The U.S. is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And we just
banned one of the referees. Omar Abdulkadir Artan — Africa's Referee of the
Year, the first Somali ever selected for a World Cup — flew from Istanbul to
Miami, had a valid visa, and was turned away at the airport. CBP's explanation:
'vetting concerns.' No details. No appeal. No due process. Resident Legal Diva
Melba Pearson breaks down what CBP's power to deny entry actually looks like
legally, why 'vetting concerns' is essentially unreviewable, and what it means
that we're welcoming the world to a tournament while banning officials from
countries on our travel ban list.
Subscribe to @ResidentLegalDiva on YouTube, Substack, and
socials.
Subscribe: /
@legalafmtn
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a June 9, 2026 Legal AF podcast that is hosted by African American female attorney) Melba Pearson about the United States custom's banning the Somali, East African referee from entry into the United States for the June 2026 football (soccer) FIFA World Cup games.
This post includes excerpts of the auto-generated transcript of that podcast that document some examples of Melba Pearson's use of African American Vernacular English along with standard (formal) American English.
The content of this post is presented for historical and linguistic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Melba Pearson for hosting this Legal AF podcast and thanks to Abdulkadir Artan for his abilities and role modeling.
**** SOME EXCERPTS FROM THE AUTO-GENERATED TRASCRIPT OF THIS PODCAST THAT INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH
(These excerpts are given in chronological order without any time stamps.
My minor spelling corrections and punctuation additions or corrections are included in this transcript.
Then we banned the referee at the airport with
no explanation.
Dude had a valid visa. He was Africa's referee
of the year. Turned away at Miami International Airport with zero explanation.
There's a lot to break down here.
Hi, I'm Melba Pearson, also known as the resident legal diva, and this is The Breakdown. Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to Legal AF for
all things at the intersection of law and politics. And be sure to follow me at residentlegaldiva on YouTube, Substack,
and socials where I do deeper dives into current events and legal issues.
So, the World Cup opens this week and the person at the
center of this controversy is Omar Abdul Kadir Artan. I hope I have not butchered his name
and if I do, apologies. He was born in Mogadishu in 1992
He's been a FIFA referee since 2018. He was
named Africa's top male referee in 2025. And now you know how folks
outside the US love football. We know it as "soccer", but around the world it's
known as "football". It's huge. It's a billion dollar industry. And so to be the
top referee for a continent is huge, right?
Like you you can't get there by like
half stepping. You you are good at your craft. All right.
And so he was set to be the first Somali referee ever to
officiate a World Cup match ever. Right?
He would be one of only 52 referees
in the entire tournament. Now, remember this is across multiple countries. All
of that. This is huge. Okay?
And this is somebody who has officiated through civil war, instability in Somalia,
all of that. I mean, Al Jazzar had actually reported that sometimes, you know, Omar Artan would have to
switch up his route to the stadium because he had to avoid explosions because
they were legit at war. And he showed up anyway cuz he was
business minded about his business.
So he flew from Istanbul on his way to come here to referee the World Cup games
that start this week.
He flew into Miami International
Airport this past Saturday and again he had a valid visa. He was pulled for
additional inspection and then he was denied
entry and sent back to Istanbul.
So, Customs and Border Patrol, CBP,
the official statement. "He was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting
concerns."
That's it. That's all. That's the
entire explanation. There's no details, no specifics, nothing. What was the
issue?
Did y'all find something in his
luggage?
Like, was there a criminal past we didn't know
about? But then again, if that wouldn't be the case because he had to apply for a visa, right? So when
you get a visa that means you have been vetted and that you should be able to come into the country. So any of
those issues, questions that may have arisen at the time of entry should have
been resolved previously when they did
the vetting in order to give him the visa.
So now FIFA, which is the world
body that puts on the World Cup, they confirmed that Omar is out and that
he's not going to officiate a single match and he's now back in Istanbul.
So here's the legal part of this
and then I'm going to tie this back to just plain stupidity because this is
dumb,
[...]
So the practical reality, Omar Artan has no legal recourse. He couldn't even call
a lawyer at the airport and try and challenge the decision. Nothing. he was
just turned around and put back on a plane, right?
And so I touched on
the travel ban a second ago. So in case you forgot, Somalia is one of the 39 countries on this president's
travel ban list. And Somali nationals, they face a heightened scrutiny at
entry, even if they have valid visas, which again
makes no sense. Why are you giving people a visa if you're not going to let
them in anyway? That's just a waste of time and money for everybody. But far be it
for me to use logic.
Okay. So, as we also remember, this president called
Somali immigrants in the US garbage, right?
Yes. And so, that's the political
context that every CBP officer who's making that determination as to whether or not someone from Somalia should
come in or not, that's what's lurking in the back of their head. Okay? So
they're already looking at people from
Somalia like they're garbage because their fearless leader said so. And so as
such, Somali who try to enter the US
get treated like garbage despite not ever doing anything. So there's that.
