Soulja Boy has repeatedly explained that the "Crank That" is a dance from his hometown, Atlanta, Georgia, and that he popularized it within and beyond the United States. The dance is similar to the "snap", another Atlanta-based dance move, which was popularized in the song "Snap Yo Fingers" by Lil' Jon & the Eastside Boyz. In the lyrics to "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", he claims to have "made" both dances, referring to them as his "new invention" and "my little invention". However, the "snap" dance predated "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by five years, and there are many other Atlanta dance styles that employ the same body movements. The dance had originally been a local "fad dance", where a dance is briefly very popular in a geographical region.
The "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" dance originated from a dance popular in Atlanta night clubs called the "crank dat". Atlanta-based rap group Lil' Scrappy were the first to introduce the fad to the mainstream through videos shown on MTV. According to Lil' Scrappy, the dance had been popular at strip clubs in Atlanta for three years before it received national attention. It was also referenced in the song "Cutty Buddy" by Lil' Jon from his album Crunk Juice.
The dance went viral after videos of Soulja Boy and his fans performing the dance were posted on YouTube. The video for the song, directed by Dale Resteghini and released on April 23, 2007, features Soulja Boy and his entourage performing the "Crank That" in a variety of locations, including a playground, a parking lot, and a basketball court. The video was a huge success and helped to make "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" one of the biggest hits of 2007. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" has been parodied and referenced in popular culture numerous times. Saturday Night Live did a parody titled "Crank That, Superman" featuring Jason Bateman as Soulja Boy and Will Forte as Superman. The dance was also featured in an episode of the animated series South Park and was parodied in a commercial for the 2007 film Hot Rod.
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" is a significant song in the history of hip hop music and pop culture. It is one of the few songs to have gone viral before the advent of social media and is credited with helping to launch Soulja Boy's career. The dance has also become a part of popular culture and is still performed by people all over the world.