Break for the Prize
Most have written it off as an ’80s fad buried somewhere between the grave sites of Run DMC’s unlaced high-tops and MC Hammer’s parachute pants, but breakin’ is still an integral part of hip-hop culture. Born of the dense urban environs of the South Bronx, B-boyin’ (or B-girlin’) has evolved into an artistic discipline of show-and-prove body tricks, the best of which make the Kama Sutra look like a junior high dry-hump session.
Since 2002, the area’s most nimble break dancers have been going head to head in the Bulldog B-Boy Battle, a showcase of inconceivable acrobatics that rocks the floor not at the Roxy in New York City (or at the downtown KC bar with the same name as the contest) but instead at The Granada in Lawrence. With larger stakes, more out-of-town talent and a live performance by local duo SoundsGood, this year’s battle royal promises to be bigger than ever.
“There’s so much energy, and it’s such a positive atmosphere with both the performers and the crowd. The people are there because they want to be there,” says Miles Bonny, describing competitions of years past. Bonny, one-half of SoundsGood, headlines this year’s show with counterpart Joe Good. The two of them are using the event as an opportunity to stage their official Biscuits & Gravy CD-release party. “The Bulldog Battle has become the biggest local hip-hop event in the area,” Good explains. “All the crews here locally have stepped it up so much in the last couple of years in terms of skill level and performance.”
Among the contenders for the more than $2,000 in prize money are Texas-based troupe Vicious Germs, which took last year’s Bulldog, and four-time Scribble Jam tour winners Motion Disorder, the Milwaukee outfit that won the Bulldog in ’03. Still vying for top honors is Lawrence’s Buggin’ Out Crew, which, despite never having taken home the blue ribbon, is still the local favorite.
“We would not have come as far as we have if it wasn’t for the Buggin’ Out Crew,” Edwin Morales says. “Those guys are amazing. They advise us, help us organize the event. I mean, we started this thing to showcase them and their friends.”
Morales is the man behind the B-Boy Battle. The workhorse of Downplay Productions, he’s responsible for hooking the majority of the hip-hop acts that come to Lawrence, and he regularly organizes weekly DJ events such as Project Groove and Neon. Morales has also arranged for a panel of streetwise adjudicators.
“The judges that we’re bringing out this year are more closely in tune to what’s going on in break dancing these days,” Morales says. “Alien Ness has been around since the late ’70s with famous crews like Boogie Down Productions, the Rock Steady Crew and the Zulu Kings, so he’s more of a legend. Also, there’s Omar of the Jive Turkeys, who is one of the youngest, fastest rising and most talented kids out right now.”
Because many of the competitors are just that — kids — and are too young for the bar and club scene, the Bulldog provides a rare opportunity. “This is a hip-hop event that we encourage family members to come out to together,” Morales says. “We want families to see that a lot of the stuff that they’ve seen in movies or on TV is right here in their backyard. We want to show a side of hip-hop that is often overlooked — the positive side. Don’t get me wrong — we’re not hating on other opinions or outlooks on hip-hop — we just want to bring that old-school block-party element back with this.”
SoundsGood’s jazzed-up beats and limber lyricism are perfect complements to this head-spin fest. Along with their first-ever performance with local legend Joc Maxx, Bonny and Good are joined by some of the metro’s finest MCs, including Gunn JaKC and Titanium Frame.
“The stage shows are some of the livest, creative and fun shows that I’ve seen in a long time,” Morales says of SoundsGood’s events. “They fit right into what we’re going for, and now that they’re going to be onstage with Joc Maxx? Forget about it.”
