New Roy Cooper slogan references 1993 hit ‘Whoomp! There It Is’

Attorney General Roy Cooper’s campaign for governor rolled out a t-shirt Monday with a new slogan: “Coop There It Is.”

The slogan is an apparent reference to the 1993 rap hit by the group Tag Team, “Whoomp! There It Is,” which continues to be a staple at sporting events.

“Coop there it is!” Cooper’s campaign website says. “Let everyone know you’re ready for Roy with this navy blue tee.”

Asked if the slogan will be used more widely by the campaign, spokesman Ford Porter said “the shirts are just a little campaign fun.”

The song “Whoomp! There It Is” is a party anthem which includes invitations to “wave your hands in the air” and “shake your derriere.”

Gov. Pat McCrory’s re-election campaign sought to use the 1993 song against his Democratic opponent.

“It makes perfect sense that Roy Cooper would use a one-hit wonder from the ‘90s as the theme song for his campaign, because his whole campaign is about bringing North Carolina backwards and trying to make it look cool,” campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz said. “But some things are just better off left in the past where they belong. Maybe since he’s spending his time fundraising with far-left liberals in California, he should have gone with better songs like ‘California Love’ by 2Pac or ‘Californication’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers?”

The slogan prompted mixed reactions on Twitter:

The McCrory campaign has not yet offered any merchandise referencing pop culture. But it has offered donors bumper stickers with the phrase “it’s just common sense” – the governor’s defense of House Bill 2. And last year, the campaign offered bumper stickers that said “I don’t believe the Raleigh News & Observer.”

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 1:21 PM with the headline "New Roy Cooper slogan references 1993 hit ‘Whoomp! There It Is’."