What Are 'Opps,' And Why Are They Forcing Cute Animals To Do Things?

Rap culture and AAVE account for a waste majority of what we call pop culture slang today, and the slang word opps stems from the same roots. First heard in the context of hip hop songs, where the likes of Dr. Dre and LL Cool J would drop the term "opposition" to describe their enemies, the slang word "opps" was only solidified in rap and meme terms in the 2010s, thanks to the contributions of iconic Chicago rapper Chief Keef.

But how did we go from "opps" to the opps forced him to do it? Read on to find out the whole story.

Where Does The Word "Opps" Come From?

The earliest use of the word "opposition" stems back to the 1980s, with LL Cool J saying, "Be forced to assault / Opposition will halt," and Dr. Dre saying, "But I ain't no politician, no competition / Sending all opposition to see a mortician." However, the current popular slang term "opps" has a historic trajectory that can be traced back to one iconic rapper, Chicago drill king Chief Keef. In 2011, he dropped "John Madden," saying, "Better stop, fuck nigga we don't fuck with opps (Nah)."

How Is "Opp" Used In Popular Language Today?

The use of the word "opps" in rap and popular discourse increased exponentially after 2016, largely due to rappers like Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert and more using the word liberally in their music in the latter half of the 2010s.

Moreover, some of the most viral tweets of 2020 and 2021 used the word "opps," finally cementing its arrival into mainstream online lingo.

What's Up With The "Opps Forced Him To" Memes?

The opps forced him to eat a nutritious meal 😭😭😭 style videos are a genre of ironic wholesome memes that juxtapose the use of this slang term with a wholesome animal like a cat or a bunny. The memes first appeared on Instagram and TikTok and were popularised largely through work made by slayworldalbania. Some examples include, "opps fucked up his mohawk :/" and "opps turned him into a symmetrical sphere 😢💔 أحتاج إلى عاهرة سيئة."

For a full history of the word "opps", be sure to check out our entry on the slang term here for even more information.