The air horn became a trademark of hip-hop radio culture through New York station HOT 97, where DJs fire it off to punctuate drops, shout-outs and exclusive premieres. From the radio booth it jumped into club DJ sets, then into internet culture: gaming montages, sports highlight reels and meme compilations all borrowed the blast as shorthand for hype. Four and a half seconds of pure noise, it survives because it does one job perfectly, turning any moment into an event with a single press.