Four Years Ago Today, #YOLO Was Born

Never forget.

Screenshot via YouTube

While the Internet continues to be infatuated with “Hotline Bling,” most people seemed to forget that October 23rd is a red letter date in the history of Drake. Not only is today the day before The Boy’s 29th birthday—it’s the 4th anniversary of the day Aubrey Graham created a monster.

On October 23rd, 2011 at 11:55PM, Drake sent a five-word  tweet that changed the very fabric of popular culture:

Almost a week before the release of “The Motto”—the song that extolled the virtues of #YOLO—people latched onto the acronym as a life mantra. Before long, YOLO was everywhere, printed on trucker hats, tattooed on human flesh, and eventually, immortalized in the Oxford Dictionary. It may not be the most enduring Drake meme, but it was one of the first. And your first is always special.

While it’s no longer the motto four years later, #YOLO will always have a place in our hearts, minds, and for some, on the smalls of their lower backs. Never forget.

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