The Running Man Challenge is the viral dance craze/challenge that’s continued to sweep the county for the last two (2) months.
The challenge was started by Kevin Vincent and Jerry Hall, teens from Hillside, New Jersey, a town on the outskirts of Newark. About four months ago the pair posted a batch of videos to Instagram; the clips depicted Vincent and Hall doing the move to “My Boo,” a Miami Bass R&B track from 1995 by Atlanta’s Ghost Town DJs on Jermaine Dupri’s SoSo Def Record label.
*Sidenote* the song has jump back on the Billboard charts higher than it’s original placement at #31 and now has gotten as high as #10 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The challenge/dance didn’t really blow until Jared Nickens, Damonte Dodd, and Jaylen Brantley—players from the Maryland Terps college basketball team—made their own versions and then social media went crazy.
The challenge got them on The Ellen Degeneres Show but many from the New Jersey club culture scene saying foul. One dancer from Newark was emailed before the television appearance and was told appropriate credit would be given but the #Challenge creators fell short on the promise.
“They made the #Challenge but not the dance,” said by one of the scene’s top producers.
The dance has long been a central element of the New Jersey club scene.
The Houston Police Department and the Mayor Slyvester Turner got in on the fun also.
