Philadelphia Eagles hype man Gillie da King is back and he’s bringing the ‘Uptown Funk’ to the Birds’ 2026 season
This year's two-step incorporates Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' 2014 hit.
Nasir “Gillie da King” Fard is back for the 2026-27 Eagles season with a new pregame Instagram dance, and it’s giving uptown funk.
Perhaps the new kickoff song is a nod to Gillie’s proud North Philly roots.
The two-step Philadelphia Eagles love fest is definitely a soul-filled shout-out to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ 2014 hit “Uptown Funk,” complete with the fancy footwork, twists, turns, and the shoulder shimmies Eagles fans have come to expect.
Gillie begins the two-minute video — with almost 40,000 likes before Sunday’s game even started — with his signature bravado.
“Rain, sleet, or snow, the Eagles train to go,” Gillie begins, wearing his trademark colossal Noggin Boss hat in black and a Brian Dawkins No. 20 jersey in classic midnight green.
Then, using a flurry of colorful language, Gillie promises the Eagles will dominate the Birds’ Week 2 foes: the Tennessee Titans.
“This ain’t no movie,” Gillie says, in a playful reference to the 2000 film starring Denzel Washington. Then his message turns humorously dark. “This is dismember the Titans.”
Ouch.
And just like that, Gillie proceeds to get his dance on, a mashup of moves from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. He starts off with a little bit of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and mixes in a few Michael Jackson “Thriller” shoulder shrugs. It’s clear Gillie means business.
After, the steps get current: a more dramatic version of Gillie’s favorite Little Duval dance from his 2018 hit, “Smile,” with extra shoulder oomph. Another of his favorites in the video is the Kodak Black.
Just like the previous two years of Gillie’s viral pregame performances featuring 1986 old school grooves: Cameo’s “Candy” and Cheryl Lynn’s “Encore” in 2024 and 2025 respectively, this is a video you want to watch over and over again.
So fun.
Not to worry, an Eagles win still calls for an homage to Too Short’s 2006 earworm “Blow the Whistle,” featuring JoJo the Bird and Broom Man, excited to sweep up the competition.
In the last two years, the videos have become so popular, celebrities like Patti LaBelle, Meek Mill, Jazmine Sullivan, and Kevin Hart have posted, reposted, and filmed themselves doing the Gillie Dance. Even actor Morris Chestnut, who turns out to be a diehard Eagles fan, has been in on the fun.
The Birds have made it to the finals each year since Gillie’s dance became a part of the city’s pregame ritual. Gillie led the Eagles through the tunnel in the championship games.
Go Birds!
