Rock Steady Crew 31st Anniversary
Rock Steady Crew 31st Anniversary
July 24-27, 2008 in New York and New Jersey
As Hip Hop continues to thrive and influence today’s mainstream pop culture after three decades of growth, the world-famous Rock Steady Crew is on the verge of their 31st Anniversary. The historic four-day celebration kicks off in New York City beginning Thursday, July 24 with the legendary Celebrity Benefit Basketball Challenge, and will wrap on Sunday, July 27 with the Outdoor Concert in Newark, New Jersey as an official event at the Third Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival.
Since its inception in 1977, The Rock Steady Crew has upheld the vision of great B-boys and B-girls who have redefined modern day dance and Hip Hop art. Throughout their career, RSC has showcased their skills from the streets to Carnegie Hall to the Royal Variety Performance for the Queen of England. They were honored at the first VH1 Hip Hop Honors, and have appeared several TV shows, including NBC’s Dancing With The Stars. Additionally, Crazy Legs has performed in films and on Broadway, and has choreographed videos and appearances for celebrities including John Leguizamo, Wyclef John and Moby.
Each year, RSC President Crazy Legs coordinates the anniversary in conjunction with the Backspin Productions team to produce the best events possible for the enjoyment of everyone who attends. “Our goal is to always provide the global community with a nice balance of Hip Hop that caters to people who support all elements of our culture,” explains Crazy Legs. “This year we will be honoring the legacy of Wayne ‘Frosty Freeze’ Frost, who recently passed away on April 3, 2008. Frosty Freeze was one of the last B-boys who embodied the very DNA of the original style, character and moves that existed when this dance began in the early ’70s.”
In the unsettling social climate of our world today, the Rock Steady Crew bonds as a multi-cultural international family. The anniversary is anticipated each year by thousands of people, many of whom plan their travel for months in advance to attend.
“For some reason, Hip Hop has that natural ability to bring people together and bridge the gaps that divide us, because of our common interest,” says Crazy Legs. “When people come to the RSC anniversary, it becomes more than the anniversary. It’s a pilgrimage to the Mecca of Hip Hop. It’s a way to get in touch with why they got in to Hip Hop, and to meet some of the people that help to pioneer this culture. And what better time and place to do it than NYC in the summer time?”
The Rock Steady Crew 31st Anniversary events begin the morning of Thursday, July 24, 2008 with the Celebrity Benefit Basketball Challenge and the Against The Grain Concrete B-Boy/B-Girl Battle at NYC’s infamous bball battleground, The Cage on West 4th Street. As the afternoon progresses, a B-boy dance workshop will be presented by Crazy Legs at the Red Bull building. The night will round out with the “For The Funk Of It” Funkstyles Party, featuring a special live performance from Hip Hop pioneer Kurtis Blow.
On Friday, July 25, Frienemies will meet and represent the B-boy/B-girl ciphers at 101 River View at Grand Hall on Sixth Avenue in NYC. This will also be the UK B-boy Championships US Qualifier, deciding who will go on to represent the nation in the ultimate international B-boy challenge. The iconic DJ Red Alert will spin breakbeats at the event in honor of his “25 Years on Radio Anniversary.”
Everyone will reconvene at the Grand Hall on Saturday, July 26 for a full day of intense 5-on-5 Crew Battles and the Spy Awards. B-boys and B-girls from around the world will represent to win the grand prize, as round-by-round eliminations ultimately decide the winning crew. July 26 is also proudly the Official Rock Steady Crew Day in New York City, as proclaimed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
For the anniversary’s grand finale, Rock Steady is joining with Newark, New Jersey’s Third Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival on Sunday July 27 to present the Free Outdoor Concert and Food Drive in honor of Frosty Freeze.
This acclaimed all-day concert is open to the public, and will feature performances from several amazing artists, including The Beatnuts, Buckshot, Craig G & Marley Marl, Sadat X, Soul Sonic Force, Positive K, Grand Master Caz, DJ Premier featuring NYG’z & Blaq Poet, Termanology & DJ Statik Selektah, A-OK, Akrobatik, Skyzoo, Double Barrel and a Female Cipher – Lyric a.k.a. Sara Kana, Mala Reignz & Patty Dukes. An official after party with DJ Evil Dee at the helm will take place at the Red Bull building in NYC after the outdoor concert.
