Skrilla made Hip-Hop history when Dictionary.com crowned his viral “6-7” meme as the 2025 Word of the Year, but the Philadelphia rapper’s numerical creation has divided linguists and internet users alike.
The 26-year-old artist’s track, “Doot Doot (6 7),” exploded across social media platforms throughout 2025, with searches for “67” increasing more than sixfold since June, according to Dictionary.com’s announcement.
The bizarre meme originated from Skrilla‘s stream-of-consciousness approach to music creation.
“[67] just represents my brain.. like what comes up in my head,” Skrilla explained during a recent Genius interview. “Everybody that I played it for f***ed wit’ it but it was like funny.”
The rapper revealed that he initially leaked the song on Instagram to gauge his “zombies” fan base’s reaction before its official release.
“I liked it though so I end up leaking it on my instagram to see what my fans thought.. and that s**t went crazy,” he said.
Dictionary.com’s decision to select a number as its word of the year has generated significant backlash from traditional language purists who argue that numerical sequences don’t qualify as legitimate words.
The controversy intensified when the publication suggested “67” could mean “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that.”
For Skrilla, the meaning runs deeper than internet randomness.
“For me, it’s just ‘negative to positive,’” he explained. “It helped me turn from a negative person to a positive person.”
The meme gained additional momentum when 6’7″ Charlotte Hornets player LaMelo Ball became associated with viral clips featuring the song’s hook.
Basketball fans began connecting the player’s height to Skrilla‘s numerical chant, creating a perfect storm of sports and Hip-Hop culture convergence.
Generation Z and Alpha has embraced “67” as their latest tool for confusing older generations, using it as a response to virtually any question or statement.
The phrase has appeared in countless TikTok videos, sports broadcasts and everyday conversations, cementing its place in contemporary slang.
Dictionary.com noted that “most other two-digit numbers had no meaningful trend over that period, implying that there is something special about ’67.’”
The publication’s annual word selection typically highlights how language evolves through popular culture, making Skrilla‘s contribution a testament to Hip-Hop’s continued influence on mainstream communication and the genre’s unmatched ability to create linguistic trends that transcend traditional boundaries and capture global attention.
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