Step Up 3D just not cutting it for you? The good folks over at Complex Magazine recently compiled their list of their favorite b-boy-themed movies.
It’s a solid list, but it’s definitely worth keeping in mind that it seems to be a plug for the aforementioned Hollywood blockbuster. The classics are all there, plus a few noteworthy underground and foreign gems.
But if you’re planning your end-of-summer b-boy movie marathon, you’ll want to take the time to hunt down unmentioned titles like The Freshest Kids, Inside the Circle, or Turn it Loose — and then when everything’s winding down, hit them with something over-the-top like Raging Phoenix. It’s all about that end freeze, son.
What are your favorite b-boy films and documentaries?
(For all you international readers who can’t access Hulu, the first LXD episode features the narration of an old man, lots of slow motion b-boying at a high school prom, and Cloud wearing a scarf and being a bad guy. No, really.)
This clip from Morocco is one of many showing T.I.P’s friends and fans’ support from around the globe.
As we reported earlier, some members of South Korea’s T.I.P Crew have run into some trouble for avoiding the mandatory military draft. The Korean media took it as an opportunity to publicly humiliate the crew as the newest targets for gossip fodder. As a result, the crew lost its jobs, sponsorships, studio, and its reputation as a source of pride for the entire country.
Although the article does not mention any names, Mex from The Bboy Spotposted that Differ and Virus were among those arrested.
According to the article they were faking mental illness in order to avoid the compulsory military service that’s required from every healthy Korean male. The authorities were alerted through an anonymous tip that they had been faking their symptoms.
It would probably be wise to reserve judgment until we’ve heard T.I.P.’s side of the story.
Our nerdier readers will already know what Woot! is, but for those who don’t, Woot! is a website which features one random product each day at a substantial discount. Could be an Xbox, could be a Roomba, or it could be a toy monkey.
Their spinoff Shirt.Woot is the same idea, but with user submitted shirt designs. Today’s design is titled “The Original B-Boy” and features Bowser carrying a boombox and sporting some knock off Chucks.
What makes it worth mentioning is the write up underneath the product (Woot! has become known for their sarcastic product descriptions). It’s a pretty great indictment of the current state of “urban dance movies” that have been flooding the market, taking on such themes as sex, diversity, and even “Twilighters.” They know this shirt is a gimmicky attempt to capture that demographic, and they’re ok with that.
If that sounds good to you, you’d better hurry. The shirt is only on sale for one day.
EDIT: Credit points out that Alex from Motion Disorderz is the designer of the shirt. I wonder if my title still holds true considering that an actual b-boy designed it? Funny how a little context can change things.
Apologies for the lack of updates, but we’ve been hard at work at some new projects. We’re especially excited to be able to announce a collaboration that has been a long time coming:
More Than A Stance today issued an announcement of a new urban-themed project in conjunction with McDonald’s Corporation. The project, entitled Got Beef?!, will kick off in August with a 12-country rap tour and breakdance competition featuring big-name “B-Boy” and “B-Girl” Lil Wayne and Lil Mama.
Competition categories are set to include Hottest B-Girl, Shit Talk or Git Popped, and Better Biterz (Flip Tha Skript!).
The announcement also detailed the revamping of longtime breakdance magazine More Than A Stance as the new hip-hop lifestyle website Got Beef?! Breakdance Station. The new website is set to feature interviews, music videos, and an online version of Shit Talk or Git Popped entitled Flame Warz.
In making the announcement, More Than A Stance co-founder Calvin Son said, “This is how we always imagined the path that More Than A Stance would take, and we couldn’t ask for a better end. I’m confident that Got Beef?! will provide the support and sustenance that the breakdance community wants and needs. We look forward to more fun, funkiness, and fries.”
For more information, visit the official More Than A Stance blog at http://morethanastance.com/blog/.
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Thanks so much to everyone for your support! We couldn’t have done it without you. And be sure click the image above to check out the McDonald’s BBoy Battle game!
In addition its YouTube hype and performance at the Oscars, the group was featured on a recent episode of TEDTalks. The private non-profit TED (which stands for technology, entertainment and design) devotes itself to “ideas worth spending.” In other words, it’s a bunch of geniuses sitting around being, uh, geniuses.
The video above shows a live performance as well as short interview snippets. And this, readers, is how Kid David joined the ranks of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bill Gates and Richard Dawkins.
As we learned in our interview with him, there are few people on Cros1’s level when it comes to the business of b-boying.
In his latest venture, the man behind Freestyle Session and Armory is putting together the world’s first ever b-boy flash mob, choreographed by Flo Master. It’s set to go down in LA at the end of this month.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, hit the jump for a video of one of my personal favorite examples.
The artist that opened my mind to the power of production. When I traveled to Japan, I staked out his shop Guinness Records hoping he would show up. I grabbed his album off the shelf and kept pointing to it, hoping that they had some of his rare titles. Unfortunately, I never got to meet him, but I was able to come home with a few of his albums.
Regardless of the fact that they probably trained to it for weeks before and listened to it on the way to the jam, b-boys will always get massive battle boners to Babe Ruth’s song “The Mexican.”
It is a classic — sometimes it’s hard to tell if b-boys are excited about the song, or if they’ve been trained to react to it like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Or is it more hype just to hear everyone else get hype?
In any case, there will always be some guy who pretends to shoot his opponent during the part with the two snare hits, another guy who pretends to laugh during the “ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”, another guy who pretends to pop his neck during the rattle, and another guy who shakes while the singer is actually singing “share.”
But the real beauty of this song is that it can make anyone sound like a complete racist. For example:
- Do you like the Mexican? So hype!
Nah. Played out.
- Yo! Are you hearing this? He hates the Mexican! I could listen to the Mexican all day! [The Mexican guy in the corner slowly edges toward the door.]
Although there seems to be some debate about it, I thought that the LXD’s performance at the Oscars was pretty fun, especially the part set to the UP theme music.
Of course, that could have been due to me shouting out the name of every dancer I recognized under the assumption that it made me look cooler.