With each anniversary comes new opportunities to reach the masses, and The Rock Steady Crew embraces the ability to use their collective energy for the greater good. “With out making it our agenda, we carry ourselves in a manner that is respectful to all cultural backgrounds and genders,” Crazy Legs says. “Our goal as Rock Steady Crew is to help promote Hip Hop in the best way that we can. Hip Hop is a natural aphrodisiac for social bonding. We all should all see it for what it is, and embrace all the positive elements that it brings to us and spread that Hip Hop love.”
For more information on the Rock Steady Crew 31st Anniversary, go to www.rocksteadycrew.com
For interviews and press information, contact dove@tygereye.net
RSC 31ST ANNIVERSARY JULY 24-27, 2008 SCHEDULE
Venues subject to change – check www.rocksteadycrew.com for updates
Thursday, July 24
Time: 11:00am – 3:00pm
Celebrity Benefit Basketball Challenge – Come watch members of the Hip-Hop and Film community compete for bragging rights
Against The Grain: Concrete B-boy / B-girl battle – B-boys and B-girls from all over the world battle it out for the $500 prize.
Location: The Cage – West 3rd Street & 6th Avenue (New York, NY)
DJ: Servin’ Ervin
Admission: Free
Workshops
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: Red Bull Building – 15 Watts (by W. Broadway)
Admission: $25.00
*B-boy / B-girl: Crazy Legs
You want to know how it’s done? These speakers are the best at what they do and share insight on how they make their magic happen.
“For The Funk Of It” Funkstyles Party
Time: 9:00pm – 1:00am
Location: Red Bull Building – 15 Watts (by W. Broadway)
DJ: Doc
Admission: Free
Self explanatory! Come get loose and show us what you got.
Live Performance by Kurtis Blow
Friday, July 25
Time: 3:00pm – 9:00pm
Frienemies
UK B-boy Championships US Qualifier: U.S. contestants go at it to see who will represent the U.S. in the UK B-boy Championship.
Location: 101 River View at Grand Hall – 101 Sixth Ave. (btwn. Grand & Watt)
Hosted By: Crazy Legs
DJ: Crazy Legs & Red Alert (Celebrating his 25th Anniversary as a Hip Hop Radio DJ)
Admission: $20.00
About Frienemies: This event will bring an underground event to crown one B-boy or B-girl as the BEST. Each one has to represent the most effectively throughout the day in a STRICTLY CIPHER-driven event.
Frienemies is about representing in the ciphers. Every B-boy and B-girl is on their own! No preset battles. In the early to mid ’80s, breaking was at an all-time high throughout the world. Crews were rolling thick, and a lot of them were at peace. The only time they didn’t get along was when it was time to battle in the club. Rock Steady Crew and New York City Breakers were going to places like Negril, The Roxy, Kennedy High School and other places where jams were going down.
No one was worried about hurting someone’s feelings or concerned with battling their own friends, but rather battled with a fierce will to win. We were all “FRIENEMIES.” ‘Frienemies” is the place to battle that person that you chill with on a regular basis and show him/her that they’re not as good as they brag about all the time.
Saturday, July 26
Time: 3:00pm – 9:00pm
5 vs 5 Crew Battle
Spy Awards : The Spy Award is being presented to Bebe of Miami’s Ground Zero Crew
Location: 101 River View at Grand Hall – 101 Sixth Ave. (btwn. Grand & Watt)
Hosted By: Crazy Legs
DJ: DV One & Skeme Richards
Admission: $25.00
July 26 is Official Rock Steady Crew Day In NYC, as proclaimed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
Sunday, July 27
Time: 12:00pm – 8:00pm
3rd Annual Lincoln Park Music Festival
Free Outdoor Concert & Food Drive
In Memory of “Frosty Freeze”
Location: Lincoln Park – 1 Lincoln, Newark, NJ (Broad St. & Clinton Ave.)
Hosted by: E.O.W.
