# Angela Bassett Did the Thing

> Bassett’s reply to a BAFTA rap meme drew 1.7 million views on one tweet.

- Owner: null
- Kind: Meme & format
- Sector: Culture (no sector)
- Seed date: 2023-02-19
- Peak date: Week of Feb 27, 2023
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 50 (Notable), v1.2
- Mechanics: Catchphrase, Controversy, Platform jump, Press loop, Newsjacking

## Summary

Reaction shots provided fresh material around the rap, and a Reddit thread debated its reception. Keep It gave the thing a new referent, while DeBose substituted Diego Luna at the SAG Awards. The phrase thus became adaptable dialogue as well as a repeated lyric.

## Timeline

- 2023-02-18 — BAFTA (Press) — BAFTA announced that DeBose would open its Film Awards with a musical performance.
- 2023-02-19 — Ariana DeBose (TV) — DeBose performed a rap celebrating female BAFTA nominees before the online reaction spread.
- 2023-02-19 — @theronfilm (X) — @theronfilm reposted the performance with the caption “no way this is real.”

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/angela-bassett-did-the-thing

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Angela Bassett Did the Thing.” Case HIS-00709. Spread Score v1.2: 50/100. Updated 2026-10-14. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00709