Now on top of
this, Iran's national team is also being restricted. So Iranian players can
only the US to play their match.
And as soon as the match is over, they got to bounce. they got to go back to
Mexico, which is where their base is. And so this, of course, is not isolated
from what's happening with the referee.
This is a pattern. The travel ban is
operating inside the World Cup we volunteered to host because -Let's not get this twisted- much like the Olympics, we bid for this World Cup. We asked for it. We lobbied
for it. You know, folks got
money in their pockets in order to make sure we get it. Right.
[...]
So, we begged for this and we built stadiums and we sold the
world that, "Oh my gosh, American hospitality is going to be
the bomb.com." "Come on over. It's going to be fabulous"
Now, FIFA's president's kind of did a little back and forth. So, he
warned years ago that the travel ban could jeopardize US hosting rights somehow -which leads me back to the
behind- the-scenes politicking and machinations. Somehow we got the World Cup
anyway.
Now, FIFA's president, Giani
Infantino, says that, you know, he's gone into overdrive and he's like,
"The world is welcome in America. It's going to be amazing. Don't worry about it. Come
on down."
Well, sir, how's that working out? Because if the referees can't
even get here, what do you think's going
to happen to the fans?
We're banning a referee. Not a
player, not a fan. A referee. Someone who FIFA vetted it. Okay. He's
credentialed. He's been assigned to officiate.
I mean, you can't get more airtight
in terms of a profile than that. And if he can't get in, what's going to happen
to the random fan who wants to come
and has tickets and everything all set for this for a match here state side and
now can't get in? What about the player who might be central to a team's
victory who now may not be able to get in?
I mean, this this is just
absolutely crazy. And the US government taking the position that our vetting
supersedes FIFA and our travel ban basically
supersedes the tournament we're hosting that we begged for, right? With no explanation it's
bare craziness.
And if the roles have been reversed and it was an American official at a World Cup in another
country that couldn't get in, oh folks would be up in arms. There'd be all
kinds of problems. Right? So it's the hypocrisy as always.
It's the hypocrisy for me.
[...]
So, referee Omar Artan made a statement where he said, "I am in a
positive mood and focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career."
So, he is handling this with more grace than we deserve.
Like, sir, straight up, my
apologies. Most of us don't co-sign this foolishness. You should be here having your historic first, being
able to engage in the sport that you love, that you spent all of your life
building towards this moment. Listen, I I
I just pray that you have better and more amazing moments than you would have
had here because this was wrongly
taken from you. Now, for everyone else, the World Cup opens Thursday.
The world
is watching and we just told them
exactly who we are."...
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about the use of the words "Bro, "Br'er", "Bruh", "Bruhz" and "Brah" as referents (particularly in the United States).
This post showcases three YouTube videos, information, and comments about the origins and uses of "brah", "bro", and "brah" as referents for females as well as for males.
That timeline and most of the other posts in this pancocojams series (except for Part IV) strive to amplify the historical and cultural record as a way of helping to correct what I perceive to be the scarcity of details and/or the minimization of the tremendous role that African American culture has had and continues to have on the use of the words "bro" and "bruh" in American English and in the use of the English language throughout the world.
That post also includes selected comments from these videos' discussion threads which document examples of the use of the words "brother", "bruhs", and "bruhz" by members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and by other commenters.
Information about the television series Martin and information about Reginald Ballard, the actor who portrayed the character "Bruh-Man from the 5th floor" are included in this post along with information about that character.
That post also presents comments about that character from the discussion thread for Showcase video #2.
The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistic, and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all the publishers of these showcased YouTube videos.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE This pancocojams post differs from the other posts in this series because of its lack of emphasis on African American cultural origins or influences for the custom of using "bro", "brah", and "bruh" as referents for females as well as for males.
Read Part I of this pancocojams series for mentions about the historical use of these words as non-gender terms. More specifically, I believe that the non-gender use of "bro", "brah", and "bruh" can be traced to people updating the non-gender word "dude" and to the commercial (Astepro allergy spray) and probably other spin-offs of the 2001 American movie Zoolander.
Although some African Americans, and particularly some young African Americans use the word "bro" and "bruh" as referents for females-including mothers, it seems to me that proportionally more non-African Americans than African Americans use those words as non-gender referents. However, I don't have any data to prove or disprove this.
* I don't think that African Americans in the 2020s use the word "brah" because that word appears to have been stereotyped as "sounding White" while "bruh" is considered to "sound Black".
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
These comments are given in no particular order except for replies and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1.@رقيةرضارفيف "Brah!"
- Mom:"I'm Not ur
brah."🤣 Like In The Film ,"Excuse Me
Brah." -"Excuse You" (i
think) "And I'm Not ur brah."
