Batch latest Documentary

FRONI: BATCH THE FOUNDIf{G FATI{ER OF TBB\TBGFAHRENHEIT-7s\THE BRONX BOYS-/BRONX GIRLS

ROCKING CREW.

PRESENTATION: THE FACTS ABOUT HIP-HOP AND OF THE DAI{CE ARTFORM OF ROCKING.

Much love and respects to all our beloved brothers and sisters of our Hip-Hop and Rocking

culture. My respect and uplifting blessings goes out to each and every single one of you out there

representing TBB\TBG FH-75 and The Bronx Boys\ Bronx Girls Rocking Crew. Much respect to

Aby, (Legendary Dee Jay) Johnny Juice, Stud, and Kid Prime. For they are our driving force that

keeps TBB\TBG global family intact with remarkable energy that's full of Peace and love. My love

and respect also is directed toward my special and loving sister Queen N-Soul where ever you may

remain at in this present time, you are thought of and appreciated . . .

There are rnany different opinions and different stories out there about the history of the

Hip-Hop culture and of the Dance Art Form of Rocking ("Rocking", which became known as Break

Dance in the beginning of the early 1980s) This have been going on for many years now. The fact

is that, through out the many years of the Hip-Hop and Rocking culture many fairy tale-story tellers

have been involved in the history of the culture. Individuals that really never had experienced the

true historical events of Hip-Hop. For many years these individuals have been giving their own

share of their personal accounts of the Hip-Hop and Rocking culture, informing the world on how it

all came together and by whom from. It has since been a difficult mystification for the real legends

and pioneers of the culture to over-see the perplexity of the misrepresentations and

misinterpretations that for many years now have taken the culture's actual history by storm.

Desperate magazine producers and media publicity have for long added to the misrepresentation of

these counterfeit accounts of the culture's true historical events. They have done so by interviewing

individuals that in reality were never present or around for the formation of the Hip-Hop and the

Rocking culture's accurrence. As many of us know, the culture's history really started being

documented in the early 1980's. And many of us also know as well that, in the very beginning of

the Hip-Hop culture it wasn't even appreciated or acknowledge by the media or magazine producers

etc. In fact, during the early 1970s when the culture started to gain some momentum around the

Bronx, certain citizens and the police started to form a negative imagination and perception of the

culture. In the beginning. it was assumed that the culture's gatherings was base on negative

hoodlum activity, that was involved with some type of gang activity since during the 1970s gang

activities was known to have a great impact in Bronx neighborhoods. And residents were terrified

by the realization.

The police would ro11 up at school yards and parks where Dee Jays would throw their after

school jams at. The police then would threaten the Dee Jays and the crowds, warning them to break

up the crowds and evacuate the area. Dee Jaying, Rocking, and graffrti was disregarded and labeled

as a form of vandalism when it frrst started to take off during 1975. During which by this time in the

history of the Hip-Hop culture RAP was not yet present. During 1970-1974 "UP-ROCK" was

popular within the Bronx borough's neighborhoods. Mostly OUT-LAWS and graffiti artists Up

Rocked to James Brown (late 1960s) songs. UPROCK ruled the mean streets of the burned down

Boogie Down Bronx as DISCO music (and soul) ruled the club scenes. Since disco music and its

dance was much more preferable and acceptable since, Disco music, and its classy dance, was

considered the main dance of the 1970s era. Which drew hundreds of Disco dancing fans onto the

club scene. The original name of this disco dancewas called "the hustle". IIP ROCK onthe other

hand was perceived as a dance that was specifically created for hoodlums and thugs-stick up kids.

