Lil Jon, the American rapper and producer who helped popularise crunk music in the early 2000s, built much of his sound around short, shouted ad-libs, and What became one of his most recognisable calls. Separated from full songs, the clip travelled through hip-hop edits, reaction videos and short-form platforms, where its brevity made it easy to reuse. It remains popular because it needs no context: a single shouted word instantly signals surprise, challenge or disbelief, and fits neatly into fast-paced meme editing.