People are hanging off crosswalk signs to take part in the Kid Cudi-inspired “Maui Wowie” trend

https://www.dailydot.com/culture/crosswalk-signs-kid-cudi-maui-wowie-tiktok-trend/

Susan LaMarca Oct 10, 2025 · 3 mins read
People are hanging off crosswalk signs to take part in the Kid Cudi-inspired “Maui Wowie” trend
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A new trend features people “just hangin around” to the tune of a 2008 banger that references a strain synonymous with tropical paradise.

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The recent TikTok phenomenon features content creators dangling from street signs at intersections in US cities as they lip-sync along with an audio clip of “Maui Wowie” by Kid Cudi.

The song from the rapper’s 2008 mixtape, “A Kid Named Cudi,” shares its name with “Maui Wowie,” a strain of cannabis originally cultivated in Hawaii that’s known for its tropical, fruit-forward aroma and flavor.

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TikTok users participating in the trend sing, “Goin’ back to Honolulu just to get that, that Maui Wowie, that Maui Wowie,” along with Cudi’s chorus.

It begins with @aaronxbrownn’s “just hangin around” videos

The trend is popular among longtime Kid Cudi fans as well as younger people who are hearing the track for the first time. The videos are also gaining traction because TikTok users recognize the intersections that creators are filming at and are guessing at locations.

Know Your Meme attributed the earliest instance of the trend to a video shared by TikTok user Aaron Brown, @aaronxbrownn, on September 5, 2025. 

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@aaronxbrownn omw to honolulu #fyp #mauiwowie ♬ original sound – PAPO

Brown sings along with the Cudi audio clip as he hangs from a signpost in a video that now has 3.3 million views on TikTok. Brown followed up with a remake captioned, “where it all started,” on October 9, 2025.

People caught up in the easy melody of “Maui Wowie” replied to the post in song.

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Kid Cudi’s song surges in popularity

Meanwhile, streams are up for Kid Cudi’s “Maui Wowie” thanks to the TikTok trend.

On October 10, 2025, “Maui Wowie” was ranked tenth on Spotify’s “Viral 50 – USA” playlist. Complex reported that “Maui Wowie” jumped 22 positions on Spotify’s daily songs chart to make it into the top 100, No. 98 on October 7, 2025.

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u/Chemical_Brother_6796 noticed a bump in popularity for Cudi’s track on September 16, 2025. They asked, “Where did this gigantic surge of popularity for Maui Wowie come from??” on the r/KidCudi subreddit. Many Reddit users replied that the song was making the rounds on TikTok.

Budtenders on the thread admitted they’re playing it over the speakers at their dispensaries. 

The trend takes hold

TikToker @margaret_kov wrote, “I had to do it 🤣,” in the caption of her “Maui Wowie” trend video from October 9, 2025. The TikTok user quickly accumulated 82 thousand views with the video shot on a street corner in New York City.

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@margaret_kov i had to do it 🤣 #nyc #fyp #mauiwowie ♬ Maui Wowie – Kid Cudi

The physical prowess necessary for performing the “Maui Wowie” trend impressed commenters, who asked, “How tall are you, queen?”

Commenters also noted that the trend presents a perfect opportunity for hot people to showcase their assets.

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A popular copy-paste reply begins with concern for the form of the person dangling in the video and ends with a pick-up line: “It’s better not to sleep on your side; ideally, you should sleep next to me.”

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