Rolex Album Art Ayo and Teo Rolex Allbum Art

The internet will plow anything into a meme. Yet in recent years, challenges — mimicking the latest trip the light fantastic craze — have become but as prevalent. It's a social media tendency that Ayleo and Mateo Bowles (Ayo & Teo) know all too well. The Ann Arbor, Mich. brothers congenital a rabid online post-obit by posting videos of themselves dancing to the hottest new songs and inviting fans to do their best takes.

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Ayo & Teo

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Now, Ayo & Teo have made their Hot 100 debut with the track "Rolex" (it sits high at No. 32). The brothers spoke with Billboard nearly their trip the light fantastic toe roots, the inspiration backside the hit and to explicate the deal with their e'er-present masks.

What inspired you to write a song about expensive watches?

Ayo: We went to the mall and saw Rolexes in unlike colors and faces. I sent pictures to our manager, and he texted, "Become out of the store now." But we actually wanted them!

Teo: After that, I was like, "Bro, we accept to make a song nigh a Rolex." I recorded "Rollie Rollie Rollie with a dab of ranch" on an Auto-Tune app, then we went to the studio and figured it all out.

How much has the "Rolex ­challenge" trip the light fantastic toe craze helped the song?

Ayo: We know social media. If you have a vocal and plow information technology into a challenge, a lot of kids will desire to compete. I feel like mainstream rappers are starting to pick up and understand that social media culture.

What's the deal with the masks you two are e'er seen wearing?

Ayo: We started off as dancers in music videos for Usher's "No Limit" and Chris Brown'south "Political party." When nosotros were dancing without the masks, we got comments similar, "Y'all facial expressions are funny." So when I saw a model wearing a Bathing Ape mask on Instagram, I ordered two. Information technology was perfect timing.

Practise y'all take formal training in dance or did you teach yourself?

Ayo: Nosotros watched and so many people growing up — Usher, Kida, Skitzo, Matt Republic of chad — and all of the old-school and new dance movies like Breakin' and Pace Up. Then we just taught ourselves with a lot of practicing.

Teo, you started The Reverse — the idea of doing dance moves in reverse. Is information technology difficult to do a dance sequence backwards?

Teo: I could do nigh any trip the light fantastic move in reverse, but to other people it's real difficult. I made The Reverse way before we blew up, our first fourth dimension ever doing a promo, dancing to somebody's song. I think nosotros got paid like $xl to dance to this dude's song. I did the Nae Nae and just reversed information technology, like, "Bro, this is gonna look cold on photographic camera." Nobody caught on until I did it to Lil Yachty's song "One Dark." That'southward when it blew up.

Then you recorded "In Opposite" equally a theme song for the dance last year.

Ayo: Yeah, that was with Jazze [Pha]. Nosotros met him in the studio and instantly started vibing. He knew that we were big dancers on the internet, so he asked us, "Would y'all like to exercise music? It don't hurt to effort." At the time, "Broccoli" by Lil Yachty and D.R.A.M. was popular. He had the beat playing and switched information technology upward correct in front of usa. He was like, 'We gotta make an official Reverse vocal.' He gave united states of america confidence to record.

What'southward information technology like being in school while your career is taking off?

Teo: I practice online school. I had to get out of public school because I'd become stalked and distracted. People were asking for pictures — I'd say no because I'g in school, and so get in trouble because they'd be crying.

Ayo: It was my first twelvemonth in college. I knew going to college at that time wasn't the move. I was similar, we demand to proceed doing these videos. My dad didn't empathise the social media stuff at showtime, but now he does.

Do you have a dream collaboration?

Ayo: Probably the Migos. We've been into the Migos for so long, they're crazy. We were at the Lil Yachty "Minnesota" shoot and they were at that place. We didn't come across them, merely they knew who we were. They kept looking merely they were so busy with shooting, so we didn't go a chance to say what'south up.

Now that yous got the Rolex, how does information technology feel?

Teo: I'yard looking at it right now.

Ayo: lt feels real good.

What'south side by side for you 2?

Ayo: We have to come hard with the music now, cause "Rolex" is a large song. We don't wanna stay with that one-hit wonder title. We wanna continue coming, follow in the footsteps of Rae Sremmurd.

This article originally appeared in the April 29 issue of Billboard.

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