Why Everyone (Including Kim Kardashian) Is Suddenly Using The P Emoji — And What It Means
Are you pushin p?
Maria Savenko / Shutterstock // Twitter // Instagram There are so many emojis (3,633 emojis as of September 2021, to be exact).
While most of them are pretty straightforward, every once in a while an emoji adopts a whole new meaning. For example, the peach emoji has become the booty icon and the skull emoji is akin to dying from laughter.
Today, it’s the simple P emoji that’s suddenly so popular even Kim Kardashian is using it.
What does the P emoji mean?
According to Emoji Dictionary, the original P emoji meaning was “parking.” This makes sense, as it matches the blue parking symbols you’d see while trying to find somewhere to park.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
But in January 2022, rappers Gunna, Future and Young Thug released their song “pushin P” on Gunna's new album DS4EVER, giving the P emoji a whole new meaning.
Put simply, the P emoji means “good.”
Of course, that’s the most basic definition, which is probably what you’re looking for since you’re Googling what an emoji means (don’t worry, you’re not alone).
The deeper meaning of P as popularized by Gunna is basically anything that encapsulates a positive lifestyle.
Gunna himself started using the emoji at the beginning of January 2022 on Twitter to promote his new album, asking followers to guess the meaning through his use of the term.
After a few answers came in, Gunna began offering some examples of what counts as P.
According to him, “Risking your life to feed your family is P.”
And “Being Loyal Is definitely P.”
But... “Jumpin n a person beef or situation when u dk wats goin on Not P.”
If you’re “pushin P,” you’re living life with a positive attitude, or as Urban Dictionary defines it, “keeping it player.”
P can also mean "paper."
As some involved in a heated Reddit debate on the subject of what the P emoji means pointed out, pushin' P can also be used as an alternate way of saying "pushin' paper," aka money.
And while that is just one interpretation of many offered there, Gunna confirmed in a video explaining the term that P can also mean paper, too.
Kickin' P Vs. Pushin' P
Offering even more explanations and examples in an Instagram live, Gunna also states that there is a difference between kickin' P and pushin' it.
Kickin' P, it seems, means you're kind of faking it, while pushin' P is the real deal.
"If you’re in some sh** and it’s rented, like, that's kicking P," Gunna says. "You buy this sh** and you own it, [you’re] really pushing P. You’re spending your hard-earneds."
How to Use P in Texts, Captions, and Comments
Many people are writing “that’s P” in comments on Instagram and TikTok to let people know they approve of their post (or that’s not P if it’s the opposite).
You can also go with the original “pushin P” caption.
Where you used to comment the fire emoji on your friends' photos, try using P instead.
Or, take a page out of Kim Kardashian’s book and use it in one of the words in your caption to add that positive vibe.
As you can see, the P emoji is actually very versatile.
And now you’re no longer in the dark about this emoji, which is pretty P.
Micki Spollen is an editor, writer, and traveler. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her travels on her website.