** Reply 2. @sabrinawilliams8717 "Zoolander."
** 3. @arianesalas5620 "😅lol I say the same thing
as your mom I tell my son that 😂😂. Bro drives me
nuts"
** 4. @Giaaaa28 "Bro my mom says all the time I’m not your bRuH"
** 5. @BTSArmyUrsh "I say dude"
** 6. @ErenYeager-gp7um "And wtf is "burh" 😂🤣🤣🤣
calling your dad and mom burh is most
uncommon and non sensible thing i can say 😂"
** 7.@amelieacevedo7865 "Ok we get it yall are tall like bro stop in every one of
your shorts its just saying that your tall WE GET ITTTT like omg stop"
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - "You're excused... and I'm not your brah" #Zoolander [movie]
@paramountmovies, June 12, 2024 -snip- Here's an excerpt from an AI Overview write-up about this video clip:
The phrase "I'm not your brah" is a famous quote
from the 2001 comedy movie Zoolander. It is used to reject familiarity, put
someone in their place, or indicate that you are not friends with the person
addressing you.
The Movie Origin
In the film, the fiercely competitive male models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller)
and Hansel (Owen Wilson) run into each other at a nightclub.
Hansel: "Excuse me, brah."
Derek: "You're excused... And I'm not your brah."
Derek Zoolander’s delivery of the line is iconic because it
is overly dramatic, petty, and delivered with absolute, serious
confidence.
Cultural Meaning In everyday life, calling someone "brah"
or "bro" (slang for brother) implies a friendly, casual, and relaxed
relationship. When someone snaps back with "I'm not your brah," they
are doing the exact opposite.It serves a few distinct purposes:
-Setting
Boundaries: You are intentionally establishing emotional or professional distance.
-Expressing
Annoyance: You are letting the other person know you do not appreciate
their casual or overly familiar tone.
-Humorous Comeback: Because of its
pop-culture status, people frequently use it playfully or sarcastically when
lightly ribbing a friend, or as a lip-sync soundbite on social media platforms
like TikTok."...
**** COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR SHOWCASE VIDEO #2
These comments are given in no particular order except for replies and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. @Amzodt, 2025 "little did they know this interaction would become one of
the greatest memes ever"
** Reply 2. @doubleaa4969, 2026 "I'm pretty sure they know, it was too dramatic to be ignored
by the population."
** Reply 3. @Amzodt, 2026 "@doubleaa4969 bro
back then they wouldn’t be able to tell it would be one of the most epic scene
in cinema history"
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Astepro Allergy Medicine: It’s Faster Bro TV Commercial #tvcommercials #astepro #fasterbro #allergy
Tv Commercials, May 25, 2024 DETROIT
Experience rapid relief with Astepro Allergy Medicine! In
this TV commercial, discover why Astepro starts working in just 30 minutes
while Flonase takes hours. Say goodbye to allergy symptoms and hello to quick
relief. Astepro and Go! Applies to the first dose only. Use as directed for
optimal results.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR SHOWCASE VIDEO #3
These comments are given in no particular order except for replies and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. @calvint9356, 2025 "Why does she want her son to call a nasal spray mom?"
** Reply 2. @korzenik81, 2025 "He's saying "it's faster bro"... so she responds
it's mom not bro"
** Reply 3. @coreyrowe4119, 2026 " @korzenik81 the kid
wasn't really calling her bro tho, he was just having fun singing along with
the jingle. Her massive overreaction is just downright cringey to watch. I
change the channel immediately anytime this commercial pops up because of this."
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A REDDIT.COM DISCUSSION THREAD ABOUT THE USE OF THE WORD "BRUH" AS A REFERENT FOR FEMALES
These comments are given in no particular order except for replies and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. Asleep-Fan8328, 2025 [r/Life] "When did girls and young women start saying "bro"?
General Discussion
In the United States, in Canada, in certain countries that
is. When did girls start saying bro?
It's new to me.”
** 2. [deleted] "Bro everyone say bro is you 50 years old or sum"
** 3. panamaspace "Bro, I am 55, bro."
** 4. [deleted] "Bruh"
** 5. TotallyTrash3d "Over 40.
Have always heard women and men say "bro" as a
gender neutral.
Stop being such a boomer."
** 6. Asleep-Fan8328 [OP] "No way. I'm below 40 and never heard this until very
recently"
** 7. TheHacienda1 "I cringe when I hear "bro" "
** 8. [deleted] "Bro why do you care dude, how you under 40 complaining over
something so irrelevant dawg chill tf out yo you wanna be addressed as knave?
Cuz I can see that being very fitting for you brother.."
** 9. MagicSpoon102 "As long as she’s cool and not tryna prove something. I think
most guys don’t mind as they can connect or break the ice a little easier."
** 10. Asleep-Fan8328 [OP] "That's a good point, if they say it to a guy to try to
connect as a friend or something.. still.. but they seem to use it a lot
amongst each other too and it's weird. Honestly never heard it a few years ago
from girls. Not a good trend"
** 11. [deleted] "It makes intentions known if used the right way.
We friends, nothing more bro."