DJ’s: JS-1, Eclipse & Sucio Smash
Beat Battle: Meet The Producers vs. Big Tune
Em Cee’s: The Beatnuts, Buckshot, Craig G & Marley Marl, Sadat X, Soul Sonic Force, Positive K, Grand Master Caz, DJ Premier feat. NYG’z & Blaq Poet, Q-Unique,Termanology & DJ Statik Selektah, A-OK, Akrobatik, Skyzoo, Double Barrel, a Female Cipher – Lyric a.k.a. Sara Kana, Mala Reignz & Patty Dukes
Official After Party
Time: 9:00pm – 1:00am
Location: Red Bull Building – 15 Watts (by W. Broadway)
DJ: Evil Dee
Admission: Free
Venues subject to change.
Check www.rocksteadycrew.com for updates.
ABOUT THE ROCK STEADY CREW
The Rock Steady Crew was established in 1977 by Bronx B-boys Jimmy D and Jojo. When they started this crew in the streets of the Bronx, they had no idea that someday it would take them all around the world. Only the best B-boys were down with Rock Steady. They had rivals in all five boroughs of New York and for every rival there were ten kids who wanted to be down with them. However, getting into the original crew was not easy. To get into Rock Steady you had to battle one of the other b-boys in the crew. It was a competition few people won.
In 1979 when the B-boying hype was beginning to die down, Jimmy D put Crazy Legs and Lenny Len down with Rock Steady just in time to add new life to the art form and take it to the next level. This was at a time when Crazy Legs moved to Manhattan. Going back to the Bronx every weekend became too difficult for Crazy Legs’ pockets. He then started to explore the Hip Hop scene in Manhattan more often. This meant losing touch with other members of Rock Steady. Crazy Legs would spend most of his time developing his craft in tenement building hallways and battling B-boys that he would come across and eventually hanging out with the ones that he felt had an original style.
Wanting to start a crew of his own he went back to the Bronx to look for Jimmy D and the rest of the crew to get permission to start a chapter of his own. He was not able to find them. Not knowing what to do, he sought the advice of his cousin Lenny Len. Lenny Len suggested that he join Rockwell Association (another well known crew from the Bronx). Rockwell Association was the crew that had turned Crazy Legs down as a member before he got in to Rock Steady Crew. This time Crazy Legs had a lot more to offer. They immediately put him in Rockwell Association and gave him a chapter in Manhattan. It was bitter sweet for him. He felt that Rock Steady Crew was the better of the two and wanted to use the Rock Steady Crew name.
In the early part of 1981 Crazy Legs had come across Jimmy D and told him about what he was doing in Manhattan. Jimmy D was impressed with the amount of members that Legs had in Rockwell Association. Crazy Legs asked Jimmy D if he can start a chapter and Jimmy D gave him permission. Crazy Legs immediately changed the name of the crew to Rock Steady Crew. Although none of the members that got into Rock Steady Crew by battling, they had already gained the respect of Crazy Legs. Crazy Legs and the new recruits from Manhattan eventually became the motivating forces behind B-boying gaining back its popularity in the streets of New York City.
The turning point for Rock Steady was in 1981 when people began to take notice of all the noise Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze, Take One, Little Crazy Legs and Ken Swift were making in Manhattan. In August of 1981, photographer/sculptor Henry Chalfant offered them the chance to perform at the Lincoln Center Outdoors Program. This performance, which was also a battle with rival B-boys from The Dynamic Rockers, was crucial not only because it was covered by local television stations, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Daily News, and National Geographic, it would later gain them worldwide exposure.
Jimmy D took notice of the buzz that Crazy Legs had started in Manhattan and made him President of the entire Rock Steady Crew. Crazy Legs in turn made Frosty Freeze and Ken Swift Co-Vice Presidents.
In the winter of 1982 the Rock Steady Crew was invited to perform at the original Ritz nightclub. The list of performers that night included the punk rock group Bow Wow Wow, Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy 5. Since Afrika Bambaataa was known by many as the “Godfather of Hip Hop”, the Rock Steady Crew was honored to be on the same bill. After their performance, Crazy Legs and Frosty Freeze asked Afrika Bambaataa if they could be down with the Zulu Kings, the most highly respected of all B-boy crews.