Therefore, disco clubs and other local dancing places would not normally accept or allow LIP

ROCKERS in their clubs etc. This UP ROCK dance which played an important role in the history

of Hip Hop, was surprisingly left out of the equation of the Hip Hop culture. According to my

understanding the founders of the Hip Hop culture had introduced the "four elements" which

represents the culture as a whole. These Four elements that makes up the Hip Hop culture are DEE

JAYING, GRAFFITI, ROCKING (Break Dance), and RAP. {,IP ROCK was simply never much

mentioned or bought about in Hip-Hop subjects in the past. Therefore, since it was never introduced

or perhaps not even thought of , when the "four elements" were being contracted during the creation

of the Hip-Hop culture, Unfortunately, "IIP Rock", that was suppose to become the FiFth element

of the culture w-as "innocently" left out of the culture's equation. However, this prehistoric and

felicitous UP ROCK dance have been busting lose in through the scene in today's Hip-Hop culture

with a vengeance! UP ROCK dance is getting its momentum and recognition around the

globe these days. More and more young dance artists are getting involve and practtcing its unique

skills. Old school Rockers from the New York City areaare teaching its history. L" ROCK dance is

here in our Hip-Hop culture today, and it won't be going no where no time soon. Young dancers

from around the globe are highly interested in tIP Rock dance and in its individual historical events

"LIP ROCK", a spectacular element" with a spectacular past.

The Hip-Hop culture's history contains remarkably an astounding, miraculous and one of

the most amazing historical past that the Bronx has ever erperienced. This has to be taken fbr great

consideration when we think back to a time when poverty and despair was literally deteriorating the

great borough and its citizens. When all that surrounded most of the Bronx neighborhoods were

burned down and broken buildings. Crime was a way of life, police brutality was practically legal.

Most residents in the Brom were jobless, conditions in the South Bronx were in humanely the worst

conditions fiom any place in the USA.

The Hip-Hop culture was amazingly created during those degrading and hardcore times. It

was created by the very same people whom suffered inexplicably from poverty, lack of education,

crime, and by and from the conditions of being neglected from city officials during those old school

days in the burned down, broken down Boogie Down Bronx. Today almost 40 years later, the Hip-

Hop culture consist of many wonderous and exceptionally features-which has attributed many

artistic possessions through out the globe, with the gift of prestige and gratifying DI\G,RSE

qualification.

The crbdibility for recognition and status in founding the "Hip-Hop culture" and its "Four

elements", that has been established in the history process, can be a frustrating and confusing topic

in today's Hip-Hop culture. What makes the history subject of the Hip-Hop culture, so complicated

for people to simply accept is the everlasting debate of "who started what and who created this",

among many Bronx old school individuals This you see a 1ot of in the Rocking culture. And to

make matters even more worst, is that throughout the many years when the Hip-Hop culture started

being accepted and recognized by the media and Hollywood, many individuals have created their

own subjective lairy tail stories about the history of the culture. And many of these story tellers

have been interviewed by the hundreds with their own personal account of this culture's historical

events etc. These hundreds ofdifferent beliefs and stories through out the years have been

documentedinMagazines, T.V. interuiews, Videos tapes, and in Media Publications. However, the

true facts of the culture's historical events have indeed been also documented by the originals

founders and legends of the culture. But since there have been so many stories made by so many

people, lots of individuals that read and that are interested in the history of the Hip-Hop culture, in

many cases, these readers and researches are still some what skeptical about the information they

absorb. Can we blame them ? Absolutely notl

As one of the original pioneers of the Rocking culture (Break Dance) and the founder of

TF{E BRONIX BOYS ROCKING CREW, I have received many letters from many individuals in the

l7 years since l've been in prison this time around. And since I've writing many commentaries

through out the years which have been placed on the website, many people have questioned me

about Hip-Hop history and of its four elements that the culture consist of. Many of them have even

challenged me with their own accounts and beliefs of the cultures history, which I have

perspectively taken for consideration. One particular individual strongly stated that "Rocking"

(Break Dance) was actually created by a group of young men that came out of (the Bedford

Stuyvesant) Bedstuy Brooklyn section rn 1978 I responded to the person's remarks about the

history of Rocking with an eflort to correct" obviously, his misinterpretation or misunderstanding of

the history. When I received his response about what I had written to him, he responded stating

some tasteless comments about the Bronx and its history. That was the end of our frendly

communication. Another person had wrote to me confidently assuming that the dance art form of

Rocking was created in Brazil in the early 1960s. And that the real name of the dance was not called

Rocking or Break-Dance That instead, the real name of the dance was called CAPOEIRA

However, eventhough this gentleman had this pretty kool concept as for the reason to support his

claim, this subject of Capoeiia dance was not my first time I was challenged with it. The "fact" is

that Capoeira is actually an Afro-Brazlhan dance lorm that incorporates "self-defense" maneuvers

that appear to look like the dance art form of "Rocking" (Break DANCE as they came to call it in

the early 1980s), which was formed in the Bronx by the Bronx Boys Rocking crew in I975. As kids

we didn't even know about this Brazilian Martial art dance, that is hundreds and thousands of miles

far away from the Bronx. Another individual (in 2007) wrote me a letter that made me smile. The

individual confidently stated he truly felt, and that he still believed, that Hip-Hop was actually

created in Queens Bridge, and not in the Bronx. He strongly stated that rapper KRS ONE,'S SONG.