** 12. AnalyticalNerd-801 "Well before the aster pro commercial. “Aster Pro! It’s
faster, Bro.” That will probably live rent free in my head longer than I’m
willing to admit." -snip That Astepro commercial is given as Showcase Video #3 in this pancocojams post.
** 13. [deleted] "my kids started calling me bro about five years ago, so i
now call everyone bro"
** 14. Peskypoints "Dude was my pop-cultural non-gendered term
Bruh, is non-gendered but has a bit of irritation in it" ** 15. [deleted] "I was hearing it back in like 2013"
** 16. [deleted] "I don’t know but I absolutely hate it. There’s something so
masculine about girls saying “bro” or “bruh.” Leave that to the little boys."
** 17. Junior-Towel-202 "What does this have to do with masculinity?"
** 18. bbyxmadi "Becoming masculine? If saying “bro” to your guy or girl
friends makes you masculine, then I must be a man."
**** This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series.
@UyleesBoutique, April 2, 2025 "Remember “Bruh Man” from the 5th flo’? 😂😂
#Martin #90stvshow
Bruh Man from the 5th flo’—played by Reginald Ballard—always
brought the laughs on the classic 90s sitcom Martin! 😂
Who can forget those iconic moments when he’d sneak in unannounced? 🍔
**** Edited by Azizi Powell This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series about the use of the words "Bro, "Br'er", "Bruh", "Bruhz" and "Bra" as referents (particularly in the United States).
This post showcases two YouTube videos of the character "Bruh-man from the 5th floor", a recurring character in the 1990s television series Martin.
Information about the television series Martin and information about Reginald Ballard, the actor who portrayed the character "Bruh-Man from the 5th floor" are included in this post along with information about that character.
This post also presents comments about that character from the discussion thread for Showcase video #2. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/06/amplifying-african-american-influences.htmlfor Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents excerpts of various internet articles and AI Overview write-ups about the use of those words. These excerpts are presented as a timeline.
That timeline and the other posts in this pancocojams series strive to amplify the historical and cultural record as a way of helping to correct what I perceive to be the scarcity of details and/or the minimization of the tremendous role that African American culture has had and continues to have on the use of the words "bro" and "bruh" in American English and in the use of the English language throughout the world.
That post also includes selected comments from these videos' discussion threads which document examples of the use of the words "brother", "bruhs", and "bruhz" by members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and by other commenters.
The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistic, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
Thanks to Reginald Ballard, the actor who played the character "Bruh-Man from the fifth floor. Thanks also to actor Martin Lawrence and all others who were associated with that 1990s American television series for their contributions to American culture. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all the publishers of these showcased YouTube videos.
****as referents PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE "Bru-Man from the 5th floor" from the Martin television series is an iconic character in African American culture who-among other things- increased awareness about and the use of the vernacular word "bruh" in the United States. However, I haven't come across any mention of that character in internet articles and discussions about the word "bruh".
This pancocojams post helps to rectify this omission.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE TELEVISION SERIES MARTIN From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_(TV_series) "Martin is an American television sitcom that aired
for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992, to May 1, 1997. The show stars
comedian Martin Lawrence as the titular character. Lawrence also played several
other characters. Martin was one of Fox's highest-rated shows during the
sitcom's run. In 2024, the cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.[1]
Premise
Martin Lawrence played the role of Martin Payne, originally
a disc jockey who lived with his girlfriend Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell) in the
city of Detroit, Michigan. Martin worked for the fictional radio station WZUP;
in later seasons, he became the host of the talk show Word on the Street.[2]
[…]
Supporting characters
Reginald Ballard as Bruh-Man (Brother Man) (seasons 2–4)’…
**** INFORMATION ABOUT REGINALD BALLAD, THE ACTOR WHO PORTRAYED "BRUH-MAN FROM THE FIFTH FLOOR" IN THE TELEVISION SERIES "MARTIN" From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Ballard "Reginald Ballard (born October 13, 1965) is an [African American] character actor and comedian from Galveston, Texas, who is best known for his
recurring roles as Brother Man in the sitcom Martin and W.B. on The Bernie Mac
Show, which both aired on Fox. … -snip- Reginald Ballard confirms in online interviews that he patterned the character "Bruh-Man from the fifth floor" drawling speech pattern and the way that he pronounced certain words on the way that some people in Galveston, Texas and Houston, Texas talk[ed]. Some commenters in various YouTube discussion threads confirm this point.
Upstairs neighbor of Martin and Gina who always arrives
unannounced and "borrows" things from them
Character information
Appeared on Martin (TV series)
Episodes appeared in 13 in Seasons 3 & 4
Bruh-Man, Martin's upstairs neighbor, is a recurring who
debuts in Season 3 of Martin. The part of Bruh-Man is played on the series by
Reginald Ballard.
About "Bruh-Man"
Bruh-Man lives on the fifth "flo" (yet he always
puts 4 fingers up when relating this fact), directly upstairs from Martin.
