If you doubt the cultural import of the John Wall dance, look no further than this year's NBA 2K11 trailer (1:20 mark). It's the ultimate litmus test for relevance, really; the John Wall Dance has now been immortalized in a video game.
But John Wall didn't create that dance. It all started with a Louisville rapper named Kenzo, and this song, inspired by a man named Anthony "Sugar Shizz" Talbert.
(Note: the following video is safe for work, but if your boss catches you watching a Kenzo music video at the office, you deserve to get fired).
Which brings us to this weekend's tragic news out of Louisville. After a shooting last week, Sugar Shizz passed away Saturday. Police are still investigating the crime, and our prayers are with his family. But in celebration of his life, after the jump we present a collection of some of the best imitations of Talbert's trademark.
This is where the hysteria began:
And once a superstar Kentucky basketball player does it... That means you're going to have the entire state of Kentucky doing it. For post-hunt celebrations, and such:
And then there's this adorable little girl:
And... This guy. Seriously, how have SIXTY thousand people watched this video?
Of course Drake, the up-and-coming R&B act and friend of Kentucky, had to join in:
The ESPN crew gets in on the act (via Jose3030):
And on and on and on. You can literally find thousands of "John Wall Dance" videos out there, and they've all got at least 50,000 views out there. What does that say about our culture? Glad you asked: It says we all owe a great debt to Kenzo, John Wall, and most of all, Lashawn "Suga Shizz" Talbert. May he rest in peace.
(HT to Eamonn at ESPN)