THE BzuDGE IS O\aER had robbed Queens for the creditability of Hip-Hop history. Adding that

the rap song influenced and misleaded the people in New York City at the time. When it comes to

the Hip-Hop culture" you are always going to have many different beliefs and opinion. Simply

because people are always going to believe what they want to believe, no matter how many times

you place the facts in front of them. And this reality we can not change in people.

. The lacts are that when it comes to the history of Hip-Hop, DEE-JAY KOOL F{ERC.

introduced this culture to all of us in 1973 in the Bronx. As he Dee Jayed in his Bronx apaftment

building in 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Africa Bambaataa. added the energy that was needed for the

Hip-Hop culture to take off during those early years in the 1970s. Bambaataa founded the Zulu

Nation. He was always a hardcore Bronx representer" from the Bronx River section and lived in the

Bronx River houses. These two pioneers are without question the original founders of the Hip-Hop

culture. In 1975 a group of young and talented graffiti artists and UP ROCKERS, would

unconsciously and inadvertently transform the UP ROCK Dance into "Rocking" (Break Dance).

When a TBB grafTiti arlist and UP ROCKER by the name of Little TEE-TEE ROCK (Troy Ryant)

fell to the ground after performing a 360 degree move in the air from an IJP ROCK move. As he

lost his balance and fel1 to the ground, he swiftly shuffled his feets along the concrete floor. The

moves looked awkward as he used his hands to prevent from falling. These physical movements

that Tee-Tee Rock was performing were not dancing moves at the time. These moves were rather

the type of moves that come from instant reflexes when we (at times) inadvertently slip or fall. The

moves appeared to look clumsy and weird, but these moves and quick reaction by Tee-Tee Rock

may have prevented a possible injury. As we fraze" Tee-Tee Rock was falling, we saw how he

managed to perform a weird but yet fascinating move. These moves all together did not only

prevent him from getting hurt, but they were also funny and at the same time inspiring - totally

awesome!

After we notice that little Tee-Tee Rock was not hurt at all I threw myself on the floor

jokingly trying to perform Tee-Tee" unfortunate fall. As I did this all the other guys around me

laughed and dropped to the floor in an attempt to mimic Tee-Tee Rocks fall. We all were

performing all type of awkward moves on the floor as Tee-Tee just stood there looking at us as if

we were crazy, then afterw-ards said: "Ya think that shit was funny right?" then as he turned and

started to walk offhe said, "I'11 see Ya later. I'm gonna go home and eat something." We continued

to experiment moves from his fall. Ironically, Tee-Tee Rock's unintended lall would become an

overnight sensation with the artists. The Bronx Boys would deliberately transform. the historical but

yet clumsy fall into what is known today as "Break Dance," by those that really don't know the true

name to the dance

This Rocking dance's first pioneers and founders were. LiL TEE-TEE ROCK (Troy

Ryant), Batch (myself), Papito 176, Ray-Ray, LiL Lito, Spider, BOSCO, Spec-2' and then

Trace-2 and Aby participated in the beginning process of this artistic and Phenomenal DANCE

ART FORM of ROCKING. lJnfortunately, The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew were left out of the

history of the Hip-Hop culture, since they had broken up in 1979. Which by this time the culture

was not lully documented or acknowledged by T.V. Producers or Media Publicity which in flact,

stafted to take place in the beginning of the 1980s and so forth. The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew had

formed approximately, about the same time, when Dee Jay Pioneer Grand Master Flash began

throwing street jams in the summer of 1975.

