Hit the Quan Meaning: What Does It Mean?

“Hit the Quan” means to perform a viral hip-hop dance inspired by rapper Rich Homie Quan’s movements in the 2015 music video for “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).” The phrase became widely known after iLoveMemphis released the song “Hit the Quan” in July 2015. The dance involves getting low, bouncing through the knees, moving the hips, and swinging the arms rhythmically.

In this article, we’ll explore the meaning and origin of “Hit the Quan,” explain how the expression is used, and look at examples and related viral dances.

Illustration explaining the Hit the Quan dance inspired by rapper Rich Homie Quan

Hit the Quan Meaning – Created by English Study Online

Table of Contents

Hit the Quan Meaning

What Does “Hit the Quan” Mean?

Quick Definition

Hit the Quan means to perform a viral hip-hop dance inspired by the movements rapper Rich Homie Quan performed in the music video for “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).”

In the phrase “hit the Quan,” hit means to perform or execute the dance, while Quan refers to Rich Homie Quan. It does not mean physically hitting a person named Quan.

The basic movement involves getting low, bending or bouncing through the knees, rocking the hips and upper body, and swinging the arms rhythmically. Different dancers may add their own steps or variations, so there is not just one perfectly fixed version of the routine.

The expression primarily refers to performing this dance. It may also appear jokingly or nostalgically when people remember viral trends from the mid-2010s. However, “Hit the Quan” does not normally mean that something is generally trendy, fashionable, or popular.

Origin of “Hit the Quan”

The phrase can be traced to a dance popularized by Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan. In the music video for his song “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),” released in April 2015, he performed a series of low-stepping, hip-rocking, and arm-swinging movements. Viewers began copying the dance and posting their own versions online.

The dance spread rapidly through Vine, YouTube, and other social media platforms. At first, many people simply referred to it as the Rich Homie Quan dance.

In July 2015, Memphis rapper iLoveMemphis, also known as iHeartMemphis, released “Hit the Quan” as a tribute to Rich Homie Quan’s dance. The song gave listeners a memorable phrase and simple instructions they could follow while dancing.

“Hit the Quan” quickly became a viral song and dance challenge. People filmed themselves performing the moves at home, school events, parties, sports celebrations, and other public places. The song eventually reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The trend reached its greatest popularity in 2015. Today, the phrase is more likely to appear in throwback videos, nostalgic posts, parties playing music from the 2010s, or discussions about the history of online dance challenges.

How to Pronounce and Write “Hit the Quan”

The phrase is pronounced approximately:

Simple pronunciation: hit thuh KWAHN
IPA: /hɪt ðə kwɑːn/

Use “Hit the Quan” when writing the title of the song or a heading. When using it as a verb phrase in a sentence, write “hit the Quan.” Quan remains capitalized because it comes from Rich Homie Quan’s name.

The verb hit has the same form in the present and past tense:

Present: “They always hit the Quan when the song plays.”
Past: “We hit the Quan at the party last night.”

Do not use “hitted the Quan” for the past tense.

How and When to Use “Hit the Quan”

Who Uses the Expression Today?

During its peak in 2015, “Hit the Quan” was especially popular among dance enthusiasts, hip-hop fans, teenagers, young adults, athletes, and social media users. People joined the challenge by learning the dance and sharing short videos of themselves performing it.

Today, the expression may still be used by:

Fans of Hip-Hop and Pop Culture: They may recognize the song and its connection to Rich Homie Quan.
Dance Enthusiasts: Dancers may learn it as an example of a viral routine from the 2010s.
Social Media Users: People may recreate the dance in throwback posts or nostalgic challenges.
Partygoers: Guests may perform it when the song plays at a party, wedding, or reunion.
Content Creators: Creators may discuss it when looking back at Vine-era dances and early viral challenges.

The phrase is informal and closely connected to a particular song and dance. It would be unusual in formal writing unless the writer were discussing music, dance, internet culture, or social media history.

Common Situations

Throwback Party

People may perform the dance when music from the mid-2010s is played.

“The DJ played the song, and everyone started to hit the Quan.”

Social Media Post

A user may share an old video or recreate the dance as a nostalgic challenge.

“I found a video of us hitting the Quan in 2015.”

Dance Practice

Dancers may learn the movement as an example of a viral hip-hop routine.

“Our instructor taught us how to hit the Quan.”

Conversation About Trends

The phrase may appear when discussing popular Vine-era dances.

“Hit the Quan was one of the biggest dance challenges of 2015.”

Joking With Friends

Friends may challenge one another to remember or perform the dance.

“Can you still hit the Quan after all these years?”

Examples in Sentences

Here are some natural examples:

“They played ‘Hit the Quan’ at the party, and everyone tried to remember the dance.”
“Can you still hit the Quan?”
“We found an old video of ourselves hitting the Quan in 2015.”
“The cheer team included the dance in its throwback routine.”
“He tried to hit the Quan but forgot how to move his arms.”
“This song takes me back to the days of Vine dance challenges.”

Examples in Conversations and Texting

At a Throwback Party

Person A

The DJ just played “Hit the Quan.”

Person B

I haven’t heard this song in years!

Person A

Let’s see if we can still hit the Quan.

Finding an Old Video

Mia

Look what I found on my old phone.

Jake

Is that us hitting the Quan?

Mia

Yes! We filmed it in 2015.

Learning the Dance

Noah

Do you know how to hit the Quan?

Emma

I remember the arm movement, but I need to practice the steps.

Texting and social media examples:

“Throwback to when everyone knew how to hit the Quan.”
“This old dance video just brought back so many memories!”
“Who else remembers the #HitTheQuan challenge?”

Related Dance Terms

The following expressions are associated with viral dances and social media challenges. They are related terms, not synonyms for “Hit the Quan.”

Whip: A dance move involving a driving-like arm motion, often paired with the Nae Nae.
Nae Nae: A dance in which one arm is raised while the body sways from side to side.
Dab: A move in which the dancer lowers their head toward one bent arm while extending the other arm outward.
Juju on That Beat: A viral dance challenge associated with the 2016 song of the same name.
Floss: A dance involving repeated side-to-side arm and hip movements.
Renegade: A fast sequence of movements that became a major TikTok dance challenge several years later.

These dances became popular at different times and have their own movements. A video may combine several viral dances, but that does not make them part of the basic Hit the Quan movement.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake	Correction
Thinking “Quan” is simply the name of an unrelated dance move.	Quan refers to rapper Rich Homie Quan, whose movements inspired the dance.
Describing the dance as mimicking a baseball swing.	The basic movement involves getting low, bouncing, rocking the body, and swinging the arms.
Saying the phrase means anything trendy or popular.	It specifically refers to performing the Hit the Quan dance.
Writing “We hitted the Quan.”	The past tense of hit is hit: “We hit the Quan.”
Calling it a current new dance trend.	The dance peaked in popularity in 2015 and is now often used nostalgically.
Assuming the Whip, Nae Nae, and other viral dances are all the same.	They are separate dances, although people may combine them in longer routines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Hit the Quan” mean?

It means to perform a viral hip-hop dance inspired by Rich Homie Quan’s movements in the music video for “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh).”

Who created “Hit the Quan”?

Rich Homie Quan popularized the movements that inspired the dance. iLoveMemphis later released the song “Hit the Quan,” which turned the phrase and dance into a viral challenge.