Minnesota toddler raps DMX lyrics while doing chores; internet loses its mind 'up in here, up in here'

The Twittersphere was impressed with a 3-year-old's rapping — and her tidying-up skills.

April 3, 2018 at 11:38PM
A Minnesota toddler went viral singing DMX lyrics.
In this screen grab from @sarapelissero's viral tweet, 3-year-old Tegan sings DMX lyrics. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

A video of a Plymouth 3-year-old rapping while clearing her dishes has lit up the parenting segment of social media, and her mother — a breast cancer survivor — couldn't be prouder.

The Twitter video of a toddler named Tegan rapping DMX's 1999 hit "Party Up," has racked up 5 million views since her mother posted it last week. And if an adorable little kid singing old-school rap wasn't cute enough, Tegan is doing it while tidying up after a meal. Her neatness had people on Twitter losing it over #parentgoals.

Tegan's mom, Sara Pelissero, was stunned that her daughter knew the song.

"I'm used to her singing nursery rhymes or little cutesy songs that she learns at school, and suddenly she just busted out with DMX at the dinner table," Pelissero said. "It was like, 'What is happening?' "

Turns out that Tegan learned the song at day care. A teacher there — in a high-stress moment — was muttering under her breath the line that Tegan repeated on camera: "Y'all gon' make me lose my mind. Up in here, up in here."

Tegan learned something else at day care — how to clear her plate. It was a skill that came in particularly handy last year when Pelissero was diagnosed with breast cancer, shortly after having a second child.

"It was just a complete shock," Pelissero said.

Her treatment involved two surgeries. And Tegan picked up some of the slack around the house while Pelissero recovered.

"It was one of those things, that this is going to be part of the daily routine until mom gets back on her feet," Pelissero said. "She likes that responsibility, having another reason to feel like a big girl."

Tegan's chores became so commonplace that Pelissero didn't even register what her daughter was doing in the video. She's loving the positive feedback.

"It's very humbling," Pelissero said. "I feel like for a lot of parents, we always just feel like we're trying really hard, but never feel like we're succeeding. We'd never put ourselves in the category of, 'Oh, yeah, parenting win right here.' Everybody's just trying to keep their heads above water and try our best not to raise serial killers."

Pelissero and her husband thought the video was hilarious, but had no idea it would gain so much traction. It got hundreds of retweets in the first night, and then climbed into the thousands and tens of thousands.

Tegan's DMX rendition has won TV fame, as well, including the video's appearance on NFL Network, where Pelissero's husband works, and a segment on KARE 11, where Pelissero works as a digital producer.

The response has been an uplifting cap on a "chaotic" year, Pelissero said.

"It's just completely goofy and there's nothing really serious about it," she said. "I feel like it's been a nice breath of fresh air for us after what has been a lot of dark moments."

about the writer

about the writer

Sharyn Jackson

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Sharyn Jackson is a features reporter covering the Twin Cities' vibrant food and drink scene.

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