During the 2000s hip-hop era, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy joined forces to create a nostalgic musical power couple who specialized in party anthems, viral dance tracks and crossover success. The early careers of Bow Wow (Shad Moss) and Soulja Boy (DeAndre Way) brought them to fame through their work under Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri and their digital success which introduced YouTube as a music platform.

Bow Wow released his debut album Beware of Dog in 2000 which included the platinum-selling singles "Bounce with Me" and "Bow Wow (That's My Name)" when he was still a teenager. The internet-driven smash "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" released by Soulja Boy in 2007 became a cultural phenomenon that spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and created a worldwide dance craze.