In 2016, you couldn’t walk past a parked car without hearing that rattling bass. It was everywhere. Even if you didn’t know who the skinny kid from Brooklyn was, you knew the Panda song by Desiigner. It felt like a fever dream. One minute, Sidney Royel Selby III (that’s Desiigner) is just another teenager making noises in his bedroom, and the next, he’s the centerpiece of Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. It was fast. It was chaotic. Honestly, it was a bit confusing for everyone involved.
The track didn't just climb the charts; it teleported to the top. It hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Desiigner the first American soloist to reach that spot with a debut single since Lorde did it with "Royals." That’s wild when you think about it. People kept comparing him to Future. They said he was a clone. They said he was a one-hit wonder. But whether you loved the mumbles or hated the "git-git-git" ad-libs, you couldn't ignore the sheer energy of that record.
The Menace of a $200 Beat
Most people assume a chart-topping hit costs thousands in studio time and high-end production. Nope. Not this one. The Panda song by Desiigner started with a 200-dollar investment.
Desiigner found the beat on YouTube. It was produced by Adnan Khan, a kid from Rochdale, England, who goes by the name Menace. Menace had never even been to Brooklyn. He just made a beat that sounded like a chase scene from a movie and put it up for sale. Desiigner bought it, and the rest is literally history. It’s funny because the "Panda" in the lyrics isn't even about the animal. Not really. It’s about the white BMW X6. Desiigner thought the car looked like a panda, so he ran with it.
"I got broads in Atlanta," he raps. He didn't actually have broads in Atlanta at the time. He’d never even been there. He met a girl on Facebook who lived there, and that was enough for the line. It's that kind of raw, unfiltered "fake it 'til you make it" energy that defines the SoundCloud rap era.
Why the Kanye West Co-Sign Changed Everything
Without Kanye, "Panda" might have just been a regional New York hit that fizzled out on the blogs. But Ye has an ear for what’s bubbling. When he sampled the track for "Pt. 2" on his album The Life of Pablo, it was like throwing gasoline on a backyard grill.
Suddenly, this 18-year-old kid is signed to G.O.O.D. Music. He’s performing at the Billboard Music Awards, jumping around like he’s got springs in his shoes. He had so much energy it looked painful. Critics were skeptical, though. They pointed out the uncanny vocal resemblance to Future, leading to a long-running debate about "biting" styles in hip-hop. Future himself wasn't thrilled. He mostly stayed silent, but the tension was there in every interview.
Yet, Desiigner had something Future didn't: a manic, cartoonish joy. While Future was the king of "toxic" and moody trap, Desiigner was just happy to be there. He was dabbing. He was making gun sounds with his mouth. He was a meme before we really understood how memes would dictate the music industry.
📖 Related: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
Breaking Down the Lyrics (If You Can)
Let’s be real. Nobody actually knew all the words to the Panda song by Desiigner when it first dropped. We all just shouted "Panda, Panda, Panda" and then made vibrating noises with our tongues.
But if you look at the structure, it’s actually a masterclass in repetitive hooks.
- The "Black X6, Phantom" line creates a visual contrast.
- The "Credit cards and the scammers" line touched on a very specific subculture of Brooklyn street life at the time.
- The "Hittin' off licks in the bando" is standard trap fare, but delivered with a cadence that felt fresh.
The song is short. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It hits you with a wall of sound and then dips. That brevity is exactly why it performed so well on early streaming platforms. You could loop it ten times and not get bored because it felt like one long adrenaline rush.
The Rochdale Connection
It’s worth circling back to Menace, the producer. The fact that a kid from a small town in Greater Manchester provided the backbone for a New York anthem is peak internet. Menace told The Guardian back then that he didn't even know Desiigner had used the beat until it started blowing up.
This happens a lot now, but in 2016, it was a bit more of a novelty. It proved that the "New York Sound" wasn't really about New York anymore; it was about a global exchange of files and vibes. The "Panda" beat is dark, heavy on the hi-hats, and features a menacing (pun intended) synth line that feels like a warning. It’s simple. It’s effective. It’s perfect.
