The Similarities Between The Ways The "Whip" & "The Whip/Nae Nae" Were Danced In The United States And How The "Fimbu" Was & Is Still Danced In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo

 

Dazz Band ~ Let It Whip 1982

RETROVISOR, Oct 8, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd3gl5gnMeA

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about two dances from the United States named "Whip" and one dance from the Democratic Republic of  the Congo named "Fimbu" which is a word in the Lingala language whose English translation is "whip".

Another name for the Fimbu dance is "Fimbu chicotte". The word "chicotte" is from the French language and means "whip".

This post showcases one YouTube video of the 1982 R&B dance "the Whip", one YouTube video of the 2015 United States dance (Watch me) "Whip"/Nae Nae" her), and two YouTube videos of the Democratic generally dance "Fimbu" (also known as Fimbu Chicotte"). One of those showcased videos was YouTube published in 2017 and the other video was published in 2025.

*In the track "(Watch me) Whip/Nae Nae" those two Hip Hop dances were danced together.

Brief information about each of these dances are also included in this post.

Click __ for Part II of this post. That post presents additional YouTube videos of, information,  and comments about the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Fimbu ("Fimbu Chicotte") dance. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the creators of these dances. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these YouTube videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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DISCLAIMER:
This pancocojams series is meant to point out the similarities in the movements of the two United States "Whip" dances and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's "Whip" dance ("Fimbu"/"Fimbu Chicotte").

This pancocojams series doesn't mean to state or imply that the meanings of the United States "Whip"
 dances are the same or similar to the meanings of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's "Whip" dance. I am aware that -besides the whipping motion- the meanings that are given for the two African American originated dances and the Democratic Republic of the Congo dance aren't the same. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Silentó - Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) (Official)

SilentoVEVO, Jun 25, 2015

Official video for “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” directed by Marc Klasfeld and produced by Cisco Newman and Danny Lockwoodz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjW8wmF5VWc

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Felix Wazekwa - Léopards Fimbu Na Fimbu Champions Chan 2016

 

AfricaShowsMusic : 100% Musique Africaine, Jan 13, 2017
-snip-
"Leopards" is the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's football club (squad).

The United States (and a few other countries) refer to this type of football as "soccer". 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgXPkWvI6Q4

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - FELIX WAZEKWA – FIMBU FOREVER (Clip Officiel)



FelixWazekwaOfficiel, Dec 22, 2025

« Fimbu Forever » – Félix Wazekwa

⚽ Une chanson, un peuple, une équipe !

Félix Wazekwa rend hommage aux Léopards de la RDC avec « Fimbu Forever », un hymne vibrant destiné à les encourager pour la CAN 2025 et les qualifications pour la Coupe du Monde 2026.

Mais cette chanson va plus loin : elle appelle tout le peuple congolais à s’unir, à soutenir leurs héros sur le terrain et à partager la fierté de la nation à travers le monde.

💃 La danse Fimbu, présente dans cette vidéo, est intemporelle.

Depuis plus d’une décennie, elle accompagne le peuple congolais partout dans le monde, célébrant la joie, l’unité et la passion du football. Avec « Fimbu Forever », cette danse devient un symbole éternel de soutien aux Léopards.

🎶 Que vous soyez au stade, à la maison ou à l’étranger, laissez-vous emporter par le rythme et chantez avec Félix Wazekwa pour les Léopards et pour la RDC !
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
"Félix Wazekwa pays tribute to the DRC’s Leopards with "Fimbu Forever," a stirring anthem designed to rally support for the 2025 AFCON and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

But the song goes further: it calls on the entire Congolese people to unite, support their heroes on the pitch, and share the nation's pride with the world.

💃 The Fimbu dance featured in this video is timeless.

For over a decade, it has accompanied the Congolese people across the globe, celebrating joy, unity, and a passion for football. With "Fimbu Forever," the dance becomes an enduring symbol of support for the Leopards.

🎶 Whether you are at the stadium, at home, or abroad, let the rhythm sweep you up and sing along with Félix Wazekwa for the Leopards and the DRC!"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSUxoIcAa0s
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/06/some-information-about-football-soccer.html for a closely relatedpancocojams post entitled "Football (Soccer) Chants & Songs: Building Atmosphere (Spirit) For Football (Soccer) Matches- General Information About Football Chants & Songs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "THE WHIP" SONG & DANCE (1982)
AI Overview
" "The Whip Dance" generally refers to the famous dance routines created for the Dazz Band's 1982 smash hit, "Let It Whip". The song and its dance propelled the Cleveland-born R&B/funk group to major commercial success.

Key Facts About "Let It Whip"

• Release Year: 1982
• Chart Success: Reached No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Accolades: Won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals

The upbeat, synthesizer-heavy track became a staple on nationwide dance floors and radio stations. The signature, energetic "whip" motions."

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INFORMATION ABOUT "THE WHIP/NAE NAE"  SONG & DANCE
AI Overview

"The "Whip/Nae Nae" refers to the hit 2015 viral song "Watch Me" by American rapper Silentó. The track peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a global sensation primarily because its lyrics specifically instruct listeners on how to perform a medley of popular hip-hop dance moves."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIMBU (FIMBU CHICOLETTE) SONG & DANCE
From https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/fimbu-explaining-congos-world-cup-193751532.html What is Fimbu?: Explaining Congo's World Cup goal celebration against Portugal in Houston

Matt Young, Wed, Jun 17, 2026

 "Congo scored the first goal in its World Cup history just before halftime in its 1-1 draw against Portugal on Wednesday in Houston, which meant the world got to see the African country's traditional Fimbu celebration.

After Yoane Wissa headed a cross into the back of the net, the entire Congo team, which is using Houston as its base camp for the World Cup, ran toward their sideline and did a dance in unison that involved sticking their left forearm in front, then raising their right arm and repeatedly bringing it down in a whipping motion.

 Americans probably would call it a "Belt to Ass" dance *, but the Congolese call it the Fimbu.

 Fimbu - which means "the whip" in Lingala, the most widely spoken language in Congo - is a Congolese pop hit song from 2015 by Felix Wazeka. The Congo national team began doing the dance from the song after goals in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

 The team has carried on the tradition, including doing it throughout World Cup qualifying.

 […]

Although players and fans use the dance as form of celebration, Wazekwa has explained that his song originated from a more serious thought when he wrote it, but was happy it had become adopted by his country's athletes as a celebration.

 "Fimbu is first and foremost a plea for the fight against impunity," he told a Congolese radio network in 2017. "By launching this cry and this dance, I wanted to send a message: In various fields, those who commit offenses deserve a good whipping. That's why I created fimbu… In fact, they quickly understood that the dance steps were reminiscent of the punishment one would give someone who had committed a sprain. And that this could also apply to football. Nowadays, a defense is whipped when it concedes goals during a match. Fimbu is danced when a goal has been scored. Moreover, it encourages each team to play well to win the match so that they can be the one to 'whip' the other. But it's not in a belligerent spirit; it remains a game." "...
-snip-
*I had no knowledge about the Fimbu dance prior to reading about it in articles and video summaries/discussion threads of the 2016 Football World Cup. I think that's the case for other people in the United States who are aware of that dance.

I don't believe that any Americans refer to that dance as the "belt to ass" dance. "Belt to ass" isn't an authentic American colloquialism. However, I understand that the wrier of this article is referring to a person getting beaten on his or her butt (but actually meaning any part of their body) with a belt (or otherwise). Another way of saying this is that the person "got an ass whoopin' (whipping).. 

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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