20 hits in 20 years: 'Ah lelek lek lek' made Beyoncé and Neymar dance the 'wheelie step'

'Ah lelek lek lek' made Beyoncé and Neymar dance the steering wheel step
In 2012, funk was going through a moment of pure luxury, with the so-called "funk ostentation" invading São Paulo with lyrics that talked about designer clothes, imported cars and lots of money.
"Ah Lelek lek lek", a hit by MC Federado and the Lelek that won over names like Beyoncé and Neymar, however, went against the grain of luxury and stood out for its simplicity.
This article is part of the series "20 hits in 20 years", which is on GloboPop, Globo's new vertical short video app, available for free on your cell phone. On the app, you can follow the "20 hits in 20 years" stage so you don't miss any episode. Download GloboPop here!
In the decade before the track, hits like "Dança da Motinha" and "Morto Além Louco" won over the public due to their silly lyrics and the chance to make people dance. To this day, the two are guaranteed presences at parties all over the country.
MC Federado and the Lelekes
Marcos Dias/ Furacão 2000
This Rio way of making music lost strength within funk with the arrival of the genre in São Paulo. Rio de Janeiro tried to focus on "proibidão", an aspect that addresses crime in the outskirts, but it was something very niche. And competing with São Paulo's money and luxury was not an option.
It was in this limbo that "Ah Lelek lek lek" was born, a song with silly lyrics and a chorus that teaches the public how to do a basic dance, imitating a steering wheel.
The music video showing several people doing the step makes everything even more simplistic and captivating.
Even without TikTok, Instagram and the concept of "viral", music has become a phenomenon. It played on TV and made big stars reproduce the "steering wheel".
This was the case of Beyoncé, who danced the song on the Rock in Rio stage in 2013. And there was Neymar, who also reproduced the step before and during a match for Santos, in February of the same year.
Beyoncé performs on the Palco Mundo at Rock in Rio 2013
Raul Aragão/I Hate Flash/Disclosure Rock in Rio
The success was resounding, but soon after the group faced problems in court, as the artistic name was registered by a former manager, which made it impossible for MC Federado and Lelek to perform with the name (and music) that made them famous.
More than a decade later, funk players are still looking for a new hit with an addictive dance, but they have not yet been successful.

Source: G1