Synopsis

Five furry animal mascots take over downtown Los Angeles, turning the city streets into an improvised b-boy stage. A shark, tiger, bear and other costumed dancers strut, pose and launch into energetic breakdancing while DJ Format's beat and the verses from Chali 2na and Akil provide the soundtrack. The deliberately absurd contrast between oversized mascot suits and serious hip-hop technique gives the video its playful identity, with the dancers' athletic moves carrying the performance despite their obscured faces.

Factoids & Trivia

• Chali 2na and Akil were not inside the animal costumes. They were unavailable because Jurassic 5 was on tour, so the production used Los Angeles b-boys whose identities were hidden by the mascot outfits.

• DJ Format later recalled that the dancers performed in unusually demanding costumes during filming in temperatures of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

• The video's most recognizable figures include a shark and a tiger, alongside several other furry mascots.

• The animal costumes were reused in later DJ Format videos, including "The Hit Song" and "Vicious Battle Raps."

• The breakdancing bear became especially recognizable online. Short clips and animated GIFs helped the video circulate independently of the song, making its costumed dancers an early example of a widely shared internet video meme.

• The song appeared on DJ Format's 2003 debut album, "Music for the Mature B-Boy," and was released as the album's first single. It reached No. 73 on the UK Singles Chart.