Whenever Martin asks what he is doing, Bruh-Man replies, "Nuttin'…just
chillin'." He often climbs down the "f-a-a-a-ah 'scape" (fire
escape), to enter Martin's apartment, taking food, borrowing assorted items,
and generally lounging around as if he lives there. At first, this greatly
annoyed Martin but he eventually got used to it. In fact, fire escapes seem to
be his only means of movement throughout buildings—he is seldom seen entering
or exiting the apartment through the front door. When he attended Martin and
Gina's engagement party at Gina's apartment, he went as far as climbing the
building since there was no fire escape."...
**** From AI Overview "Bruh-Man always wears badly fitting clothing a size or two
too small (frequently, items he's "borrowed" from Martin), and has a
characteristic gait consisting of a slow and lazy, rather limping, plodding
walk, with his head cocked to one side. Martin, as Bruh-Man was heading toward
the window to make his exit, once referred to it as his "slow bop".
Bruh-Man speaks in a deep voice and with a long drawl, like that of Shaquille
O'Neal.
Despite being a popular character, Bruh-Man was quietly
phased out of the series after Season 3. His last appearances were in the
Season 4, and he explains his absence by stating that he only comes around when
Martin and Gina are away out of respect for their marriage. This is proven true
as he is absent throughout the fifth and final season of the series, however he
is mentioned once albeit briefly. In episode 13, "Ain't That About a
Ditch", when Gina's mother locks Martin out of his apartment, he pauses to
think, then whispers "Bruh-Man" to himself as he walks off to climb
in through the fire escape, then Martin shows up in his apartment.
Trivia
Bruh man becomes a recurring character in Season 3
He does not make an appearance after Season 4
He made his official debut in Season 2 Episode 4 Beat it"...
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Martin - Best of Bruh Man
Throwback
Nation, Feb
12, 2018
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF SHOWCASE VIDEO #2
These comments are given in chronological order, except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. @jacobbranch9862 "From Galveston Tx, but he got that 5th
Ward swag to him!!!"
** 2. Reply @sugarbaby547, 2020 "In Galveston they have their own way of
life..."
** Reply 3.@woezacardoza5659, 2020 "He's got that silver back swag lol"
** 4. @Bobmob25 "He be in that small ass jacket 🤣🤣🤣"
** Reply 5. @sostdm617, 2024 " "we got a muscled up bruh man what
are you doing here" "i was going to ask y'all the same question ain't
y'all supposed to be at work "😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"
** 6. @EvilSinReaper "That look on Martin face brah 0:36🤣🤣🤣"
** 7. @vegetasolo1221 "Why doesn't he just call the cops on
this fool lol"
** Reply 8,@andrewsohene5283 "He didn't cause any harm lool"
** Reply 9.@marcusmagice "You clearly never grew up in the hood .
Guys like this pop up all the time ."
** Reply 10. @donnyrob3642 "@marcusmagicethat's not tru mabe where you from speak for yourself"
** 11.@cheechsantiago5832, 2020 "@marcusmagice😂😂😂 That's how you get shot"
** Reply 12, @951octm 2020 "Maybe Martin knows he's special so he
let's him slide."
** 13. jacobbranch9862 "Bruh Man is from Galveston Tx, I guess
that is why I call him Bruh-Man from the 5th Ward. He reminds me so much of an
ld school 5th Ward gangsta!!!"
** 14, @TestubeBB "That guy was a genius whatever happened
to him"
** Reply 15, @hi-xf7cj, 2022 "Played Bernie Mac's friend on the
Bernie Mac show."
**** 2020
16. @therealdannyfenton "Ayyeee... Bruhmann from the ✌🏾floor."
** 17. @koreysylver9276 "The best character on the Martin show
not played by Martin"
** 18. @rayyana.8538 "Bruh Man was the sweetest and funniest neighbour....lol....always at
Martin's place uninvited...lol"
** 19. @theedumone8890 "Bruhman a whole mood😂"
** 20. @NikoBellic555 "The walk😂😂😂"
** Reply 21. @albundy6008, 2024 "He was working the slow bop."
** 22. @mccown2690 "Why doesn’t Martin just keep his windows
locked?
😂😂😂"
** 23. @deynna45 "Y'all notice how he drags the last word of every sentence"
** 25. @johnw5403 "Bruh man talk like he from TX, frfr"
** 26. @kingpinsmith22 "Honestly, the only way you can
understand bruh man, is being from the hood in the USA, greatest country ever."
** Reply 27. @ChaseK004 "Im white from the Burbs and i understand
v
Everyry word.. grew up watching Martin"
** Reply 28. @troylee76, 2021 "I’m from Texas! I understood every word!"
** Reply 29. @anonimato1987,2021 "@troylee76 there are hoods in TX"
** Reply 30. @SaveYourSelfBlackMan, 2021 "You don’t have to be in the hood to understand where’s he from lol 😂"
** 31. @keithbridges2144 "The fella didn't mean any harm.Just didn't know his boundaries that
well.That's why Martin tolerated and
even befriended him.However, folks be
careful who you let into your home - especially the ladies."
