Tọlá Belva

Back in 2008, in my second year of college, I had a t-shirt with the words “Haters gon’ hate, potatoes gon’ potate, alligators gon’ alligate” printed across it. What started as a funny phrase quickly became an inside joke among me and my friends. It rolled off our tongues effortlessly, like one of those phrases that just made sense without needing much thought.

At the time, I never really deeply analyzed it—why would I? The surface-level meaning was enough. “Haters gon’ hate” was a phrase already embedded in everyday speech, especially in AAVE (African American Vernacular English). It was simple: people who dislike you for no reason will always find a reason to dislike you. That’s just what they do. We said it, laughed about it, and moved on.

But today, for some reason, the phrase randomly came to mind. And in the true millennial fashion, I had to tweet about it:

Haters gon’ hate, potatoes gon’ potate, alligators gon’ alligate.

Folks will be folks, and nature will be nature. Don’t let anyone ruffle your feathers.

And that’s when it really hit me—this phrase holds more wisdom than I ever gave it credit for.

At first glance, the phrase is just a playful way of saying that things will do what they were meant to do. But if you sit with it for a moment, you realize it’s a reflection of human nature, resilience, and acceptance.

Haters gon’ hate – People who are negative will always find something to be negative about. It’s not about you, it’s about them.

Potatoes gon’ potate – Potatoes just do what potatoes do. They grow, they get cooked, and they end up as whatever they need to be—fries, mashed potatoes, chips. They don’t stress, they don’t complain. They simply exist.

Alligators gon’ alligate – Alligators have survived for millions of years because they do what they do best: stay focused, stay patient, and strike when necessary. They don’t waste energy proving themselves to anyone.

At its core, this phrase is about acceptance and self-assurance. It’s a reminder that:

People will be who they are, and you can’t control them. Trying to change a hater’s mind is like telling an alligator to stop lurking in the water—it’s pointless. Instead of wasting energy on negativity, focus on what truly matters.

You don’t have to react to everything. Not everything deserves your time, your energy, or your emotions. Sometimes, the best response is to keep doing you, just like a potato doesn’t question its purpose.

Stay in your lane and trust your process. If alligators worried about what turtles or frogs thought of them, they wouldn’t be one of the most resilient creatures in existence. Keep doing your thing, no matter what others say.

This phrase is more than just a funny saying—it’s a mindset. The next time you feel frustrated with negativity, doubt, or unnecessary drama, remind yourself:

Haters gon’ hate.
Potatoes gon’ potate.
Alligators gon’ alligate.

And you?

You gon’ be great!