Many talk about the Hip-Hop culture, its elements, others think they own that culture, without even knowing its origins and its main ideas, but having knowledge about the past is essential to live the present and accurately pass it on, building the future. Talking about the beginning is also to remember Kool Herc, he was "the man"! He was considered the “Father of Hip-Hop” in its entirety. Kool did graffiti, was a DJ, MC and his crew danced.
When he threw a party, everyone was there! He was the first great DJ, everyone danced at his parties, the “Block Partys”, it was impossible to stay still, he played at “Sedgwich Ave” in the Bronx, his speakers were huge and the music was heard from afar. The party took place both inside and out! There were always a lot of people. It was possible, at a certain time during the party, to hear “This is DJ Kool Herc and you always come back to hear more”. It was at these parties that Hip-Hop was born. Herc played a part of the record that had a "break down" on it, which today is what we call "Break Beats". All the music on the disc came out and only the beats were left. These beats were frantic and made the people who listened crazy. It was a long-awaited moment for everyone. For example, in James Brown's music, when he reached the part “… clap your hands”, he repeated, “stomp your feet, stomp your feet”, the name of that part of the song was called “carousel” and it was at these times that the Breakers danced.
The word B-Boy came from Kool Herc, it should have represented the Bronx, in fact it was "Breaking Boys". When the crowd was "Breaking" at parties, it meant they were looking for trouble, they were "Breaking Boys" and "Breaking Girls". Breaking comes from street terminology. The question, "Why are you Breaking?", It meant "Why are you doing things out of the ordinary?" To be angry was to be "Breaking", that is, those days it would be "to be angry, he is kicking the bucket!". This became an official expression when Kool Herc used it. The B-Boys were "the boys who broke" and the B-Girls were "the girls who broke", which had no connection and did not come from breaks, per say, on the record, as many might think or believe.
Breakdance started with its dance founders in the 70s. It was something that appeared at parties. The word "B-Boying" means the body manifestation of Hip-Hop. It was not just the feet, hands in motion, but all parts of the body were used. Head, neck, intellect and character. Breaking was never a fashion, but a legitimate art! The B-Boys ate, drank, breathed and thought "B-Boying". Every time you heard "Sex Machine", "Just Begun", "Apache" which was the anthem of every B-Boy, it was possible to see the music being felt in the body, making those boys dance, it was something magical, which only music and its energy does to people. In fact, it was music that made all styles and movements develop. Breakdance is pure Hip-Hop! Ken Swift once said, "Breakdance started with a few brothers and sisters who didn't care what people would think of their movements." They were boys without money, who lived in the ghettos, in the middle of the urban environment. At parties, the person entered in a pose, then went down to the floor. And if the movements were good, a circle was formed around it so that others could also enter and challenge the brother in the dance. In this environment, people like the “Nigga Twins” came up, who danced for Herc. They went down to the ground and spun, they were the first to do that. They arrived at parties with cigars and long coats: they broke up! They danced on top of cement layers.
ALGUNS FUNDAMENTOS:
The "Top Rock" that was done at the beginning remains present today in the Top Rock that breakers do. Top Rock is the calling card, when the B-Boy presented his style. There were also other movements, such as the Indian Step. But movements on the ground first appeared back in the days between 1974 and 1975. Spy, from “Crazy Commanders”, was the creator of “Footwork” that is the basis of “B-Boying”. Later, “Freeze” (freezing of movements) and, finally, “Power Moves” (acrobatic movements) would be added to the fundamentals.
So, what was done in the beginning was taken out of the Bronx, when the “Zulu Kings” appeared, which made a combination of “Sweeps” with Russian steps, that the person folded his arms and kicked forward: they were very good basic. A B-Boy who remembered what was done in the past (called by some "Old School") is Frosty Freeze, Footwork did not seem complete being associated at the beginning. Pop Master Fabel commented: “He was in a style that I almost never see anyone doing”. In “Zulu Kings”, Beaver was the biggest name in “B-Boying”, without a doubt. For a while, no one was better than Beaver, until Spy arrived and beat him. Spy was known as the “Man With 1000 Steps”, and he became a legend! He wore a red hat and the “Black Power” hair underneath, he had a unique energy. His movements were very clean and flowed. Anything he did woud become unique!