** 32. @TheBreezyBabes "The head nod kills me every time 😂
we all know a ni-ga* like this" -snip- *This word is fully spelled in this comment.
** 33. @msufan590 "Im mad they dont show my favorite part
after he ate their Thanksgiving food and invited them to his moms house is that
they followed him right out to the fire escape lmaoo"
** 34. @micmaliss "I had a Bruh Man in my life. This dude
named Poppa who used the fire escape and everything."
** 35. @chopsavant "bruh man deserves all the emmys"
** 36. @kao380 "2:38 yo the way he's bopping while he
walks off has me crying 🤣🤣🤣🤣" ** Reply 37. @thomasgooden "😂"
** 38. @terranceforeman5116 "I wish he acted like this in Bernie Mac"
** Reply 39. @hi-xf7cj, 2022 "He probably didn't want to be
typecasted. But he will always be known as Bruh Man on the 5th flo..🙂"
**** 2021
40. @shunpreek "Bruh Man From the fif
flo 😂😂😂"
** 41. @edwardwatson7218 "Bruh man was 1 of the funniest & most underrated
supporting charecters in tv history! How he wasnt a permanent cast member was
beyond me!!"
** Reply 42. @paulevans6066, 2024 "The way how he just randomly popped up out of nowhere made
his character even funnier. It was an event when Bruh Man came through that
window"
** 43.@40h66 "In all reality...bruh man was part of
the family💯"
** 44. @Studio-eu2bz "YOU. Would you allow a "bruh
man" in your apartment?...I would. If he was exactly like him, I would."
** 45. @asahnwyatt6947 "He has a strong resemblance to Radio
Raheem from do the right thing.Martin
was in it"
** 46. @brboy8307 "Bruhman just crack me up 😂😂😂"
** 47. @darkmatter5940 "Bruh man means no harm"
** 48. @oloruntoadebenjudahdawotol7531 "Bruh man and them tight ass shirts lol"
** Reply 49. @xcaluhbration, 2023 "I didn't even realize until now that
Bruh Man was always wearing them tight shirts cuz everything he had on was
someone else's 🤣"
** 50. @septimusheap925 ""Dis ni-ga * embodies the word bruh
on so many levels I don't know where to start😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👌👌" -snip- *This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
** 51. @somethingcool1143 "Bruh man really the only dude I know
that can nonchalantly walk to your house and make a sammich and say
"nothin, just chillen"
** 52. @juancaminante8078 "Player of the Year. Straight Gangster."
** 53. @lucy661000 "Bruh man was radio Raheem without the
radio"
** 54. @Touchit1958 "That head nod when he leaves always
kills me!! ☠️"
** 55. @datboyphil "Bruh man was probably the funniest cast member that wasnt a main cast member 😭😭🤣🤣🤣 he made some of the episodes memerable 🤣🤣🤣"
** 56. @litoknows268 "Bruh man man is the most savage chill and coolest person all in one lol and he get away with it lmao 😂"
** 57. @marilynmalcolm9920 "You know things are bad when Bruh Man exits out of the front door. 💔"
**** 2022
58. @RoyalCam9 "One of the many best Characters on
Martin😂❗️ That’s why this show will always be the best. Everyone was
funny & had they own moments, I be watching this like a mf on HBO Max 💯"
** 59. @michaelscott181 " "nutin, just chillen"ever since I head bruh man say it, been using
it since.Iconic"
** 60. @jobytamrat7297 "5th floor and 5th street with fo fingers....iconic sh-t"* -snip- *This word is fully spelled out in that comment.
** 61. @tobyrichardson5317 "One of the best characters in tv show history"
** Reply 62. @Bongo_Fury, 2024 "Met him at Central Middle School in
Galveston TX. His moms was a teacher there."
** 63. @Chicken_Wing91 "I love how even though everyone knows
he’s there he still leaves through the window 😂"
** Reply 64. @hi-xf7cj "I've always wore house shoes and
shorts.Loved me some Bruh Man...😍" ** 65. @nathan2497 "Bruh Man was a cool character 😂😂
** 66. @hi-xf7cj "The Bruh Man head nod is a classic."
** 67. @FalconsFanForever "bruh man was funny give this brotha his
props while hes still living. Lol"
** Reply 68. @joelshalom7100 "Definitely the most underrated"
** 69. @koolbreez9865 "Bruh man speech is soH-TOWN! 😂😂" ** Reply 70. @7South1Park3, 2024
"I knew he was from Texas soon as I heard
how he said House at 4:38😂"
** Reply 71. @dunkirk9319 "That head nod from bruh man was a
killer…😂😂😂😂😂… still watching in 2021….😂😂😂😂😂😂"
** Reply 72. @pitt8274,2023 "This will never get old 😅"
**** 2023
73.@lamontpeanutmillerjr "LMMFAO Bruh Man was a straight up G"
** 74 @TooSkinnyKenny "that is one country brother"
** 75. @Luisgar1234 "Bruh man the funnies character bruh😂"
** 76. @lesliespringer9816 "A Texas natural.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽😂😂😂
Damn sho wish i had sum milk duds 😭🤣🤣🤣"
