The Khia Asylum: What is it & Where Did it Come From?

If you've spent any time on social media lately, you've probably seen someone get called a "Khia" or joked about being stuck in the "Khia asylum." The term actually refers to the rapper Khia, who scored a major hit with her track 'My Neck, My Back' in 2002 before fading from the mainstream. Around 2014, Twitter users began using her name as slang for artists whose careers never fully took off or stalled after an early breakthrough. Today, fans often use the word "Khia" to describe singers who may have charted a hit or two but haven't actually become household names since. Like many internet memes, the phrase is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, though fans still passionately debate who really belongs in this so-called “asylum”.