When hip-hop was pure...

Battles like this were a common occurrence in the hoods where the entire culture developed. Now as Hip-hop enters it's 30's you see less and less of this within the mainstream and the "B-Boy" is relegated to underground status and rec center battles on liberal white college campuses and the more Asian areas of California. That's right, niggas don't dance no more regardless of what the latest 'craze' from the South telling you to snap and roll says.



Now there are a couple of reasons for this. Number one, it just isn't "cool" anymore. At some point, as hip-hop grew, there were more people who couldn't dance than those who could, and just like that, what once was a staple, became outnumbered. The other reasonable conclusion I can make, is that a mix between the people who couldn't dance, people, who wouldn't dance, and the hustlers, there was an unintended conspiracy that downplayed the ability of those who could dance most likely, to get at the females who were undoubtedly in attendance at impromptu street battles. Once it became that females were more interested in the guy who drove the nice car, would spend money on her, and didn't spend his time practicing his dance moves because he was busy getting money-shit changed. I can also say that some of the b-boyers probably brought it on themselves by refusing to be productive men and cut back on the fruitless dancing and growing up but thats most likely more because of the lack of steady income.

The other thing, and we have touched on this before when it comes to lyrics, the hip-hop culture is more about people who can do "real" things instead of fantasy like dance, and scratch records, and actually spit bars. That is just unfortunate that in our communities we can't let ourselves go and escape into some fantasy unless it's about being the next Godfather. As people who had less skills came into the fold and struggled to find a place next to those who do have the talents, they realized to just simplify those accomplishments by just reiterating how "real" they were. It's like beating your boy at Madden and he says 'Can't beat me for real though'; WTF does that have to do with anything? So now we have generations who don't appreciate the skill it takes to do anything more than the fucking Dougie.



Here is a shout out to all those keeping the dream alive now, the 'corny' white boys at your local college campus who break dance and listen to  little brother instead of playing Beer Pong and those Filipino immigrants who use hip-hop to make new friends in new places after they move.