AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Yo Dawg' or 'Sup Dawg' meme features image macros of the American hip hop artist Xzibit, whose real name is Alvin Nathaniel Joiner. The images typically show Xzibit with a serious or amused facial expression. Each meme includes a caption that plays on a recursive formula: 'Yo Dawg, I heard you like (noun X), so I put an (noun X) in your (noun Y) so you can (verb Z) while you (verb Z).' This format creates humor by absurdly inserting one thing within another related thing to allow simultaneous actions. The series has stood out for its recursive humor since its popularity spike in 2007.

OriginWho did it first?

The 'Yo Dawg' meme first emerged on 4chan in early 2007 and later regained popularity towards the end of 2008 on platforms like Reddit, Tumblr, and other social networking sites. The humor in 'Yo Dawg' memes often reflects the concept of "strange loops", a term described in Douglas Hofstadter's book Gödel, Escher, Bach. The photograph of Xzibit used in these memes is taken from promotional material for the 2006 film Gridiron Gang. Xzibit played a supporting role as Malcolm Moore in this sports drama. Though beginning his career as a rapper, Xzibit gained wider fame hosting the MTV show Pimp My Ride from 2004 to 2007, where his on-screen role involved installing extravagant modifications in cars.^[1]

Origin: 2007