Afrika Bambaataa allowed them, as well as the entire Rock Steady Crew, to become members of the Zulu Kings, knowing that they would also become an integral part of the Zulu Nation. Soon after that performance the Rock Steady Crew took the downtown club scene by storm. They became caught up in a culture clash of Rastafarians, Punk Rockers and Hip Hop heads.
As the word spread, Rock Steady expanded into a huge family consisting of women, children, roller skaters, artists and DJ’s. The Crew’s popularity grew bigger than the city of New York and Kool Lady Blue started managing the group. She booked them on the Roxy Tour, sponsored by Europe One Radio. The Roxy Tour took the Rock Steady Crew, Afrika Bambaataa, Fab Five Freddie, The McDonald Double Dutch Girls, DJ’s and graffiti artists straight from the “concrete jungle” to London and Paris. It was the first Hip Hop tour of it’s kind and it opened the door for many more to follow.
The Crew also appeared on the Jerry Lewis Telethon two years in a row. In November 1983, they were asked by the Queen of England to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in aid of the Artist’s Benevolent Fund. During these spectacular performances Charisma Records approached the Rock Steady Crew with a record deal. The record “Hey You, The Rock Steady Crew” was in the top ten charts in Great Britain and sold over a million copies.
The Crew, however, saw very little of the proceeds. Due to their lack of knowledge of the music industry at such a young age, the company took advantage of the Crew and would not allow them any creative input toward their own project.
When Charisma Records went out of business and was sold to Virgin Records, the group was put on hold indefinitely. During this time, the crew’s management told them not to dance in clubs. They tried to convince them that it was in their best interest not to dance they way they love to. Just for fun. Suddenly the Crew was on the outside looking in. By this time they had lost much of their fame and notoriety. They found themselves at a dead end, with no plans for the future.
Regardless, the Crew never split up, but they took some time to regroup and they went their separate ways. Some members took an optimistic attitude and went back to school or pursued other interests. Others did not fare so well. However, the Crew kept looking forward and took their anger and disappointment and made something positive.
In 1991 Mr. Wiggles approached Crazy Legs about an idea he and Fable (Magnificent Force) had for a Hip Hop musical. Crazy Legs (with the help of Mr. Wiggles) then needed to persuade Ken Swift to start dancing again in order to have Ken involved as well. The musical was called “So, What Happens Now?” Rock Steady member Buck 4 (R.I.P) provided the perfect scenario to base the musical on. He said, “You don’t know what it feels like to go fill out a job application …where it says, ‘what do you do?’ what do I write? I spin on my head?”
“So, What Happens Now?” was the critics choice in the New York Times and received rave reviews in The Village Voice, The Daily News and El Diario. In 1992, they received a standing ovation lead by Gregory Hines at the Kennedy Center Honors where President George Bush, Gregory Peck and the Nicholas Brothers were all in attendance.
A Rock Steady Crew Anniversary is held annually to symbolize the preservation of the history and evolution of Hip Hop Culture. This monumental community event brings out DJ’s, B-boys/B-girls, graffiti artists, emcees and thousands of other positive Hip Hop heads from all around the globe. It also honors members of Rock Steady Crew and members of the Hip Hop community that have passed away. Since their beginning, the Rock Steady Crew has come full circle. Crazy Legs is still President of the crew, with Fabel being Vice President.
They have added new faces like Teknyc, Venom, Servin’ Ervin, Denote, Heps Fury, Fever One, Jeromeskee, Floor Rock as well as members in Japan, United Kingdom and Italy. The difference this time is that they have total control over their company and their destiny. “This time we have control over what’s going on”, says Crazy Legs. “We are running it with no one to answer to and that makes everything we do more satisfying”.
With the Rock Steady Crew’s 31st Anniversary on the horizon, they have plenty more goals in sight. The Rock Steady Crew has bounced back and performs throughout the world. They remain very active in the community and are involved in several different outreach programs as well as holding food drives and donating time and money to non-profit organizations.
They hope to set up a Rock Steady foundation for children. This program will provide dance classes and other activities that will help to influence the youth to stay on the right path throughout life. It will also involve maintaining and preserving Hip Hop culture.