The Cultural Aftermath and the "One Hit" Label
Is Desiigner a one-hit wonder? Strictly looking at the charts, it's hard to argue against it. He had "Tiimmy Turner," which did okay, but nothing ever touched the heights of the Panda song by Desiigner.
However, the impact of "Panda" is bigger than just one guy’s career. It signaled a shift. It was the bridge between the old guard of rap and the new "mumble rap" wave that would eventually dominate the late 2010s. It showed that you didn't need a massive marketing budget if you had a hook that people couldn't stop humming.
👉 See also: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
The song eventually went 5x Platinum. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. Think about that. A 200-dollar beat from YouTube almost won a Grammy.
Misconceptions About the Song
People think the song is about conservation or something. It's not. It's literally just about a car. The white BMW X6 with black trim looks like a panda. That’s the whole mystery solved.
Another misconception is that it was a "freestyle" that just happened. It wasn't. Desiigner actually spent a lot of time honing that specific delivery. He wanted something that sounded like it was coming from a different dimension. He succeeded. Even if you hate the song, you have to admit it sounds like nothing else that was on the radio at the time—except, maybe, a Future B-side.
How to Appreciate the Track Today
If you go back and listen to the Panda song by Desiigner now, it feels like a time capsule. It’s the sound of 2016. It’s the sound of Vine (RIP) and early TikTok-style challenges.
To really "get" why it worked, you have to stop trying to understand the lyrics. It’s not about the words. It’s about the textures. The way his voice rasps against the bass. The way the ad-libs fill the empty spaces. It’s an instrument in itself.
- Listen to the original version first, not the Kanye edit.
- Focus on the percussion—those hi-hats changed how people programmed drums for years.
- Watch the music video. It features Kanye West driving a car like a maniac, which is just peak 2016 entertainment.
What Designers Taught the Industry
The success of this track changed the business. Labels started scouring YouTube for "Type Beats" more aggressively. A&Rs began looking for "viral potential" rather than long-term artistic development. For better or worse, "Panda" was the blueprint for the viral rap hit.
It also highlighted the importance of a "tag." Desiigner’s "LOD" (Life of Desiigner) and his various clicking noises became his brand. In a world where everyone is trying to be heard, having a distinct, non-verbal sound is actually a genius move.
✨ Don't miss: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
Where is Desiigner Now?
He’s still making music, though he left G.O.O.D. Music after some public frustration with how his career was being handled. He felt like he was being shelved. It’s a common story in the industry—the "hot new thing" gets signed, the label doesn't know what to do with the second act, and things stall.
But he doesn't seem bitter. He’s still performing, still dabbing (probably), and still collecting those "Panda" royalties. And let's be honest, those royalties are probably massive. When a song gets that big, it lives forever in movies, commercials, and DJ sets.
Practical Lessons for Creators
If you’re a musician or a creator looking at the Panda song by Desiigner, here is the takeaway:
Don’t overthink the "quality" of your tools. A cheap beat can change your life if the energy is right. Also, don't be afraid to be compared to your idols. Desiigner leaned into the Future comparisons until he was big enough to stand on his own.
Lastly, focus on the hook. You have about three seconds to grab someone's attention on the internet today. "Panda" did it in one.
To truly understand the impact of the Panda song by Desiigner, you should look at the Billboard charts from that specific week in May 2016. It wasn't just a rap hit; it was a pop culture reset. It forced the industry to take "internet rappers" seriously. It paved the way for the Lil Pumps and the 6ix9ines of the world, for better or worse.
If you want to dive deeper into this era, look up the "Menace Panda producer interview" on YouTube to hear the British perspective on how this American anthem was built in a bedroom across the pond. Then, go back and listen to "Pt. 2" on The Life of Pablo and see how Kanye stripped it down and rebuilt it. It’s a masterclass in how a single idea can be refracted through different creative lenses to create something that defines an entire year.