Pope Leo XIV became an internet sensation after being compared to Chief Keef and Daddy Yankee thanks to his Chicago roots and nickname “Latin Yankee.”
Pope Leo XIV landed in the Vatican and on social media timelines at the same time this week, as users across the U.S. celebrated the first American-born pope by comparing him to rapper Chief Keef and reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee.
The memes came fast. One tweet read, “need the pope to bring chief keef to the Vatican.” Another dubbed him “Pope Sosa,” a nod to Keef’s nickname and their shared Windy City roots.
Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago’s West Side, Pope Leo XIV has become an unlikely pop culture crossover.
His rise to the papacy this month made him the first pope from North America. But it’s his hometown and his nickname in Rome—“Latin Yankee”—that have made him meme material.
“Latin Yankee” is what Vatican insiders call him, referencing his American background and decades of ministry in Peru. But online, that nickname quickly morphed into “Daddy Yankee,” with users joking that the pope might drop a reggaeton album next.
The comparisons may be tongue-in-cheek, but they reflect how the internet processes major events by blending reverence with pop culture.
The same thing happened years ago with the viral #PopeBars trend, where users imagined Pope Francis rapping scripture over beats.
This time, it’s Leo XIV getting the Hip-Hop treatment. And while the jokes are lighthearted, they also highlight Chicago pride. The city that gave the world deep dish pizza, Kanye West, and Chance the Rapper just added a pope to the list.
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