** 77. @philiptucker7590 "One of the greatest sitcoms of all time!
Love how they had these crazy recurring characters like Bruh man lmao 🤣"
** 78. @charltonlee20 "The addition of the character was brilliant"
** 79. @Shockwave117yt "Bruh man was ahead of our time"
** 80. @flakito163 "Absolutely love bruh man and his
sammiches 🤣🤣"
** 81. @hazemcdanill "Bruh man: I thought we was tight man
Martin: yeah we tight about as tight as
this sweater was on your ass
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"
** 82. @Deadpool_64 "I love how Martin is mad at first but comes to accept that
Bruh Man is gonna roll in his house and eat his food and chill."
** 84. @matthewporras3815 "My favorite part was when they all
rolled to bruh mans moms crib for thanksgiving lmaoo"
** 85. @bulletspenetrate503 "Bruh man the first ni-ga* to say
“Yoooooo” @5:17 😂😂" -snip- * This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
** 86. @haimavraham23 "The way bruh man talk ishilarious "Full'o ssammiches" ll,
"Fraud and nem" (zigmond fraud) he say that like he grew up with dem 🤣🤣🤣
funny character."
** 87. @jaylenlenear7850, "I like how Martin never calls the cops.
First he was shocked then just got use to it lmao"
** 88. @rah7866 "You gotta love Bruh Man even Martin just
came to realize. Bruh Man didn't mean no harm he just didn't know no damn
better!
Then like a good friend the one time
they needed some food they got invited to his mom's house lmao"
** 89. @LarrytheKing16 "In his first appearance, at least Bruh
Man used the door and not the “fffaaaarrr escape”.
** 90. @Under_Sky_Third_Gaia "The best bruh"
** 91. @donniebrasco1364 "It's amazing how humble bruh man is
about his physique. He acts like an
average Joe despite being as big and muscle bound as a marvel character. I'm surprised with his skill he didn't act in
action movies. Goes to show that image
is fake."
** 92. @tinycoco520 "So it's December 1st 2023 until this day
I did not know Brah man Wes from Galveston Texas so close to me😂😅😂❤
.. and now that I think of it he did give off Texas vibes that Texas slang and
everythang LOL"
**** 2024
93. @josephpollard2725 "Bru man, one of the Best of Martin's
comedy series. Bru just trynna survive.😅"
** 94. @therealSouljaMan "This character was a gem, national
treasure 🤣"
** 95. @sleepnomore6065 "Bruhman was the OG of squatters & freeloaders😂"
** Reply 96. @islandlife3371, 2025 "He was one of the funniest characters on
the show"
** 97. @thefearofg0ds758 "I like how Martin eventually just caved in and accepted
Bruhman as a roomate and they started to become cool lol"
** 98. @hhl316delta "Who leaves their window open in Detroit
in the winter?"
** 99. @ZJIGGA "Bruh Man should of had his own spin off
show"
** 100. @Rockymarciono731 "Bru man is the black Kramer “Michal Richard’s from Seinfeld” or Kramer can be the white Bru man lol"
** 101. @fuzzybutkus8970 "Reginald Ballard. Dude was this
character. Loved it."
** 102. @HampETX903 "4:40 that Texas came out 😂"
** 103. @Karateka888 "We had a Bruh-Woman named Dottie.
Constantly popping up uninvited. RIP Dottie with your crazy self.
**** 2025
104. @kendallrivers1119 "Bruh Man: one of the greatest characters
in tv history!"
** 105. @ballack1884 "Bruh Man timelessly legendary"
** 106. @boredstudent "Martin is on Netflix and I've been
watching it. Bruh man doesn't appear very much but when he does, it's awesome."
** 107. @JamesAngler "When he quoted Sigmun Freud I lost it 😂😂😂😂"
** 108. @staxmantim "Before there was Kramer"
** 109. @youtuber234ps5 "Bruhman was the black Kramer 😂"
** Reply 110. @Zcam-y8i "Um no"
** 111. @cappy2282 "Bruh man a good guy 👍"
** 112. @Silkyjohnsonjr " "Sorry a brotha couldn’t come through
the window, Martin. There’s a few snow flurries out there” 😂😂😂😂
8:55"
** 113. @orlandokincaide7344 "Bruh man was the only guy we know that
will come in home take your stuff and still get away with it time and time
again"
** 114. @neekyboo77" "This character was freaking HILARIOUS!
LOVE SOME BRUH MAN!"