In fact, Grand Master Flash knows and remembers the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew for

attending his Jams in the early 1970s. In August of 1995, as I was crossing the Grand Concourse to

get to Poe Park at 198 St. I came across Grand Master Flash. We looked'at each other as I continued

to cross the Grand Concourse. Flash was trying to catch a cab to get to down town Manhattan where

he was Dee Jaying for (I believe) WBLS Radio Station. I immediately recognized him and he

recognized me. I hasn't seen Flash in years back in 1995. I said "What's up Flashl" He quickly

responded saying "Batch?" We had a brief conversation and just before we parted he said "Hey

Batch, still got TBB?" I smile and said, "yeah, we are still Rocking." Since in my mind I knew

Crazy Legs was still out there doing his thing with his Rock Steady Crew. In 1995 TBB was not

around yet. Until it had resurfaced back into the scene in 1998. When my brother Aby had brought

it back to life. And since, it has come back with a mighty force of Rockers into today's Rocking

culture.

In 1977 Africa Bambaataa sent the twin brothers the: "Nigga Twins" to inform me about a

meeting with him for a peace treaty among Zulu Nation and The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. His

main concern for this meeting was based on for the safety of the young kids that attended school

jam parlys etc. Africa Bambaataa wanted to make sure that Zulu and TBB come together so that we

could look out for the Bronr events. and for the safety of young people in those Dee Jay Jams that

at times gun shots use to occurred. This meeting was a historical one for the Hip-Hop culture.

Africa's concern for the well being of young people and for peace in the Bronx, had humbled me

emotionally during my meeting with Bambaataa, because I knew deep down my heart it was for an

imporlant course. Realistically speaking this meeting literally took place in the Webster Projects

back in 1977 Tod,ay TBB and Zulu Nation are present in todays culture. I recently had sent Africa

Bambaataa a message and my message is an important one. I sent some of my TBB brothers to ask

Africa Bambaataa if he remembers the meeting he had ask for me to attend in the Webster Projects

back in 1977. Acc,ording to my understanding Bambaataa can not record this meeting of him and I

(which can be understandable since we are talking about many year back). This meeting I had with

Bambaataa in 1977 was important since it was for a beneficial course for TBB and ZuIu, and the

well-beins of our kids in the hood Today we are rn 2014 and TBB and ZuluNation are present. It

is important for our people in todays society, to know that my meeting with BamBaataa is truly a

factual reality in the history of our culture. My meeting with Africa Bambaataa in 1977 is still

imporlant to us TBB and Zulu today, as it was in 1977 . I am looking forward to meet up with this

great man, when I am finally released from this prison life style that I am still .experiencing, and

have us both go back to that same very location in Webster Projects, where he had invited me to

meet him at, and take him to that "exact" entrance railin=q where he was siting on when we first met.

And word for word (I still remember like yesterday) repeat exactly the words to him that he had for

me in that 1977 meeting. It is very important to me and for all our TBB and Zulu Nation to know

realistically, that" this historical and factor meeting still plays a very profound course among our

nations, and for the well being of al1 our youth all over our societies everlvrhere.

The creditability lor many of the old school pioneers of the Hip-Hop culture began

corroborating when the confirmation of the culture's history had caught the sharp eye of the

commercial Media. Adding to the list Hollywood producers, and music producers, mainly from the

down town area in Manhattan. Hip-Hop culture altracted producers that were forever searching for

those substantrated and configurations that consisted of potential success. The type of success that

establishes profound recognition in their industrial departments, the type of business management

that places a beneficial business over the top. As a result, the Hip-Hop culture would become a

global business enterprise as the years progressed into the future producing hundreds of Millions of

dollars into the economy. The Hip-Hop culture and its history was captured in the beginning of the

1980. And when the commercial Media, film producers, music producers, and many other type of

businesses like Magazine producers had noticed that the Hip-Hop culture and its four elements were

like a gold mine, companies of all type went on a Hip-Hop spread, interviewing many young people

from the Bronx to get better knowledge of this Phenomenon occurrence of the culture's existence.

