So we're starting to see a lot more experimentation with hip hop dance performed to non-hip hop music. We've seen this before but the difference today is that it's being conveyed at a faster rate through online media. What was once perhaps an experimental idea among a few circles is now being broadcasted more widely and inspiring more dancers worldwide. A recently posted clip of poppers Tempo (G-style) and Frantick (Funny Bones Crew, G-style, LXD) freestyling with a live band - James Weston & the Shackles, with Sebastian Leger on the trumpet - is starting to make the rounds online.
You can check out the clip of Tempo and Frantick here:
What makes this example so compelling? For dancers, they will appreciate the poppin' technique and execution that Tempo and Frantick showcase in their freestyles. For non-dancers, it will be a visual treat to see one genre of music matched with a dance style that's not usually seen in the same context. Maybe this clip highlights the breaking down of borders that we're seeing between artists from different worlds. We've seen that happen between mainstream music artists in the public spotlight. It's not unfamiliar for a high-profile rapper like Jay-Z or Kanye West to experiment with producers who bring a different sound to their album. There is an artistic freedom that happens when we're able to let go of preconceived notions and start exploring new territory.
The future of hip hop dance may lay somewhere along this path. While the traditional foundation for our styles will be preserved, we need new music to inspire new movements and concepts. The ears of a future generation will be attuned to different sounds as cultural tastes change. What can still remain is the spirit of the dance in a new form. Every breaker has that bboy flavor that they'll apply to their sets. In twenty years from now, it'll be exciting to see how tomorrow's youth are redefining what it means to be a bboy.
Fusion allows us to break down those borders because an artistic exchange between different mindsets is essentially a communication of our deeper selves. When we dance, create music, paint visuals, or express our desires in an artistic medium; we're sharing a part of ourselves in a conversation with others. There are enough boundaries that separate the human race so why not embrace fusion as a solution? It's not the end of all solutions but it's one step that we can take.
Here's an alternative idea of the future of Hip hop - If you wanna hear some epic, ambitious hip hop, you should check out my Spaghetti Western Concept Rap album, called "Showdown at the BK Corral." It's basically an epic Spaghetti Western over 9 hip hop tracks - very influenced by Wu Tang and Morricone. You can download it for free at sunsetparkriders.com
ReplyDeleteYou this sooo much nowadays. People freestyling to full bands. Me personally, its fun just to get my friends who have a jazzband and just jam. It brings versatility to be able to dance music you've never heard and music you generally dont dance to. But remember that the roots of hip hop music and all those famous breakbeats take their roots from jazz and older genre's of music. So think of it as exploring roots. :)
ReplyDelete70s reggae music with a tom waits N.O. blues style vocal? There are already dance grooves that fit this type of music really well. it would have been cool to see a popping performance thats informed by jamaican dance/grooves. for the blues influence they could have done some slow drag or blues dance moves. and for the N.O. influence they could have drawn on second line and other NO dances. mixed with popping that would be a hot performance.
ReplyDeleteJamaica has had an influence on hip hop since DJ Kool Herc, set up his Jamaican style mobile PA in the South Bronx.
THere's a whole UK dance scene dedicated to Urban Jazz dance. It pretty much looks like house... They are really proud for "inventing" it.
Im not sure if full narratives are the future of hip hop. but why not. the longest poem in the english language is like 1200 pages long. thats like a 2400 verse rap...
holy hell! 1200 Pages? That's crazy! What is that?
ReplyDelete