** 115. @EdWedgie "Him coming out the bathroom with the air
freshener killed me 😂😂"
**** 2026
116. sheldonsanders9214 "Bruh-Man reminded me of home everytime... Texas stand up"
** 117. @ALLOFYAHSPEOPLE "🎉😂 I came here today because I was in the mood for some old school Bruh Man.😂😂. Martin is one of the best shows EVER!!!❤"
** 118. @SexyplexiGT "Man bruh man was my favorite character.
Man those were the days. Family getting together to watch shows like Martin. We
white as hell from the country but damn we loved some Martin. Sitting here watching bruh man from the 5th
flo missing my uncle who used to watch it with me. Bout to make me a
saaaaaamich"
**** This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.
**** Edited by Azizi Powell This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about the use of the words "Bro, "Br'er", "Bruh", "Bruhz" and "Bra" as referents (particularly in the United States).
This post showcases three YouTube videos of the historically Black Greek letter fraternity Omega Psi Phi, Inc.. These videos exemplify the singing that Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is known for.
This post also includes selected comments from these videos' discussion threads. These comments document examples of the use of the words "brother", "bruhs", and "bruhz" by members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and by other commenters. Brief explanations of some of the terms that are found in these comments are given in the comment section of this pancocojams post.
That timeline and the other posts in this pancocojams series strives to amplify the historical and cultural record as a way of helping to correct what I perceive to be the scarcity of details and/or the minimization of the tremendous role that African American culture has had and continues to have on the use of the words "bro" and "bruh" in American English and in the use of the English language throughout the world.
The content of this post is presented for historical, linguistic, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners
Thanks to all past and present members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcase videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- Click the "Omega Psi Phi Fraternity" tag below for additional pancocojams post about that fraternity which showcase hopping (stepping), strolling, and/or other aspects of that fraternity.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 [embedded at the top of this post]
These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest dated comment presented first, except for replies. Numbers are given to these comments for referencing purposes only.
** 6. @mlt9910, 2022 "Bruhs proudly serving in every facet of our society...4
barks"
** 7. @leonhill9068, 2025 "Hello to my Omega Brothers"
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - This Is Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
JonyMatt, Feb 13, 2012
A 100 year retrospective of the annual picture of Alpha Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, The Mother Pearl, as she celebrates her 100th year. -snip- Here are a few comments from the discussion thread for this video:
1. @mbest001, 2014 "Beautiful!!!! Good to see the good Bruhs represented in such a manner!!! oo-oop!!"
** 2. @louiswilliams4686, 2016 "I'm not a que. but y'all bruhs cool r cool with me. Lou l.o.e. 45"
** 3. @leoncraig6519, 2019 "Love it RQQ to the good Bruhz"
** 4. @Trackguy, 2020 "RQQ to all my frat brothers! No regrets! Just had the pleasure of visiting the Mother Pearl today."
** 5. @caldwelljackson9482, 2020 "This was a wonderful video showing pictures of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brothers of the "Mother Pearl," Alpha Chapter, Howard University from the years 1911-2011. Much thanks and gratitude to the Brother and/or Brothers who posted this video
Brother Caldwell Jackson, #17, Spring 1963, Alpha Chapter, Howard University"
** 6. @HookEmUp2012, 2021 "RQQ to da bruhz!"
** 7. @SonofGod98407, 2022 "Man me and my Lbs used to listen to this every day on repeat before we became the Bruhz RQQ"
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 -Centennial
set OWT "Down to River Omega
LambdaPhi Ques (Middle Georgia Ques), Aug 1, 2013
Jedi Q 4-Spr10-Lambda Phi 7thD .... "I been down to the river
Omega" .... The bruh is blind but when he sings you can literally feel the
spirit of Omega coursing through his veins!!:
HARD Phi Middle GA Ques -snip- Here are a few comments from the discussion thread for this video
1. @sghicks7, 2015 "That is Owt! Happy Founders day to the GOOD! Roo to the Jedi
Que for the Massive Singing, I remember we were getting ready to set owt the
centennial show and bruhs passed the word you sang this...RQQ
- Hicks 7-09 Nu Psi"
** 2. @martyhogan3178, 2017 "I came look at this over and over. Thank you for this my
brother. You have placed a piece in me that keeps me going. How beautiful it is
to see brother's dwelling together in unity. Marty Hogan "Spr" 14 Tau
Alpha Chapter. The Quad
** 3. @jerrett747, 2019 "Been listening to this Bruh for 2 years. Can't wait until I
get that chance. Long live Omega-Long live Da Good Bruhz."
** 5. @tyronethornton7870, 2019 "Was watching this before
I crossed (4-18-BP)... I'm a 4 and 7th D.... and I am blessed to share
the frat with this brother...RQQ"
** 6. @jamesrodgers5790, 2019 "RQQ to Da BRUHZ"
** 7. @RIKKYREIGNMUSIC, 2021 "RQQ to the bruhz!!!!"
**** This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.
