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"Harlem Shake" Creator Insists His Viral Smash Hasn't Made Him Money

Camille Dodero ยท 08/19/13 06:11AM

Baauer is the 24-year-old trap-rave producer whose future-crunk behemoth โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ soundtracked Norwegian army drills, morning-show derp squads, school suspensions, an FAA investigation, a fiery fall, and a mass stabbing among perhaps a zillion other flash-mob dancing demonstrations, thanks to a craze perhaps orchestrated by corporations. But despite debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after chart rules changed to incorporate YouTube streams, the Brooklyn-based DJ insists that his best-known smash hasn't directly earned him money. How could that be?