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The meme "Imagine if Ninja Got a Low Taper Fade", also known as "Low Taper Fade is Still Massive" or simply "Low Taper Fade", is an internet meme about Fortnite streamer Ninja. The meme initially went viral in January 2024, and has remained popular for almost a year. Due to the meme's relative longevity, Ninja had been semi-seriously accused of furthering the meme's popularity beyond its usual lifespan: this has, in itself, boosted the meme's success. [1]
On 5 January 2024, hyperpop musician ericdoa began a Twitch live stream. During the stream, he began freestyling lyrics, and eventually started discussing his grandfather, who had died from COVID-19. Ericdoa becomes visibly emotional during this time (around 25 minutes in), before abruptly changing the subject and singing the lyric "Imagine if Ninja got a low taper fade". Clips of the stream, featuring the "low taper fade" line, went viral on social media and it quickly became a meme due to the apparent random nature of the line, with there being no previous connection between the popular gamer and the hairstyle. [2] Photoshopped images of Ninja with the haircut also became popular, and there was popular demand for Ninja to get the haircut. [3] [ better source needed ]
Ericdoa later stated, in an interview with Rolling Stone , that it was "the first thing that came to [his] mind" that was "silly enough to make [him] not cry in front of a bunch of people". [2]
Throughout 2024, Ninja continued to reference the meme, and further its popularity in his YouTube videos. In one podcast, Ninja stated that the meme was "still massive. Massive. I mean, I’ve seen new ones that I’ve never seen before that have like millions of likes and views still that are like popping off all over the place." [4]
This text became a copypasta, and the clip became the subject of satire and parody across social media. Many began to accuse Ninja of "dragging" the meme (making it last longer than usual by repeatedly referencing it) in an attempt to boost his own viewership. The idea of Ninja dragging the meme (and that it is "still massive") has itself become a meme, with videos on TikTok showing the meme "still [being] massive" after absurdly long periods of time. [5]
On 15 January 2024, Ninja claimed that he had gotten a low taper fade haircut. He posted a video of himself with the cut on the official NFL TikTok account, gaining over 16 million views. Some, however, have claimed that Ninja's haircut is not truly a low taper fade, posting comments such as "imagine if Ninja knew what a low taper fade was". [6]