How Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap” Mash-Up Became TikTok’s Latest Viral Gold

Scrolling through your feed this week, you may have noticed people lining up behind one another, switching faces, or lip-syncing dramatically to an audio that starts like one song and drops into another. That’s the moment when the 2012 hit “Beez in the Trap” by Nicki Minaj resurfaces in a wildly unexpected way — as part of a mash-up with the 1993 rock anthem “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes.

Here’s how it all played out — and why it matters.

The audio: a weird-wonderful combo

Originally, “Beez in the Trap” was a rap track from 2012, by Nicki Minaj, full of swagger and heavy beats. Far earlier, in 1993, the rock band 4 Non Blondes released “What’s Up?” — an emotional, soaring chorus asking “And I say, hey-yeah-yeah-yeah, what’s going on?” The mash-up (credited to TikTok user @dj.auxlord) combines the two: you hear the emotional rock lead-in, then drop into the rap lyric “I beez in the trap, bee-beez in the trap.”

People.com

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Why does this work? Because it plays off contrast: gentle rock vs. hard rap; vulnerability vs. confidence. TikTok users loved the switch.

How it blew up on TikTok

The trend took off in October 2025. Videos using the sound jumped into the hundreds of thousands. One report says more than 695,000 videos used the sound.

San Francisco Chronicle

Typical format:

Two people stand back-to-back.

The camera pans from one to the other as the audio switches.

First person lip-syncs the “What’s Up?” chorus (dramatically).

Then second person switches to Nicki’s rap line, often deadpan or comedic.

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Celebs joined in: Gordon Ramsay jumped in with his family; large names like Jennifer Lopez, Sabrina Carpenter and others posted their takes.

The Times of India

Streaming numbers soared: “Beez in the Trap” saw a ~460% increase in Spotify streams, and “What’s Up?” also got a big bump.

San Francisco Chronicle

Why this matters — beyond the fun

n the surface, this trend is hilarious — mismatched songs, odd transitions, dramatic lip-syncs. But there’s more:

1. Nostalgia + new context

Older songs get a second life when they’re repurposed. For some TikTok users, “What’s Up?” is a throwback; for others Nicki’s rap line is new or just part of a meme. Mixing them bridges generations.

2. Contrast = emotional payoff

The move from emotional vulnerability (“What’s going on?”) to confident rap (“I beez in the trap”) mirrors a lot of how people feel: a bit lost, a bit braggadocious, a bit everything. It lets creators play with mood.

3. Content made easy

The format is simple: two people, a camera, dramatic switch. That low barrier means many people participate. Trends like these grow fast because they invite creativity.

4. The power of TikTok to resurface songs

This is yet another case of TikTok reviving older tracks. We’ve seen it before — and it’s a major change in how music spreads. A 2012 song becomes a 2025 hit again because of a meme.

What we’re seeing in the videos

Videos vary, but some common themes:

Opposites: one person looks sad, the other looks too-cool-for-school.

Costumes: because “haunted house” style or weird outfits add extra twist.

Full stories: some people turn it into mini skits, not just lip-syncs.

Because the audio gives you a dramatic arc, creators lean into it.

Lessons for creators & listeners

If you’re making content: don’t ignore older songs. A track from years back might be the next big sound.

For listeners: when you hear something catchy and weird, check the credits it might be a mash-up or trend.

For music makers: this shows your back catalogue has value. A song you released years ago might suddenly matter again.

Final thoughts

The mash-up of “Beez in the Trap” and “What’s Up?” is weird. It’s fun. It’s clever. And it tells us something about how we use music and social media: we want to laugh, we want to feel, and we want to share that moment with others.

Nicki Minaj’s track didn’t just go viral because of her name. It’s viral because people found a space to play with it, remix it, remake it, make it their own. And in that remix—between the rock scream and the rap swagger—we’re reminded that music doesn’t have to stay in one box.

So the next time you see someone doing the back-to-back TikTok lip-sync, you’ll know: they’re not just miming a song. They’re stepping into a vibe — one part “What’s up?”, one part “Beez in the trap” — and the rest is us, joining in.