number one song doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Practicalities aside, here are a few artists who were out-Panda'd by Desiigner...
The Contemporaries
Future
Even though many people thought Desiigner was Future or at the very least his secret child, the Future formula worked better for the student than the originator. Thus far, Mr. Freebandz has reached number 18 on the Hot 100 courtesy of the single "Low Life."
J. Cole
J. Cole may have one of the most loyal fanbases in hip-hop, but despite the love he peaks at a respectable 13 with the single "Work Out." His latest studio album, Forest Hills Drive, scored him a number 58 spot via the single "Apparently," and number 36 with "No Role Modelz."
Drake
Even though everyone from Taylor Swift to T-Mobile was doing the Drizzy dance to "Hotline Bling," the song never managed to shimmy its way past number two on the U.S. charts. A similar story unfolded back in 2009 when "Best I Ever Had" creeped to number two before hanging in the second place balance.
Nicki Minaj
Even with a host of different personalities Nicki Minaj, aka Barbie aka Nicki Lewinsky aka Nicki the Ninja aka Roman, hasn't yet broken through to number one. Her posterior-celebrating single "Anaconda" is her highest ranking song yet, coming in at number two.
Big Sean
Desiigner's label mate Big Sean might have the G.O.O.D. house on his side but he's still yet to crack the top five on the Billboard charts. Thus far, the Nicki Minaj-featured single "Dance (A$$)" has seen him top out at number 10.
2 Chainz
Despite some monster features and collaborations 2 Chainz holds a peak position of number 16 on the Hot 100 chart. The slot was claimed by the Wiz Khalifa featured single "We Own It" which appeared in the Fast & Furious film franchise.
The OGs
Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott has topped out at number two, twice. Her single "Work It" seemed particularly poised to clench the top spot but it ended up lagging in a deadlock with Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You." "1,2 Step" also rose to number two but couldn't quite push through to number one.
Dr. Dre
Despite his talent, let's just say that Billboard's number one spot has consistently forgot about Dre. To be fair, despite having only three studio albums in his solo repertoire, Dre has managed to land in the top five category for each album. As for singles, his highest ranked song, "Nuthin But A G Thang," reached a very respectable number two.
Jay-Z
Before Jay was running his TIDAL empire and Beyonce was throwing Lemonade shade, the duo was playing the modern day version of Bonnie and Clyde. Hova's 2003 single "03 Bonnie & Clyde" featured his now-wife as his partner in crime and topped out at number four on the Billboard 100. Jay hit another number four when he released "Holy Grail" in 2013.
Nas
Even though Nas evokes the same level of fan loyalty as contemporaries like J. Cole, he has also never quite managed to swing a number one. He did almost graze top 10 territory with the self-empowering single "I Can," which peaked at number 12.
The Wu-Tang Clan
If anything reinforces how little a number one single can mean it's pharma fan boy Martin Shkreli's willingness to fork over $2 million for a coveted Wu-Tang album. Despite the group's legendary status they peaked at number 60 on the Hot 100 chart with the single "C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)."
