Victoria Monét and Quavo recreate the Hotel Lobby trend with “No AI”

Victoria Monét and Quavo have answered the internet’s “Hotel Lobby” craze the old-fashioned way: they filmed it themselves. In a clip Monét posted on Thursday 1 October, she stands in Takeoff’s place in front of the familiar orange wall while Quavo performs his own part, with the caption “No AI”.

The video lands after weeks in which AI tools pasted everyone from cats to the Obamas into Quavo and Takeoff’s 2022 COLORS performance, a trend that also drew criticism because Takeoff died in 2022.

What we know

• The post: Monét shared the recreation on Instagram on 1 October. Her caption opens with “No AI” and says that both artists “have real albums coming out tonight”, asking fans to “support human legacy”. By Saturday 3 October it showed around a million likes and 13,000 comments.
• Who does what: Monét mouths Takeoff’s verse while Quavo repeats his own lines and moves from the original video, Revolt and HotNewHipHop reported.
• The albums: two new records came out on Friday 2 October, Frequency of Love by Monét and QRÖMELIFE by Quavo, so the clip also worked as release-night promotion for both.
• The original: COLORS published “Hotel Lobby | A COLORS SHOW” on its YouTube channel on 17 June 2022. On 3 October the video stood at about 125 million views.

Where the Hotel Lobby clip comes from

“Hotel Lobby” was released in May 2022 by Quavo and Takeoff under the name Unc & Phew, a nod to the fact that Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle. Their COLORS session is minimal: two rappers, one hanging microphone and a bright orange backdrop, trading lines back and forth.

That simple, two-person set-up is exactly what made it easy to copy. Takeoff died after being shot in Houston on 1 November 2022, a few months after the session was filmed.

How the AI trend works

According to Complex, the current wave took off in early September, reportedly starting with AI videos of two cats performing the routine. The format then spread to famous pairs, such as the Obamas, the Breaking Bad duo Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, and footballers Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland.

Complex reports that apps such as Starrd and Summrs, along with CapCut templates, do the work: a user uploads two photos and the tool maps those faces onto Quavo and Takeoff, keeping the original movements, lip-sync and audio. Revolt reported that celebrities joined in too, including Kevin Hart with his wife Eniko, and Niecy Nash with her wife Jessica Betts.

Why some fans objected

The criticism centres on Takeoff. Because the trend reuses his face, voice and movements, some fans argued that a performance recorded months before his death should not be turned into a template, Complex and HotNewHipHop reported. Others raised wider questions about consent and what happens to the photos people upload to AI apps.

What Quavo has said

Quavo has not condemned the trend. On 23 September he reposted the untouched COLORS performance, calling it “The original!!!” with the hashtag #HOTELLOBBY, according to Complex, iHeart and HotNewHipHop. Complex quoted his Facebook version, which began “Aye Take we viral again”.

The recreation with Monét goes a step further: rather than arguing with the AI clips, it puts a real performer in the frame. HotNewHipHop described it as closer to a tribute than another face swap.

Timeline

• 20 May 2022: “Hotel Lobby” released by Unc & Phew.
• 17 June 2022: COLORS publishes the performance on YouTube.
• 1 November 2022: Takeoff is killed in Houston.
• Early September 2026: AI versions of the clip start spreading, beginning with cats (Complex).
• 23 September 2026: Quavo reposts the original with “The original!!!”.
• 1 October 2026: Monét and Quavo post their no-AI recreation.
• 2 October 2026: Frequency of Love and QRÖMELIFE are released.

What to watch next

The first streaming and chart numbers for Frequency of Love and QRÖMELIFE will show whether the attention around the clip carries over to the albums. Quavo and Offset have also confirmed they are working on a new album together, which Quavo said they are preparing to release in 2027, iHeart reported.

Sources

• Victoria Monét on Instagram, 1 October 2026 (the recreation and caption)
• COLORS: Quavo & Takeoff, “Hotel Lobby” (A COLORS SHOW), YouTube, 17 June 2022
• Revolt: Quavo and Victoria Monét join viral “Hotel Lobby” trend without AI
• HotNewHipHop: Victoria Monét and Quavo join the “Hotel Lobby” trend without AI, 1 October 2026
• Complex: Quavo and Takeoff’s “Hotel Lobby” performance has become a viral AI meme, 27 September 2026
• iHeart: Quavo reacts to viral meme inspired by his and Takeoff’s “Hotel Lobby” video, 28 September 2026
• Billboard: Victoria Monét’s Frequency of Love songs ranked