Me If X Becomes Illegal / Akon's "Locked Up"

Submission 3,535

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About

Me If X Becomes Illegal, also written Me If X Became Illegal, is a phrasal template in which creators reference a hobby, habit or toxic trait of theirs that if it were illegal they'd be arrested for still doing it. The meme became relevant in early 2022 with the "Sir Get Down!" TikTok sound. It later went viral on the app in mid-2022 when creators used Akon's song "Locked Up" and the TikTok filter "POlice" by JPhant that green-screened users into the back of a cop car, also known as the Locked Up TikTok Trend.

Origin

On April 21st, 2022, TikToker^[1] sheeshsoggymilk posted the cop breakdancing video that used the Sir Get Down! audio. Many TikTokers used the audio continuing into 2022. On June 12th, 2022, TikToker^[2] bigjflynn used the audio in a video that referenced the I Didn't Realize You Were Chill Like That trend with text overlay reading, "Me the day being hella chill becomes illegal." Over the course of two months, the video received roughly 546,700 plays and 109,000 likes (shown below).

Spread

On June 13th, 2022, TikToker^[3] bradeazy uploaded a copycat video, additionally referencing the I Didn't Realize You Were Chill Like That meme. His video received roughly 9 million plays and 1.2 million likes in the same time period (shown below, left). Bradeazy's virality spread awareness of the phrasal template continuing into June 2022. For instance, on June 15th, 2022, TikToker^[4] alpha.pookie used the audio and phrasal template, writing, "Me the day supporting womens rights becomes illegal," and earning roughly 1.4 million plays and 292,200 likes in two months (shown below, right).

Akon's "Locked Up" / Locked Up TikTok Trend

On April 19th, 2022, TikToker^[5] coinyes posted an edit of Akon's song "Locked Up," using footage from a live performance Akon performed in 2005 for AOL Sessions, originally uploaded to YouTube^[6] by Akon on June 16th, 2009. Coinyes' TikTok removed the instrumental from the track. Over the course of four months, the video received roughly 6.9 million plays and 1 million likes.

On May 5th, 2022, TikToker^[7] jimijackson used the Akon sound, earning roughly 2 million plays in 296,300 likes over the course of three months (shown below, left). On July 9th, 2022, TikToker^[8] and Island Boy Flyysoulja used the sound in a TikTok that received roughly 892,100 plays and 30,400 likes in one month (shown below, right).

On August 8th, 2022, TikToker^[9] davidpate150 used the Akon sound along with the TikTok filter^[10] "POlice" by JPhant, showing himself in the back of the cop car while the song was playing. Over the course of two weeks, the video received roughly 2.8 million plays and 280,700 likes (shown below, left). On August 9th, 2022, verified TikToker^[11] montyjlopez posted a copycat video, earning roughly 6 million plays and 102,000 likes in the same time period (shown below, right).

On August 13th, 2022, TikToker^[12] ralphtresvant7 posted a video using the "POlice" filter, Akon sound and the "Me If X Became Illegal" phrasal template, writing, "Me if having a beard was illegal." Over the course of 12 days, the video received roughly 732,700 plays and 101,800 likes (shown below, left). Soon after, more TikTokers followed suit. For instance, later on August 13th, 2022, TikToker^[13] trualex posted an iteration that read, "me if having no h0es became illegal," earning roughly 620,100 plays and 71,000 likes in the same time period (shown below, right).

More notable and verified TikTokers joined the trend in the weeks that followed. For instance, YouTuber Anthony Fantano uploaded a TikTok^[14] on August 20th, 2022. Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers posted a TikTok^[15] on August 21st, 2022. Each creator received viral engagement. By August 25th, 2022, the Akon "Locked Up" sound^[16] had amassed roughly 289,100 videos using it.

The trend also spread worldwide on TikTok with creators from Latin America and other regions posting ironic captions talking about things they would be arrested for if they were illegal. For example, on August 21st, 2022, Brazilian TikToker @cclaraaaaaa pointed out that if her bad luck with romance was a crime she would've been arrested. The video received over 180,000 views in three weeks (seen below).