Fat Papi’s “Freaked Out” Storms Global Charts and Makes Billboard Hot 100 History

Baban Hussain, a 22-year-old Kurdish New Zealander who records under the name Fat Papi, released “Freaked Out” in May while working from a self-run studio in Auckland. Initial streams were modest, but a short dance video posted by producer Owen Omen (Prodshushy) sparked a TikTok trend. Within weeks the clip amassed 1.5 million views, caught the attention of UK influencer Jocelyn Meiere (Miss Diva Bob), and spread through copycat videos worldwide, including a post by US rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The track subsequently topped Shazam globally, entered charts in the UK, Australia and the United States, and debuted at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100—making Hussain the first Kurdish artist and only the second New Zealand rapper to achieve that placement.

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Hussain’s parents fled Iraq in 1999, and he grew up as the sole Kurdish student in a small Auckland community. He cites early exposure to Kurdish music and later influences such as Kid Ink and Mustard for shaping his sound. Omen, of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands descent, describes the breakthrough as “a surreal moment” for both his career and his people. The duo began collaborating four months before the song’s rise, meeting in person for the first time in July after Hussain sent a rap over one of Omen’s beats.

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• Over 7.5 billion YouTube views for “Freaked Out.”

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• Nearly 10 million new monthly Spotify listeners for Fat Papi.

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• TikTok influencer Miss Diva Bob’s 3.1 million followers helped amplify the track.

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• The song reached No. 1 on Shazam globally and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 88.

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Hussain describes the period as “a whirlwind” and emphasizes the personal and communal significance of the achievement, noting that representing his Kurdish heritage feels “insane.” Omen calls the chart entry “a big moment” for producers from his region, highlighting the pride it brings to his home communities. Both artists stress that the viral moment opens doors, with management deals secured, a new single slated for September, and a scheduled appearance at Australia’s Spilt Milk festival in December.

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• “We look back a week later and its growing and growing,” — Baban Hussain

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• “I didn’t expect him to reply – he had 20,000 followers at the time, I had 800,” — Baban Hussain

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