Chocolate Rain

Sometimes the most profound statements about society emerge from the most unexpected sources, and few viral phenomena demonstrated this principle more dramatically than when a graduate student's earnest anti-racism ballad became one of YouTube's defining early viral sensations through the sheer power of its creator's incongruous deep voice and endearingly awkward presentation.

"Chocolate Rain" is a song by American singer Tay Zonday. It quickly became popular after the music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on April 22, 2007, and has since been viewed more than 140 million times as of May 2025. "Chocolate Rain" was ranked as the hottest viral video of summer 2007 by CTV and was awarded the 2008 YouTube Award in the category "Music" (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025). Lyrically, the song is a metaphor for racism against African Americans, though this serious intent was initially overshadowed by the video's meme status.

The creator, Adam Nyerere Bahner (born May 21, 1982), better known by the pseudonym Tay Zonday or as "Chocolate Rain Guy," is an American YouTube personality, singer-songwriter, and voice actor. He is known for his bass singing voice (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025). Zonday was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to an African-American mother and a Caucasian father. While a Ph.D. student in American studies at the University of Minnesota, Zonday began performing at open mic nights in 2006. Looking for more feedback, he began uploading his performances online the next year (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025).

The official music video for "Chocolate Rain," lasting 4 minutes and 52 seconds, was uploaded on April 23, 2007, to Tay Zonday's official YouTube channel. The video portrays Zonday in a recording studio wearing a white T-shirt and singing into a condenser microphone. Occasional cuts to Zonday playing a digital piano are also shown. From time to time, Zonday moves away from the microphone inbetween lines; an explanation is provided via a caption that appears early in the video – "**I move away from the mic to breathe in" (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025).

The initial viral spread was not immediate. Tay Zonday (given name, Adam Nyerere Bahner) was a grad student from Minneapolis, Minnesota when he uploaded Chocolate Rain on April 23rd, 2007. On July 11th, 2007, Chocolate Rain started to catch the attention of anonymous. By July 26th, Chocolate Rain was featured on YouTube's front page, further popularizing the video, and 4chan showcased Chocolate Rain all over the page to honor Tay Zonday as well, with Chocolate Rain jokes and an embedded remix of the song (Know Your Meme, 2008).

The song's peculiar combination of elements contributed to its viral success. The juxtaposition of Zonday's youthful appearance with his remarkably deep bass voice created what would later be described as a "voice-body mismatch." The cryptic caption explaining his breathing technique became a meme in itself, spawning countless parodies and references. The song's strange lyrics like "chocolate rain, some stay dry while others feel the pain," would puzzle many viewers about what they actually meant. Later Tay would claim that the song was meant to be about institutional racism (Know Your Meme, 2008).

The cultural impact was immediate and extensive. The song was performed on major television shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Zonday appeared on August 9, 2007, as part of its "Internet Talent Showcase" (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025). The song was referenced in numerous television shows, including South Park's "Canada on Strike" episode, where Zonday appeared alongside other internet memes, and 30 Rock, where Tina Fey's character referred to another character as "Chocolate Rain."

The phenomenon demonstrated the power of early YouTube to elevate amateur content to mainstream recognition. The music video was ranked as the hottest viral video of summer 2007 by CTV (Wikipedia Contributors, 2025). Major musical artists such as John Mayer and Green Day drummer Tré Cool spoofed the song, while Zonday himself appeared in Weezer's music video for "Pork and Beans," which celebrated YouTube viral culture.

The meme's lasting impact extends beyond entertainment. Zonday licensed the song under a Creative Commons license, which facilitated its widespread remixing and parody culture. The song's anti-racism message, initially obscured by its meme status, gained renewed relevance in later years as social justice movements brought increased attention to institutional racism.