The Harlem Shake Poop Steezy Grossman video was first uploaded to YouTube on February 2, 2013, by a user named "Malice". The 44-second clip features a group of people dancing in a warehouse to a song called "Harlem Shake" by Baauer. However, it wasn't just the dance moves that made this video stand out – it was the outrageous and chaotic nature of the content.
It was the last great "do-it-yourself" meme before algorithms optimized humor. Hundreds of thousands of versions were uploaded—NASA did one in zero gravity, the Norwegian army did one in the snow, and anonymous teens did them in suburban basements. Harlem Shake Poop Steezy Grossman Internet Archive
A year after the video's release, John launched , a YouTube channel that would go on to garner billions of views from toddlers worldwide. He legally changed his name from Stephen J. Grossman to Stevin John to distance himself from his past work. The Harlem Shake Poop Steezy Grossman video was
The Harlem Shake Poop Steezy Grossman meme may have originated as a bizarre and humorous video, but its impact on internet culture is undeniable. As a preserved artifact in the Internet Archive, this meme serves as a reminder of the internet's power to create, share, and preserve cultural content. It was the last great "do-it-yourself" meme before
Originally a dance move from Harlem in the 1980s, the 2013 meme involved a short, repeating bass track. The format was rigid: one person (often helmeted or masked) dances alone for 8 seconds, then a "drop" happens, and the video cuts to a chaotic room of 20+ people convulsing in costumes. It was the quintessential "low-effort, high-participation" viral trend.
In 2013, the Harlem Shake Poop Steezy Grossman video was added to the Internet Archive's collection, where it remains to this day. The video's inclusion in the archive serves as a testament to its significance in internet culture and its enduring popularity.