80s Video Archives Pt 1: The Big Break Dance Contest 1983 Live at the Roxy

Related to Elements: B-Boy, Old School, True School

Digging through my old Hip Hop DVD-Rs, I stumbled upon this historic gem from 1983; The Big Break Dance Contest Live at the Roxy 1983 Full Video!  This is the complete historical performance remastered from the original VHS recordings it was taped to.  It's over 21 minutes of ground breaking live footage featuring 1983 B-Boy crews, the Magnificent Force, Uptown Express, the Fantastic Duo, the Flash Dancers, Larry Watson and Jason Twigg, the Heartbreakers, and the Dynamic Breakers.  This B-Boy contest was hosted by Leslie Uggams, co-hosted by Carlos De Jesus, and includes celebrity judges Anita Morris, football great Hershel Walker, All My Childrens' Debbie Morgan and Darnell Williams, Earl 'the Pearl' Monroe, Disco Fever Owner Sal Abbatiello, WABC News Anchor John Johnson, Saturday Night Fever and Beat Street Choreographer Lester Wilson, and artist Lillo Thomas.  Also features a short introductory documentary on the early Hip Hop culture featuring interviews with Afrika Bambaataa and other members of the Zulu Nation.  On top of all that it includes a 1983 Burger King Hip Hop commercial from the airing, which was purposefully included to complete the throw-back vibe.  The winners of the contest received $2500, an appearance on New York Hot Tracks, and a key roll in the movie Beat Street.  If you know the movie, you know who won the contest!  Enjoy!

I'm relieved I finally rediscovered this footage, because the DVD-R was fading fast, so I knew the program had to be rescued and shared for prosperity.  Unfortunately, the sound was barely audible and only on the right channel.  I had to remove a lot of tape noise and duplicate the right channel to the left and I significantly boosted the volume and bass.  The recording had a pause-button break in the middle of it right near the end when the winners were being announced that needed editing.  After hours and hours of playing around with the audio and video editing it, I'm proud to share it with all the B-Boys and B-girls looking to reminisce.  

While the Roxy may have closed its doors a few years ago, as long as footage like this continues to be shared, its legacy to Hip Hop and pop culture will never be forgotten.  Please share this video with those who will appreciate it and as always feel free to comment on it. 

ALSO...

If you aren't already a member, please JOIN US and discuss it in more depth on this THREAD at Official Periodic's Crate Digging: Hip Hop Music Forum.  Any information and discussion you can bring to the table will be greatly appreciated!

Early 80s Hip Hop Slang, for the Uninitiated

(click pic to zoom in on the Hip Hop Glossary)

Related to Elements: Slang, Old School, B-Boying,
There is only one good reason anyone should buy K-Tel Record's corny vinyl compilation "Breakdance" and that's for the equally corny (but in a good way) poster. While the vinyl may have a few easy to find, nostalgic classics on it, it's pretty worthless for dropping a needle on it.

The poster, on the other hand, not only features the legendary New York City Breakers posing in various phases of B-Boying classic moves, but it also comes complete with step-by-step instructions, and a special warning about the health hazards associated with "Breakdancing"

Really, who's gonna go see a medical specialist before performing the wave, just to be on the safe side?

(click image for larger pic)

Side thought: That reminds me, I remember when my mom said I could never breakdance or I'd break my neck like 'that one guy' did when he attempted a head spin. (I never did find out who that one guy who broke his neck was, by the way.)


Anyway, the best feature of this poster is it's Hip Hop Glossary. Keep in mind, when this LP was made, Hip Hop was so new and it was all the rage. Even football players and TV cartoons were jumping on board the Hip Hop bandwagon. All this Hip Hop vocab must have been very confusing to the outsiders trying to make sense of all the new jargon. Well, lucky for the uninitiated, K-Tel had their backs covered.

Except for misspelling "Diss", I think they did a very amusing job. Notice some of the dead slang that's defined.


GLOSSARY

(Courtesy of the K-Tel Records Poster which accompanies the LP "Breakdance")

BITE - (verb) to copy, duplicate or reproduce without consent; to steal ideas from others.

Ex: “We were doing those steps way before them. They must have bit our moves.”

CHILL – (verb) to chill, chillout, chillin’, the act of calming down, keeping under control, staying cool.

Ex: “Yo, chill out!” “I’m just chillin’!”

CRITICAL – (adjective) describes an action poorly done, a state of poor condition.

Ex: “His graffiti piece was all critical, looked like a chimpanzee did it. He Breaks all critical.”

DIS – (verb) to disrespect another person, to show no respect or regard for another person’s feelings or property.

Ex: “When you talked about my girl, you really dissed me man.”

DOG – (verb) to overuse, abuse, spoil through excess.

Ex: “He dogged his sneakers. They were all critical looking.”

FRESH – (adjective) the hippest, the newest, the most together and unique. On time, well conceived and executed. Beautiful, aesthetically pleasing.

Ex: “The new Mercedes compact is fresh!” “I want that record with the fresh beats!”

FRONT-FRONTING – (verb) to be irresponsible, to not show up, to break a promise.

Ex: “I was supposed to meet her here at 8:00, but it looks like she’s fronting on me.”

HOMEBOY, HOMEGIRL – (pronoun, noun) comrade, companion, guys and girls from the neighborhood.

Ex: “Yo man, let him in. He’s one of my homeboys.”

JERK – (verb) to cheat, or to fool someone.

Ex: “He told me 50%, but I only got 10; I got jerked.”

MAX OUT – (verb) a friendly term for parting with ease or saying goodbye.

Ex: “Ok, I’ll see you tomorrow. Yo, Max Out.”

RUN – (verb) to repeat in excess, to be redundant, to use over and over.

Ex: “That song was all right until they started running it.”

SQUIGGLEY – (adjective) nerdy, unhip or unattractive.

Ex: “I don’t want to go out with that girl, she’s too squiggley.”

TRACK – (noun) freeze move in which breaker ends in a bridge with stomach up, supported by the hands and feet.

UPROCK – (noun) dueling dance between 2 breakdancers, where the dancers mimic fighting and score points by getting non-contact blows or hits in his first.

WACK – (adjective) describes something poorly done or in bad taste, awkward, clumsy, offbeat.

Ex: “That break move was wack!” “He’s the wackest DJ I know.”

WORD – (noun) an affirmation, a term to acknowledge or support a statement.

Ex: “That girl is fine. Word. Do you want to be the best? Word, you know it!”

I think some of those phrases are long overdue for a comeback. For example, "Max Out". Why don't people go around saying, "Yo! Don't get critical on me, squiggley homegirl! I'm maxin' out right now! " That's a real loss when Hip Hop rejected those words in time, but I guess that's just the way it goes.

Regardless, this LP has been out of print for a long time, so if you do find it used, make sure the poster is in the sleeve before purchasing it, this piece of history is well worth the sacrifice of buying a terrible record.