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Memes

The ‘I Just Lost My Dawg’ meme, explained

“…My brother taught me how to chase the bag.”

Photo of Anna Good

Anna Good

Dog with text that says 'I just lost my dawgggggg'

I Just Lost My Dawg’ is a rap lyric from Roddy Ricch’s song “Ricch Forever” that became a viral meme on TikTok and other social media apps. It started going viral in 2023 and shifted to a poorly-sung cover meme in 2024.

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What does ‘’I Just Lost My Dawg’ mean?

The ‘I Just Lost My Dawg’ meme doesn’t have any real meaning behind it, but rather cover versions from TikTokers such as TRINITY (@trinitystreet) and Don Blanco (@donblancoaventuras) have been utilized as rap sounds for sh*tposts and photo and video slideshows.

Meme origins

The meme’s sound originates from rapper Roddy Ricch’s song “Ricch Forever” where he sings about a friend of his who died too soon but taught him “how to chase the bag” before he passed away.

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The song was released on September 27th, 2018, and never was given an official music video despite being one of the rapper’s most popular songs. An unofficial music video was posted by Hip Hop/R&B Lyrics (@hiphoprnblyrics1) to YouTube on October 24th of that same here, where it has gained over 27 million views and 236K likes in nearly six years. 

The opening lyrics of the song are:

I just lost my dawg

[N-word], my brother taught me how to chase the bag

Get right in the field, I had to make a bag

The day he lost his soul, wish I could take it back

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I Just Lost My Dawg’ goes TikTok viral

Before its status as a sh*tpost audio, the sound went viral in 2022 after TikToker @hav7x shared a video with a progressively sped-up version of the “I just lost my dawg” lyric. The audio was later used by other TikTokers along with meme edits and slideshows that had nothing to do with each other.

@hav7x #fyp ♬ original sound – havoc
@parapqa this can older than me 😟 #fyp ♬ original sound – havoc
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A baker putting icing on over a dozen donuts at the same time. Text overlay reads, 'The nfl when Taylor swift breathes At the chiefs game.'
@sethd33/TikTok

The meme evolved further after an anime fan used the lyric in the Gojo Backshots meme, editing clips from the popular Jujutsu Kaisen anime series to show main character Satoru Gojo in seemingly compromising positions. It also crossed over into other shows, like Naruto.

Screenshot of Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen with his hands raised in the air. Text overlay reads, 'Not even boruto is safe. Gojo coming for Naruto's whole family. Gojo coming for everyone atp.'
@cheekymoneky7/TikTok

Finally, in 2024, the sound has evolved still further, in large part due to inexpertly sung covers of Roddy Ricch’s original song. The two main TikTokers in question are TRINITY (@trinitystreet) and Don Blanco (@donblancoaventuras), whose TikTok sounds have become the backdrop of “YTP” (YouTube poop) meme edits of clips, photos, and memes that are completely disconnected from each other. 

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@trinitystreet Roddy Ricch – Ricch Forever #singing #roddyricch #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #cover #singersongwriter #upcomingartist #viral #uk #singer #london #artist #vocals #voice #trending #acapella #coversong #hiphop #rap @Roddy Ricch ♬ original sound – TRINITY

These style of videos were described in a Consequence of Sound blog post as “a recycling of videos from YouTube, often consisting of nostalgic pop culture footage and other video memes—chopped, screwed, de-molecularized, and manhandled into a goulash of video nonsense.”

Close up view of a man in a backwards cap sitting next to a building. Text overlay reads, 'I just lots my dog. Don Blanco cover.'
@donblancoaventuras/TikTok

People in the comments immediately knew that the sounds were going to become a meme, and even the comments themselves took on a meme-like quality.

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TikTok comment that reads, 'slideshows finna be sumptuous (crying, praying, and 100 emojis)'
@donblancoaventuras/TikTok
TikTok comment that reads, 'after a whopping 19 days, the slideshows were indeed egregious, sumptuous, devious, bodacious, scrumptious, extravagant, crazy, exquisite, miraculous, ungodly, skibidelicious, unreal,and scintillating'
@theogstewartgriffin/TikTok
TikTok comment that reads, 'slide shows finna be devious (crying praying emojis)'
@theogstewartgriffin/TikTok
TikTok comment that reads, 'Slideshows bout to have a field day with this sound (devil and skull emoji)'
@theogstewartgriffin/TikTok
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Meme examples

@donpollostudios i just lost my dawg🙏😭🗣️💨🔊📢🎶💿🔥🔥🔥 #tiktok #fypシ゚viral #foryou #foryoupage #viral #ijustlostmydawg #real #random ♬ original sound – Don Blanco
@ghosty_009 I just lost my dooog😭😭‼️ #tiktok #fypシ゚viral #foryou #foryoupage #viral #ijustlostmydawg#real#random ♬ original sound – TRINITY
@noraeteev I just lost my dawwwwggg#skibidi #brainrot #sigma #fypツ #mewing #brainnourishment #trend #viral #blowup #meme #ijustlostmydawg ♬ original sound – Don Blanco
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@noraeteev i just lost my dawwwg#skibidi #brainrot #sigma #fypツ #mewing #brainnourishment #trend #viral #blowup #meme ♬ original sound – TRINITY
@donpollostudios i just lost my dawg🗣️💨🙏❌😭🙏🙏🙏🙏 #tiktok #fypシ゚viral #foryou #foryoupagе #viral #ijustlostmydawg #real #random ♬ original sound – TRINITY
@donpollostudios i just lost my dawg🎙️🗣️💨😭🙏🙏🙏🙏 #tiktok #fypシ゚viral #foryou #foryoupage #viral #ijustlostmydawg #real #random ♬ original sound – Don Blanco
 
The Daily Dot