Recently I re-uploaded a video from a beginner intro series for easybreakdance.com called “Introduction to the Bboy Culture” which began receiving a lot of attention. Two of the closest Bgirls I know reached out to me to voice their feelings of exclusion by me using the term “Bboy culture”.  Right away I apologized as I fully understand that nobody likes feeling excluded. I realize that this is a very important topic and discussion that has not yet been fully discussed and debated in our global community.  So I organized a livestream discussion with B-Girl Jilou. We agreed to make it more of a discussion rather than a debate because it’s not about winning our points, but rather hearing all sides so that the culture can move forward together.  The livestream discussion was on my @dyzeediaries Instagram account for approximately 1hr.

Afterward the livestream, I sincerely felt that it was overall a great discussion.  My take away is that when we promote to a general public, we need to come off as an all inclusive community, however, not losing our terms Bboy and Bboying since the overall goal is to transform Breakers into Bboys and Bgirls.  With Breakin going into the Olympics and more and more people getting into the dance, there will need to be a thicker line drawn what differentiates a Breaker from a Bboy or Bgirl as they are not one in the same thing.

With that said, the points I discussed I wanted to reiterate here in this blog as I feel I wasn’t able to thoroughly express my ideas so I am writing this blog in attempt to further breakdown this complex issue.

Firstly, I have to ask the questions, has there ever been any cases of Bgirls (or older age men) who have been denied participation to a “Bboy” competition? Or worst, has any Bboys ever excluded from their group or scene an amazing Bgirl, just because she is a girl, on the basis that it’s for Bboys only?

It’s possible that there may have been cases of this, but never in my life have I ever heard of such a thing happening, therefore this brings me to my first point:

#1 The term “Bboyin”  is actually age and gender neutral

As far as I have learned, seen and experienced in the past 25 years, the culture has never excluded against older men or girls from entering, competing or partaking in the culture what so ever (except for Iran where there is a strict muslim law where girls and guys cannot dance together in the same room).

If there has been any cases of this, then I condemn it as it is absolutely wrong and against our culture’s values and the perpetrators should be smoked, served and burned.

Interestingly, Bgirl Battles are exclusive only to Bgirls. Bboys can’t enter Bgirl Battles, but everyone and anyone can enter Bboy battles, including men of all ages, even bordeline gymnysts, trickers and circus performers!

I’ve never heard a Bboy complain that we don’t have our own exclusive categories. Basically, the Bboy culture is inclusive to anyone who isn’t afraid to step into the cypher and get their feelings hurt and ego busted. Personally, from my experience, having had Bgirls in my crew and have dated one in the past, in general, Bboys and Bgirls approach “the culture”differently. As a matter of fact, I’ve always thought the way Bgirls approach the culture seems like they are having more fun, despite the obvious difficulties dealing with bad Bboy personalities. When you think about it, Bboyin in its very nature, is an extreme testosterone filled, chest puffing egotistical manifestation represented and channeled through a dance, art and culture, which brings me to my 2nd point that

#2 Bboyin was created for juvenile boys to deal with our toxic masculinity

Everyone knows that “Bboyin” was created in the streets, and by vile gang members as a result from the combination of a gang truce, the music, and the inherent nature to do what bad boys do. We are here to catch wreck(cognition), hurt feelings, but egoes and earn our proper respects. Now i’m not saying that all boys are like this, or that there aren’t girls who think like this, but I’m making the claim that this way of behaviour and thinking is a part of our male DNA and I thank God that we have this culture for us to release that kind of energy in a positive and non life threatining kind of way.

And that is the reason why it really matters to preserve the terms “Bboy and Bboyin” because of what they actually mean. While Breakin is a dance, and a breaker is someone who breaks, but a Bboy is someone who carries the spirit of the hip hop warrior and has an understanding of the cultures codes and values. This leads me to my 3rd point

#3 The term “Bboyin” has a very important cultural and historical meaning and tradition

It was not too long ago when our global community called ourselves Breakers. Very few people knew the difference between a Breaker and a Bboy. Many of the Breakers did not respect the OG’s  with countless beefs, online trash talking, and battles that ended up in fights and rumbles.

