The Harlem shake, originally called the albee, is a dance introduced in 1981 by a Harlem resident named "Al B". The dance was initially referred to as "albee" after his name, but later became known as the Harlem shake as its prominence grew beyond the neighborhood. The dance became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the Harlem shake in his music video "Let's Get It".
Originating in the 1980s in Harlem, New York, the dance is based on an East African dance called Eskista.[1][2] Since its beginnings it has spread to other urban areas and became popular in music videos. The self-purported inventor of the dance was "Al B", a Harlem resident.[3] Because of its founder, the dance was originally called the "albee" in Rucker and Harlem, but then later became known as the Harlem shake.