Legs made the "Swipe" on the air, being very original. "Trac2" they were just incredible, they were getting ready to go out, they were like stars. They invented many steps that can still be seen today. Breakdance was considered as an underground form of art, until Herc brought everything outside, everything underground, everything that happened in the alleys, inside the houses, were taken to the street. And then it started spreading all over the world, it was no longer just an American thing. Batch was one of the first Hispanic breakers! The style of the Latinos was called "brown style". But it was the Puerto Ricans who carried the breakdance on their backs. The “SalSoul Crew” was where everyone started. After “SalSoul”, Batch started “TBB Crew” which was one of the best breakdance crews. But at that time, some were killed and others arrested. Batch once said that maybe if it weren't for that they would have made a lot of money at that time.
In 1977, “Rock Steady Crew” started and many of its members were B-Boys superstars from the Bronx. Rock Steady represented the serious B-Boys, so to speak. Mr. Freeze was one of the only white B-Boys at that time. He walked everywhere and was everywhere and said, "I'm Mr. Freeze, from Rock Steady Crew!", And people liked him. The “Rock Steady Crew” had 500 members and at that moment, the media took an interest on them. At the time, they appeared in the magazine “National Geographic”, in the “New York Times”, on the television channel “ABC News”, this was back in 1980.
Then, “Negril” was born, the first club that was exclusively a “Hip-Hop Club”, in the center of New York and everyone was always there. "Negril" wrote the history of Hip-Hop for the rest of the world. And at that time, in that place, he was fighting “Floor Master”, who was an athletic crew that spun a lot and that eventually even found their way in the Olympic Games against the “Rock Steady Crew”. Later, the “Floor Master” would change the name to “New York City Breakers” and, without a doubt, it was the crew that most commercialized the dance, they took the breakdance to the masses. In 1984, at the Olympic Games, the crew performed at the event and were also present on major American television programs. They introduced themselves to President Ronald Reagan. At that time, the media called the dance “Breakdance”, it was also at that time that the first Hip-Hop film called “Wild Style” was shot. The idea was to show that all the elements were connected and that they were junction parts in Hip-Hop, capturing the essence! In 1983, it was the turn of the film “Flash Dance” when the “Rock Steady Crew” was invited to participate. In the film, Ken Swift, Crazy Legs and Frosty Freeze made their appearances, the world met the B-Boys through the film.
In 1984, many crews started to break up. "Rock Steady Crew", "Dynamics", it was in that year that the film "Beat Street" was made. This film continued the “Wild Style” in the sense of showing the Hip-Hop culture of New York. That year B-Boy Matt, of the "New York City Breakers", died in a motorcycle accident. At that time, many went through difficulties, some drug trafficked, some were murdered and arrested. Others dedicated themselves to other things and jobs.
The media then starts to showcase Rap, because in fact they could sell records that people could take home, whereas with the breakdance it didn't happen. The B-Boys opened the door to Rap. Many Rappers have been criticized for not maintaining the essence, for forgetting the B-Boys in their music videos, putting naked women in the culture and increasingly targeting a multi-million dollar industry.
But the breakdance was not a passing fever, it went on and every day new B-Boys and B-Girls appeared in every corner of the world. The breakdance continued to be a form of life, art, dance and a lifestyle. Mos Def said: “There is no difference between Ken Swift and Baryshnikov: dance through different expressions is a feeling. And this is awesome!"
In the anniversaries of “Rock Steady” people from all over the world attended. They came to the battle! The truth is that Hip-Hop would not be where it is if there were no battles. If someone wanted to fight, you had to respect it, after all, fights were exchanged for battles on wheels. But in relation to excesses, we have a quote from Crazy Legs: "If a person cannot control himself/herself in a battle, then he/she does not deserve to be called a B-Boy".
Time dissipated and vanished through the fingers, later days came and a new generation of breakdance was born. Spy once said, "I see them and I think they are doing beautiful and creative things." Others from the “New York City Breakers” declared: “Every generation has its creativity and energy to show” and more, “I am happy that I have already paid my debts. I am 31 years old, now let the boys fight! ”. And Crazy Legs: “All B-Boys around the world must continue, as we are the past, they are the future and together we shall remain in the present. Let's Dance!".
Afrika Bambaataa, who was the founder of “Zulu Nation”, which had the basis of Hip-Hop as its principle, exhorted: “Peace, love, unity and fun were responsible for the existence of the true spirit of Hip-Hop. Anything other than that is not Hip-Hop! Discrimination of any kind is not Hip-Hop, ”he said:“ Hip-Hop is not just about Blacks and Latinos. All should join and be part of it! It is not about races, nor about color, it is centered around skill, feeling and ideology ”.
This text was written through research and testimonials from those who lived at that time.
Luciana Mazza: Journalist, Filmmaker and Editor at Portal Breaking World