In the early 2000’s, Mex One (RIP) was one of the first to really push the idea and concept, that we are part of an actual culture… and not just a bunch of punks who break. Thus evolved a distinction between Breakin and Bboyin. Breakin is the dance we do, and Bboyin is the culture we live… similar to sword fighting and being a samurai, the difference is one lives by a code.  Since those days, the term Bboy and Bboyin stuck, and many new young practitioners were hungry to learn what the difference is between Breakers, Breakdancers and Bboys.

With that said, it’s really hard for many of us Bboys to just let go of the terminology Bboy & Bboyin, because of the history and meaning behind the name.  That would be like asking witches to stop using the word witches and witchcraft so they can be more inclusive to warlocks. The same way that I’m sure that witches won’t want to lose their name and the history and tradition behind it with no offense to warlocks, is the same way that Bboys feel about our terminology.

Once again, it’s about preserving the “meaning” of the word “Bboy” and in remembrance of what our community and elders went through in order for us to know the difference between a Bboy, a Breaker and a Breakdancer. Allow me to provide some reasoning why it’s important to me particularly

1. Preserving the word Bboy, means preserving the meaning.
2. Preserving the meaning is preserving the traditions.
3. Preserving the traditions is preserving the true culture.

And lastly, preserving the true culture, is preserving lives from the streets… mine included. To put it simply…

#4 Meanings & Traditions preserves the culture & the culture saves lives

As dramatic as that sounds, it’s true. Bboyin is a sub-culture of the Hip Hop culture, and the rules are governed by codes and rules from the street. While it’s true that “Breakin” and the scene is constantly evolving and changing, we still want to have it’s roots anchored in where it came from. The streets always need a place where “Boys can be Boys”, and what better place for young disenfranchised and often fatherless youth to learn great values like, Skill, Rep, Props and leaving a Legacy among other countless values. Just like how boys fantasize about being that headhunting warrior, crusading knight or wandering samurai, the codes and spirit of the Bboy lifestyle can be enticing for the young men who need it the most.

With that said, I would be down to completely change the name from Bboyin back to Breakin, if there was a way to transfer all that history, knowledge and meaning to the words Breakin and Breakers. However my reluctance to do so is from the fear that by doing so, we lose wealth of knowledge to know the difference when sayin, “I’m Bboyin” as opposed to, “I’m Breakin”.

For many of the true Bboy’s who live by the code and witnessed the dance’s transformation into a community and culture, they would be hesitant to give up the Bboy title. However, for Bboys who started Breakin in the last decade or so, especially with the growing amount of educated Bboys, they may be more open for making the change.  For me, as reluctant as I am, I’d be down if our culture and community really sat down, thought about it and together decided we would change the terminology.  However, knowing how Bboys think, there chance of that happening is very slim.

With that said, there is one way that a Bgirl (or Bboy) can change the terminology, and that is to do it through the ways of the Bboy. If a Bgirl rose up who was so nasty with the skills, earned an international rep, has earned the highest level of props and thus changed the game where Bgirls begin taking over on the dance floor, only then will there be a shift and change which brings me to the last point

#5 Only legends change traditions

While I’ve heard some people call it celebrity worship, I believe that intangible props (proper respects) is a universal value and code of the culture. In the streets a name and rep carries more weight than a college education and one must prove him or herself first with their skills before they can speak on behalf of the culture. Fortunately, there have been more amazing Bgirls on the rise who have the skills and are earning a global rep. But who will be the first Bgirl to win a world title, though competing and defeating against the best Bboys, thus proving and earning what every Bboy and Bgirl truly wants… equality

1. The Term “Bboyin” is age and gender neutral.
2. Created by Boys to deal with our toxic masculinity
3. The term “Bboyin” has a very important cultural and historical meaning & tradition
4. Traditions preserves the culture, & the culture saves lives
5. Only legends change traditions

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