# Calm Down Jamal "Whoa, Calm Down Jamal, Don't Pull Out the 9" is a catchphrase from a 2017 RDCworld1 comedy sketch that blew up as a TikTok audio trend in September 2020. The line comes from a satirical YouTube video comparing Black and white sitcom theme songs, where a character mockingly tells another not to pull out a 9mm handgun[2]. Once remixed into a TikTok sound template, the audio was used in over 102,000 videos by early 2021, powering a wave of comedic confrontation skits[2]. ## Origin On December 21, 2017, the YouTube comedy group RDCworld1 uploaded a video titled "BLACK SITCOM THEMES VS WHITE SITCOM THEMES"[1]. The sketch strings together parodies of theme songs from stereotypically "Black" and "white" sitcoms, connected by a skit set on a basketball court where a group of Black characters faces off against a group of racist white characters (all played by Black actors in exaggerated costumes). At the 0:40 mark, one of the "white" characters delivers the now-iconic line to one of the Black characters[1]. The video picked up 8.6 million views over the next three years. The TikTok era of the meme started in early September 2020 when TikToker @itsnotay_ created an original sound that spliced the RDCworld1 audio clip together with DJ Khaled's "Wild Thoughts" and dramatic sound effects[1]. The original video has since been removed, but the sound quickly spread across the platform. - **Platform:** YouTube (source video), TikTok (viral sound trend) - **Creator:** RDCworld1 (comedy group, original video), @itsnotay_ (TikTok sound creator) - **Date:** 2017 (origin), 2020 (viral spread) ## Overview The meme centers on a specific audio clip pulled from a longer comedy sketch. In the original video, a group of actors playing exaggerated white characters taunt a Black character with the line "Whoa, calm down Jamal, don't pull out the 9," with "the 9" referring to a 9mm pistol[1]. The delivery is deliberately over-the-top, playing on racial stereotypes for comedic effect within the sketch's broader satire of sitcom tropes. On TikTok, the audio was packaged into a template that follows a specific structure: a snippet of DJ Khaled's "Wild Thoughts" plays, followed by a beat of silence, then the "calm down Jamal" line, group laughter, a dramatic drum hit, and another pause[1]. Creators use this audio template to stage short skits depicting fictional hostile encounters, usually with the TikToker confronting a celebrity or public figure. ## How It Spread On September 6, 2020, TikToker @h.fazo posted one of the earliest videos using the sound, depicting a comedic encounter with a police officer who lip-dubs the "calm down Jamal" line while pointing a weapon at the creator[1]. That video pulled in over 6.6 million views within six months. Three days later on September 9, @danimonstah uploaded a skit using the format to joke about accused predator Tony Lopez being spotted with a young girl[1]. It racked up over 12 million views in five months, making it one of the trend's biggest individual hits. The format spread fast. On September 10, @iishxtmyself posted a version featuring a fictional encounter between herself, Bryce Hall, and Addison Rae, using her own remix of the sound[1]. Her version was reused over 3,600 times. On September 13, @ashunaustin created yet another remix that was picked up in over 1,700 videos[1]. The trend crossed over to gaming content on October 2 when @jakefellman posted an Among Us-themed version set to the sound, getting 958,000 views on TikTok[1]. When he reposted it to YouTube on October 7, it exploded to over 28 million views[1]. That same day, Nutshell Animations uploaded an original animated take on the format, pulling 180,000 views[1]. By March 2, 2021, @itsnotay_'s original sound alone had been used in over 102,000 TikTok videos, making it the dominant version of the audio on the platform[1]. The catchphrase also spread beyond TikTok as a standalone quote. On February 8, 2021, a Reddit post on r/teenagers paired the line with a SpongeBob meme and earned over 1,100 upvotes, showing the phrase had taken on a life of its own as a general-purpose internet quip[1]. Urban Dictionary entries define the phrase in reference to its original context, with users explaining the "9" as slang for a 9mm handgun[3]. ## How to Use The TikTok format typically follows a structure: 1. Set the scene by appearing to encounter a celebrity, public figure, or fictional character in an unexpected situation. 