When DJ Casper picks up the phone , it ’s like getting a unmediated line to a messiah , or the Moviefone guy . You know he exists of flesh and blood , but speaking with him is the miraculous proof that he is out there . “ DJ Casper ? ”
“ That ’s me , ” confirms the phonation of every middle school map I have ever attended .
That was almost 20 years ago , but current center - schoolers are listen his voice , too , right now , on TikTok , where there are presently more than 331 million views on picture hashtagged with the name of his 2000 dance off the “ Cha Cha Slide . ” ( “ Slide to the left / sliding board to the right / criss cross ! criss cross ! ” ) The evergreen plant melody fire up in late - 1890s Chicago clubs is a bare series of instructions , stated , confidently , on a spacious tempo with pulsation that might come with the pre - limit metronome features on an electronic keyboard . It ’s wanton enough that you could construe “ take it back now y’ all ” as an invitation to pull up a backflip or just edge your pedestrian back a step . You ’ve probably seena cat , ora professional terpsichore crowd , do it .
Image: (Screengrab; the Cha Cha Slide)
But after an continuous history of bringing joy to all , a mountain of newsheadlineshas lately blighted the “ Cha Cha Slide . ” A handful of TikTokers have rig the Sung dynasty to handheld TV showing them swerving across the yellow highway melodic phrase and stump on the gas pedal when DJ Casper dominate “ right foot , two stomp . ” They represent a nonage of TikTok ’s “ Cha Cha Slide ” subject matter — which include alady with a gymnastic horse , a father / son duo , LittleMisssJae , a trampoline swoop , asoccer team from Paraguay — but google “ Cha Cha Slide ” today , and the top headline pull up term like “ dangerous ” and “ likely to maim . ” ( Although even this is not new ; seeYouTube circa2008 ) .
That ’s not the “ Cha Cha Slide ” DJ Casper wrote , and given its tendency to inspire one trend and wedding ceremony dance andcommercialandcomedy sketchafter another , it ’s not the one that will prevail . DJ Casper fit to separate me about the Book of Genesis of a phenomenon to survive the net .
Gizmodo : I apologize , I sleep together you ’re belike demented of talking about the “ Cha Cha Slide ” by now !
DJ Casper : Hey , I ’m never sick of the song . It ’s still doing what it ’s think to do .
Gizmodo : Does it storm you that the “ Cha Cha Slide ” is still viral ?
DJ Casper : Well , of course of instruction . It ’s always a surprisal to see that people still love a song that came out twenty class ago like it ’s brand name newfangled .
Gizmodo : I listen on the podcastEvery Little Thingthat it begin as a set of lyrics write down for your nephew …
DJ Casper : Mmhm , he act at Bally ’s , he was an aerobics instructor . I wrote it for him in 1998 as a workout .
Gizmodo : You had just written lyrics , no music ?
DJ Casper : Yes , it was just the steps .
show my 4 year old son how to do this Dance#foryoupage#duet#viral#chachaslide#dance#follow
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Gizmodo : Did you have any construct of what the dance would front like when you wrote it ?
DJ Casper : I just did it and tattle with it . I ’d move to the right and say “ to the right ! To the left wing . Take it back now y’ all . ” Did it wish that .
Gizmodo : How did you get that record mickle with Universal ?
DJ Casper : Well I could n’t put out that very first interpretation because it had music from someone else – it was Jaydee ’s “ Plastic Dreams , ” an old house song from back in the mean solar day . We could n’t get the right to utilize it , which is why I went in and grab the lively band . That ’s why [ in the commercial release ] , you hear “ This is something new : the Casper Slide Part 2 , feature the Platinum Band . ”
After it took off through the aerobic practice session , I decided , I ’m going to keep this last because people like to do comfortable clobber , stuff that people are telling them to do . After I recorded it with the live band , I start up take it to the club , and from there it just spread , it hold out crazy . A destiny of people are going out to the night club and ca n’t dance , so they be given to sit there . But when they hear the “ Cha Cha Slide , ” they ’ll get up and try that .
People started calling the radio station , and the radio station did n’t know about it . The program director for WGCI , Elroy Smith , asked around and inquire around , and he ended up be them to me . I snuff it down there and took a copy of it to [ Smith ] , and then it started snowball from there , people start up raging about it . He sent it to some people from Universal , and from there , it just went directly on .
So many people were calling about the call that he wanted to shoot a video . He made an announcement on the radio enjoin we were going to be shoot a video at the Click – it was called the Click back then . We had 100 and hundred of people show up for the video shoot , but everybody could n’t get in , so when Universal fare and reshot thevideo out of doors , I made certain everybody got in on it .
Gizmodo : I read that it was inspired by the Chicago stepping movement .
DJ Casper : Well I do n’t think it was inspired by the Chicago steppers ’ movement . It was inspired by a guy Charlie Green who in reality had the original “ Bus diaphragm ” that come out . [ Sings “ Bus Stop ” ] . It was done off of people ’s choice back in the sidereal day . So that inspired me to keep stuff live like this .
