Gen Z AAVE Mainstreaming
“Bussin” (extremely good, especially food) and “No cap” (no lie, for real) - AAVE terms became mainstream Gen Z slang (2020-2023) via TikTok, sparking appropriation debates.
Bussin: “This food is bussin” = delicious; originally AAVE; TikTok food reviews; viral January 2021
No cap: “No cap, that’s fire” = I’m serious, not lying; cap = lie; originated in hip-hop early 2010s
On God: Similar to no cap; emphasis, swearing truth; “on God no cap” = maximum seriousness
AAVE appropriation: Black creators coined terms; white TikTokers popularized; credit/compensation debates
Mainstream adoption: Brands using in marketing; teachers, parents saying it; cringe factor high
Janelle Monáe clip: “This shit is bussin bussin” (2021) went mega-viral; 50M+ views
Gordan Ramsay: Using “bussin” in TikToks; generational gap collapse; authenticity questioned
Slang cycle: AAVE → Black TikTok → white TikTok → mainstream → cringe → abandoned
Similar terms: Slaps, fire, hits different, understood the assignment - all AAVE origins
Bussin/no cap demonstrate internet’s AAVE appropriation pattern - Black culture creating language, others profiting from adoption.
Sources:
https://www.dictionary.com/
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-no-cap