Nah he tweakin': Lil Nas X and Tony Hawk's feud explained

26 August 2021, 11:38

Lil Nas X Tony Hawk feud. Picture: 1. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/ Alamy 2. ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy

The phrase, which has been posted all over Instagram, started with a Lil' Nas X and Tony Hawk spat and involves blood. Find out more here.

The Internet is constantly picking up new terms and phrases and this month 'nah he tweakin' suddenly popped up all over Instagram.

It first began with US rapper and singer Lil Nas X and was then infiltrated by bots before it was adopted by Instagram users themselves.

But what does 'nah he tweakin' actually mean, why is it all over Instagram and what does Lil Nas X and Tony Hawk have to do with it?

Get our rundown below.

What does nah he tweakin' mean?

The phrase "tweakin" is used in rap and hip-hop culture to refer to someone who's high on drugs or acting crazy or in an irrational way.

What is nah he tweaking on Instagram?

The phrase was first used in a comment from Lil' Nas X under a post about Tony Hawk's blood-enthused skateboards. It then went viral on Instagram after it became part of a glitch on the platform where comments were all being replaced by the phrase. Instagram users then jumped on the phrase to become part of the viral trend.

Instagram themselves addressed their users which a humorous post on 26 August 2021, which suggested they didn't really know the meaning of the phrase either, but they would be fixing the bug in due course.

They wrote on Twitter: "Yeah we tweakin, but only a little bit. We’re aware that some people are having issues loading their comments (we're fixing that) and that some are seeing a bunch of comments saying "nah he tweakin" (what is that?). More soon!"

They have since resolved the issue and comments have returned.

Today some people experienced trouble loading comments on Instagram (except, it appears, for “nah he tweakin” 🧐). We’ve resolved this issue and all comments should now be back.
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) August 26, 2021

Why did Lil Nas X feud with Tony Hawk and write 'nah he tweakin'?

Lil Nas X's comments about Tony Hawk stem from the skater releasing a skateboard collaboration with a beverage company Liquid Death, which saw him merge his blood with the painted skateboard decks.

Liquid Death Puts Tony Hawk’s Blood In Limited Edition Skateboards

It was under a post made on Instagram by the platform Rap TV that Lil Nas X wrote "nah he tweakin" in his response to the news.

Lil' Nas X comments under a Rap TV Instagram post about Tony Hawk's blood-infused skateboards. Picture: Instagram/rap

Nas X felt the public reaction was much more favourable to Hawk's collaboration compared to that of his Satan Shoes, which were also said to contain his blood.

The Montero star explained this more on Twitter, writing: "now that tony hawk has released skateboards with his blood painted on them, and there was no public outrage, are y’all ready to admit y’all were never actually upset over the blood in the shoes? and maybe u were mad for some other reason?"

now that tony hawk has released skateboards with his blood painted on them, and there was no public outrage, are y’all ready to admit y’all were never actually upset over the blood in the shoes? and maybe u were mad for some other reason?
— nope 👶🏾 (@LilNasX) August 25, 2021

However, one follower did make an interesting distinction that many fans got on board with, suggesting it was Lil Nas X's decision to call his trainers "Satan Shoes," which really sparked the most controversy.

Sir, you’re very talented and smart. Please don’t continue to miss the point. Folks didn’t like your shoes because it was a Satan shoe. And the vast majority of people, irregardless of their view towards your sexuality, don’t play with satanic imagery. No one’s out to get you.
— Ruslan (@RuslanKD) August 25, 2021