2. Use the audio template (DJ Khaled intro, silence, "calm down Jamal" line, laughter, drum hit). 3. Act out a comedic confrontation where the subject does something hostile, embarrassing, or incriminating, timed to the audio cues. ## Cultural Impact The trend's popularity on TikTok reflected the platform's ability to turn a three-year-old YouTube sketch into a massive viral format almost overnight. RDCworld1's original video sat at a respectable 8.6 million views for years before TikTok users extracted a single line and turned it into a template used over 100,000 times[1]. The format also showed how TikTok audio remixing works as a creative ecosystem. Multiple users created their own versions of the sound with different musical backings and timings, each spawning thousands of derivative videos[1]. @itsnotay_'s version dominated, but the competing remixes from @iishxtmyself and @ashunaustin each found their own audiences. The crossover into gaming content and animation (the Among Us video hitting 28 million YouTube views) showed the format's flexibility beyond standard TikTok lip-sync territory[1]. ## Fun Facts - The original RDCworld1 video sat on YouTube for nearly three years before TikTok users turned a single line into a viral audio trend[1]. - The "9" in the catchphrase refers to a 9mm handgun, which Urban Dictionary users helpfully explain in multiple overlapping definitions[3]. - @jakefellman's Among Us version got roughly 30 times more views on YouTube (28 million) than on TikTok (958,000), one of the rare cases where the YouTube repost massively outperformed the TikTok original[1]. - The white characters in the original sketch are all played by Black actors in costume, adding an extra layer of satire to the already exaggerated line delivery[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Calm Down Jamal"? It's a catchphrase from a 2017 RDCworld1 YouTube comedy sketch that became a TikTok sound trend in September 2020, where the full line is "Whoa, calm down Jamal, don't pull out the 9"[1]. ### Where did "Calm Down Jamal" come from? The line originates from RDCworld1's December 21, 2017 YouTube video "BLACK SITCOM THEMES VS WHITE SITCOM THEMES," where it's spoken at the 0:40 mark during a satirical basketball court confrontation[1]. ### What does "Calm Down Jamal" mean? In the original sketch, a character mockingly tells another not to pull out a 9mm gun ("the 9") during an argument[3]. On TikTok, the phrase is used as the punchline in comedic confrontation skits[1]. ### How do you use "Calm Down Jamal"? On TikTok, creators film short skits set to the audio template, staging fictional encounters with celebrities or public figures timed to the music cues and the catchphrase moment[1]. As a text meme, it's used as a joke response to someone being overly aggressive. ### Is "Calm Down Jamal" still popular? The trend peaked between September 2020 and early 2021, with over 102,000 videos using the primary sound by March 2021[1]. The catchphrase still circulates as a standalone internet quip, though the TikTok audio trend has cooled off. ### Who is RDCworld1? RDCworld1 is a YouTube comedy group known for sketch videos and skits. Their "BLACK SITCOM THEMES VS WHITE SITCOM THEMES" video from 2017 is the source of the "calm down Jamal" line[1]. ### What is "the 9" in the catchphrase? "The 9" is slang for a 9mm handgun[3]. In the original sketch, the character is sarcastically telling Jamal not to pull out his gun during an argument[1]. ### How did the TikTok sound get created? TikToker @itsnotay_ created an original sound in early September 2020 that combined DJ Khaled's "Wild Thoughts" with the RDCworld1 audio clip and dramatic sound effects[1]. ### What was the biggest "Calm Down Jamal" video? @jakefellman's Among Us-themed version reached over 28 million views on YouTube after being reposted from TikTok in October 2020[1]. ### Did other people make their own versions of the sound? Yes. At least three TikTokers created distinct remixes of the audio: @itsnotay_ (102,000+ uses), @iishxtmyself (3,600+ uses), and @ashunaustin (1,700+ uses)[1]. ## References 1. [You Need to Calm Down]() 2. [Calm Down Jamal - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [Calm Down Jamal - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/calm-down-jamal Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library