RALEIGH, N.C. — Aug. 11 is marked by many as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
There are four main artistic elements: deejaying, rapping, graffiti and hip-hop dancing — or breaking, as the pros call it.
For Brandon McCrimmon, hip-hop is a way of life.
“When it comes to breaking, one of my favorite things that I get from this is being able to express myself without talking,” McCrimmon said. “A lot of my stuff is within movement.”
Known as No Centss on the dance floor, McCrimmon has been breaking since he was 14. He’s been a part of a B-boy crew called the Raleigh Rockers for 10 years.
Hip-hop dancing has evolved a lot over the years. McCrimmon says it started in an era where there was plenty of change and revolution going on in the country.
“This dance also was used in a way, instead of fighting, it was dance fighting,” McCrimmon said.
It’s a lot more peaceful now. McCrimmon says breaking — his style of hip-hop dance — came about when DJs started to create dance breaks in their music.
Ultimately, McCrimmon and the Raleigh Rockers want people to know that hip-hop is not dead — it’s still alive and growing in popularity. In fact, breaking is one of the newest Olympic sports.
“So once they see it, it's going to inspire. It's going to inspire everybody,” McCrimmon said.
The Raleigh Rockers are performing at Saturday’s 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop celebration in Raleigh. The event, hosted by the City of Raleigh Museum, will honor the past, present and future of hip-hop with a symposium, block party and sneaker ball.
