Overview
BlocBoy JB’s “Shoot” dance—a Memphis-born move featuring exaggerated shooting gestures—became spring 2018’s viral sensation when Drake adopted it in “Look Alive,” launching BlocBoy to brief mainstream fame before controversy and copyright battles derailed his trajectory.
The Dance
Signature moves:
- Arms extended in “shooting” motion (finger guns)
- Exaggerated recoil after each “shot”
- Aggressive, angular body movements
- Synchronized with heavy bass hits
The dance’s gun imagery was intentional—Memphis street culture translated into performative gesture.
BlocBoy JB & Drake Collaboration
BlocBoy JB (James Baker), Memphis rapper, created the dance for his local scene (late 2017). When Drake featured him on “Look Alive” (February 2018):
- #5 on Billboard Hot 100
- Drake performed the Shoot dance in the music video
- Mainstream adoption exploded (NBA players, celebrities, youth)
Drake’s co-sign transformed a regional Memphis move into a national phenomenon.
Controversy & Violence Concerns
The dance’s gun imagery sparked backlash:
- School bans: Districts prohibited the Shoot dance (glorifying gun violence)
- Parent groups: Concerns about children mimicking shooting gestures
- Post-Parkland context: February 2018 Parkland shooting made gun-related content especially sensitive
BlocBoy JB defended it as harmless expression, but the timing (Parkland shooting coinciding with the song’s release) complicated public reception.
Copyright & Epic Games
Like the Milly Rock, Epic Games added the Shoot dance to Fortnite (“Hype” emote) without crediting BlocBoy JB. Though he didn’t file lawsuit (unlike 2 Milly), he publicly criticized the appropriation:
- “Fortnite stole my dance”
- Calls for compensation/credit
- Highlighted pattern of Black creators’ work being taken
The incident reinforced conversations about game companies exploiting viral culture.
Drake’s Pattern
“Look Alive” continued Drake’s strategy of adopting regional dances:
- “Hotline Bling” (2015): Caribbean-influenced moves
- “Look Alive” Shoot dance (2018): Memphis appropriation
- “Toosie Slide” (2020): TikTok optimization
Critics argued Drake culturally colonizes regional Black dances for mainstream success while original creators see minimal benefit.
BlocBoy JB’s Career Arc
Post-”Look Alive” success, BlocBoy JB struggled:
- No sustained hits: Failed to replicate chart success
- Label issues: Disputes with management/label
- Legal troubles: Arrests impacting career momentum
- One-hit wonder status: Known primarily for Drake collaboration
His trajectory exemplified how viral dance moments don’t guarantee lasting careers—especially for regional artists whose culture gets extracted by bigger stars.
Memphis Dance Culture
The Shoot dance continued Memphis’s hip-hop dance tradition:
- Gangsta Walk (1990s-2000s): Three 6 Mafia era
- Jookin’ (2000s-2010s): Memphis footwork style
- Shoot (2018): Latest export
Memphis’s dance culture—rooted in Southern hip-hop authenticity—competes with Atlanta and Dallas for regional influence.
Legacy
The Shoot dance’s brief dominance (February-June 2018) and rapid decline demonstrated:
- Gun imagery controversy: Cultural sensitivity limiting viral potential
- Drake amplification: How superstar adoption creates/destroys regional artists
- Copyright battles: Ongoing struggle for dancer compensation
- Regional extraction: Mainstream culture taking from local scenes without sustaining them
By 2019, the Shoot dance was mostly forgotten—a casualty of controversial imagery, one-hit wonder dynamics, and viral culture’s relentless churn.
Sources
- Billboard “‘Look Alive’ Chart Performance” (March 2018)
- The Fader “BlocBoy JB on Fortnite Stealing His Dance” (2018)
- Memphis Commercial Appeal “BlocBoy JB’s Rise and Struggles” (2019)