The Who Is Paul McCartney meme emerged in early 2015 following the release of the song Only One, a collaboration between rapper Kanye West and legendary Beatles member Paul McCartney. Shortly after its debut, a wave of tweets from younger listeners began asking who McCartney was, with some even crediting Kanye for discovering the unknown talent. While many of these posts were likely satirical trolls intended to provoke classic rock fans, the internet's reaction was swift and indignant, turning the situation into a symbol of the perceived cultural disconnect between generations. Today, the meme is frequently used to mock people who are unaware of fundamental pop culture history or to ironically celebrate celebrities helping established icons.