With undeniably catchy tunes and a fresh perspective on size diversity in his viral music videos, rapper Robbie Tripp has certainly made his mark in the annals of internet culture, with one media outlet going so far as to call Tripp “the wholesome Post Malone of body positivity.” 

So how did Tripp break his way into the hip-hop industry using body-positive messaging in his music and visuals? We caught up with the Las Vegas rapper and asked him all about his journey from body-positive Instagram influencer to polarizing internet rap sensation.

Over the past decades, the music industry has undoubtedly had a complicated relationship with the female body, to say the least. In the pop and rap/hip-hop genres, the industry has frequently perpetuated narrow beauty ideals and objectified women, seemingly getting more explicit and narrow by the decade. However, more recent female artists such as Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and Megan Thee Stallion seem to be pushing these antiquated notions to the side and have taken center stage in the never-ending debate about women’s bodies in our society. But one thing that we’ve still yet to see is male artists using their voice to champion diversity and inclusivity in their music. 

Enter Robbie Tripp.

As one of the artists at the heart of this change in the music industry, Tripp has made a name for himself with viral hits like “Chubby Sexy” and “Big Girl Banger.” The Las Vegas artist has deviated from convention since the beginning of his music career and says this is only the beginning.

“I’m inspired by strong, empowered women who exude confidence in their curvy figure,” Robbie says plainly. “I guess I’ve always been unapologetic, both in my life and in my art, so it’s just been a natural progression for me to make music and create content that shines a light on women of all sizes but particularly curvy and plus-size women for sure.”

Robbie's success story took an unconventional route, beginning in 2017 when he posted a heartwarming Instagram post celebrating his wife–body-positive fashion blogger and curve model Sarah Tripp–and sharing his thoughts on prevalent beauty myths in society.

“I obviously had no idea the post would gain so much traction,” Robbie says with a laugh. “I posted tributes to my beautiful wife all the time, and of course, I was hoping the words might help some women who maybe felt insecure or unworthy because of their size, but I could never have predicted my post would strike such a chord with so many women across the world.”

The post quickly gained traction and eventually started racking up hundreds of thousands of shares online. Media attention soon followed, putting Robbie at the center of praise as a “hero husband” and “relationship goals,” but also harsh criticism. While some accused him of ‘patting himself on the back’ in his post, others applauded him for making them feel seen and heard. Celebrities such as Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine and actress Tia Mowry shared Tripp’s post on Facebook, and Robbie landed on Good Morning America, BBC Radio, and Good Morning Britain to speak about his post's international conversation.

Unbothered by the criticism and motivated by the positivity spread through a single Instagram post, Robbie continued sharing his thoughts on body positivity online as his following grew and grew. Tripp was even featured in a Men’s Health cover story titled “The Manconomy,” alongside notable voices like Joe Rogan and Terry Crews, analyzing the growing online industry of men growing platforms with a fresh perspective on masculinity.

In 2019, Robbie’s journey would take flight once more as he released his debut single, "Chubby Sexy," an upbeat body-positive anthem filled with playful catchphrases like “bonita gordita” and “thick thighs like a mermaid.” The official music video gained significant attention on Twitter and recaptured the attention of internet culture reporters worldwide. The viral moment earned Tripp a notable feature in GQ Magazine's 2019 Men of the Year issue, as “Chubby Sexy” was named a “Moment of the Year” by the publication. The attention on Tripp’s unique body-positive messaging, creative wordplay, and eye-opening visuals kickstarted a chain of releases that would soon take Robbie’s music career to new heights.

In 2022, Tripp would strike gold once more with an even bigger viral moment, this time thanks to the power of TikTok. Tripp’s insatiably catchy single “Big Girl Banger” took TikTok by storm as soon as he teased the first snippet, creating a trend of women around the world dancing, posing, and celebrating their bodies using the sound and Tripp’s hashtag #BigGirlBanger. The official release of the viral single and its colorful music video featuring Tripp dancing along three size 16 models stoked the flames even further that summer, generating hundreds of millions of views on the popular video-sharing app.

“I’m truly living my dream of creating on a large scale, and I’m just grateful it’s resonating,” Robbie says. “It’s something every artist out there dreams about, to have a platform to share their ideas and creations. I suppose that’s why I’ve never been bothered by the criticism. People are of course, welcome to disagree with what I rap about and the music videos I make, but that’s just background noise because, at the end of the day, I don’t do it for them. I do it to express myself as an artist first and foremost, and then I do it for all the women and men out there who see themselves represented in my art, who feel more confident and more positive after listening to my music or watching my music videos. The haters can try to stir up whatever ‘backlash’ or ‘controversy’ they want because at the end of the day the fact remains that there are a lot of people connecting with the message.”

As Robbie's online fame (and perhaps infamy) has grown, and his fanbase has expanded, he continues to evolve as an artist. While remaining faithful to his body-positive roots, Tripp has begun making a legitimate splash in the hip-hop world for his recent releases that showcase his talent as a lyricist, creative director, and entrepreneur. And if reactions to his most recent projects are any sign, it seems Tripp has a long career ahead of him as a viral rapper and content creator.

Tripp’s most recent viral music video “Basic Bro” is a high-energy thunderbolt of bravado that surpassed 1 million views on Tripp’s YouTube channel after garnering tens of thousands of reactions on popular rap blogs WorldStarHipHop and hip-hop media empire No Jumper. And although "Basic Bro" marks Tripp’s first major departure from his well-known body-positive pop-rap hits, the casting of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit curve model Ella Halikas in the music video continued the theme of celebrating curvy muses that have become a signature in the artist’s productions.

Impressively, Tripp is continuing his prolific creative output, having just released “Money Honey” featuring viral rapper Lil Seeto, a Washington-born artist who broke into the rap industry last year after his mega-viral cypher performance debuted on popular West Coast rap blog Thizzler. Tripp says his next collaboration features a major artist and teases continued releases for the rest of the year.

While Tripp laughs at the mention of being referred to as “the wholesome Post Malone of body positivity,” he says he takes it as a compliment and feels gratitude that his music, and the message attached, are finally being heard.