Gizmodo : I heard from a segment onChicago Tonightthat after the song took off , you ’d get off a planing machine , and there would be ten thousand hoi polloi waitress for you .
DJ Casper : Yeah I expire out to London to do some of the big shows–“Top of the Pops , ” some of the cabaret . When I get off the plane at Heathrow , there were about ten thousand people just waiting , and I was like , wow . This is some greeting , here . And once I got to London , I shot a new video out there – it was “ Oops , Upside Your Head . ” You remember the old strain ? I redid that . you’re able to seein the videothe G of citizenry who came out .
Gizmodo : Why do you cogitate it got so big in the UK ? It was number one in England , Ireland , and Scotland for a while ?
DJ Casper : Yes , it stayednumber onefor 15 week . I actually knocked Britney Spears out of first place when she had the song Toxic .
I retrieve it get off in Europe because they love dance music . If you notice anything they do in the club – you’re able to have an old obtuse song , and they terminate up place a dance running behind the slow song and making it vast .
https://www.tiktok.com/@user/video/6737704505946672389
Gizmodo : What ’s your favorite interpretation of the “ Cha Cha Slide ” ?
DJ Casper : When I see the new kids trying to do it . That brings a great flavor inside . When you see that the kids like it – it ’s kind of educational . It instruct them leave from the right way , it teaches them how to count – you say one hops , five hop . To see the young genesis doing it , that ’s what really does it for me .
One time , I went to Turkey to do a bat mitzvah , and they had over 3,000 kid . And they were just enjoying themselves .
Also , I did the Disney Kids Awards in London [ at the Royal Albert Hall in 2004 ] . They tell me to just sit in the hearing and enjoy the awards . They ended up sacrifice me an award , and when I die up to accept it , they asked , “ how about you give us a piffling rendition of the ‘ Cha Cha Slide ’ ? ” And when I started doing it , they had thousands of kids come out on the stage . I was like oh my goodness . I was almost in tears , just to see how happy the kids were to be on microscope stage with me . Once I got done , they give me a expectant mathematical group hug , and it felt so good to live that the nestling really enjoyed themselves . It was just amazing . The near part about it is to see the parents knowing that if they mind to something that I ’ve create it ’ll be something positive , it wo n’t be anything negative .
Gizmodo : I detect it very heartwarming to see what a full variety of mass come together around it .
DJ Casper : Right , it ’s like a unite song .
Gizmodo : About TikTok …
DJ Casper : What is it , TikTok.com ?
Gizmodo : Yes , it ’s a massive karaoke app – it ’s really popular amongst teens in particular . essentially it grant you 15 - second cartridge holder of euphony , and you may make video of yourself dancing or doing whatever you desire . But I cite it because there are some news show report now that parents are apprehensive about fry slew their car to the “ Cha Cha Slide ” on TikTok . I was enquire whether I could get your thoughts on that ?
DJ Casper : I ’m downloading TikTok now . rent me see here … [Pauses ] Where they ’re driving in the automobile move across the yellow line ?
Gizmodo : Yes . It does n’t seem like it ’s in the spirit of the song …
DJ Casper : That ’s definitely not the feel of the song , and that ’s something that I would not back anyone to do . I do n’t want the “ Cha Cha Slide ” to be in any way , any part of negativeness . I did see there were some guys on YouTube who did a video pull out different hired gun , and I contacted YouTube and had them take it down .
I do n’t wish to be involve in situations like that . I do n’t endorse any of that at all . My music was intend to be for people to savor themselves in a positive way . And that ’s all my music . So the challenge that they ’re doing with these cars – I would n’t indorse that at all . And I would hope that TikTok would take that down . Not only are they playing with their lives with these cars – it ’s rain out there , anything could happen .
Gizmodo : I ’m glad to hear that from you . On a positive note – how did the call commute your aliveness ?
DJ Casper : Well I got a chance to see the world . I ’ve been all over the world with this Song dynasty , and mass get to sleep together me , and I get to know them . And to see people enjoying themselves and having a mass of fun in a positive elbow room is always a asset to me when it comes to euphony .
https://www.tiktok.com/@user/video/6796685774046645510
Gizmodo : What ’s your oecumenical philosophy of music ?
DJ Casper : Music is imagine to sooth the pitiful somebody . You ’re hypothesise to be capable to listen to music and just clear your whole head . I want mass to enjoy themselves . That ’s why I keep my music positive . I have maybe 100 dissimilar songs , and none of them have anything about drug or guns or toss off and fighting or call dame out on their names – it ’s all on a electropositive bill to make people come together and enjoy their spirit . I do n’t even listen to any new school day hip hop . Their content is nothing but girls , drugs , money , torpedo . I do n’t endorse that in no eccentric of way .
Gizmodo : Can we anticipate any coming releases ?
DJ Casper : Actually I do havea Modern albumthat came out in January – the name of the CD is “ have ’s Do It . ” I have a whole lot of unlike dance on it . It ’s a moderately fun album .
Gizmodo : Thank you , DJ Casper .
DJ Casper will be keep the twenty - year day of remembrance of the “ Cha Cha Slide ” on May 16th . you could check out his radio stationhere .
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