The Big bang of the Hip-Hop culture's recognition began. During the time when the Bronx Boys

Rocking crew had broken up. But the Hip-Hop culture really took off to the point. of no return into

the future when Africa Bambaata was probably just 23 years old at the time, when he hit the hungry

music record industry with his Soul Sonic Force song in 1982. This Africa Bambaata hit song

tooktheHip.Hopcu1turebystormastheentireBronxRockedto,oo@tothePlanetRock

And although The Bronx Bovs Rockins Crew had broken up four years before the soul sonic force

song would Rock the Bronx rn 1982" Many of ex-Bronx Boys Rocking Crew members were still

Rocking for many years that came and went by. Gr?ndmaster Flash and the Furious Five Rocked

not just the headquarters of Hip-Hop culture-ooThe Bronx", but the entire New York Citv area rn

1982 when he introduced the song called THE MESSAGE. Grandmaster Flash along with Melle

Mel, Cowboy, and Raheem had accelerated the aristic power of the Hip-Hop culture into the

public's state of mind, and fans of every walk of life began appreciating the culture much more as

they walked down the streets singing oolt's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I

keep from going under, so donot push me cause I'm close to the edgeo I'm trying not to lose my

head.oo This particular turning point in the rap era during 1982 helped many outsiders catch a

climpse of what the raps songs and their messages were really trying to say to the world. In

Grandmasters Flash's song the Massage rn 1982, the words in the song was a true message of what

subcultural people were literally experiencing during the very beginning of the Hip-Hop culture and

beyond. This rap song was based on the painful reality of poverty and degradation of a people living

in despair and in economical pressure in a time when the Bronx was filled with Broken down,

Burned down buildings. When the New York City's economy was in the worstest condition ever.

In the early 1980s Hip-Hop was hitting not just the radio stations more then ever before,

with its up coming rap music, but the culture began moving up toward the T.V. and filming

production. On the B-Boying, and Rocking (Break dance) side of things, the Hip-Hop culture

gained unconstrained and dexterous extraordinary momentum when movie producers from

Hollywood had captured the Phenomenal artistic skills of Rocking (Break Dance) in disbelief as the

body twisting dance art form of Rocking had taken the streets of New York by storm. In fact, this

"Rocking dance" as it was originally named back in 7975, was so artificed and so brilliantly

fascinating, that even United States President Ronald Reagan had invited one of TBB ROCKING

CREW"S greatest B-Boy ever-Powerful Pexster (TONY LOPEZ) took the dance to the White

I{ouse along with his New York City Breakers Crew. Powerful Pexster was a proud TBB Rocking

Crew member in 1978. He was introduced to the TBB Rocking crew by TBB Sony 183'd when

Powerful Pexster used to hang around St. James Park where a TBB Rocking crew division was

located at during those old school days. Powerful Pexster would eventually break away from the

Bronx Boys Rocking crew when his older brother started complaining to him about the negativity

that The Bronx Boys Rocking crew was involved with during that time. Powerful Pexster's love for

the Rocking culture was in his blood, and by the early 1980s he created (or helped form) The New

York City Breakers. And in the process took the crew and the dance to down town Manhattan by

the early 1980s.

In about the same year that Powerful Pexster and the New York City Breakers were invited

to The White House to perlorm lor president then, Ronald Reagan and his beloved wife Nancy

Reagan, another exclusive and talented B-Boy by the name of CRAZY LEGS had took over the

entire Rocking culture in the early 1980", when the Bronx Boys Rocking crew had broken up in

lg7g. And as a result, a TBB Division from 182nd and 183'd had formed Rock Steady crew.

However, when this Rock Steady ("New") crew started to fall apart in 1981, and its original

members had gone away, some to prison with 50 years sentences, the once young TBB Rocking

crew member CRAZY LEGS took over the Rock Steady crew and revived the dance art form of

Rocking (BREAK DANCE). Crazy Legs before becoming the President of the Rock steady crew,

had moved to Manhattan and somehow had joined a Rocking crew in Manhattan. But Crazy Legs

heart was set in the Bronx, so by 1980 he headed back to get with The Bronx Rocking crew. It was

in the Bronx where he would end up meeting the original Rock Steady crew Members. Jimmy Lee,

Jimmy Dee, JoJo, E-ZMtke, and Rubber all ex TBB Rocking Crew Members just like Crazy legs.

But in order for Crazy Legs to get down with this new Rock Steady Crew, Legs and his cousin

Lenny had to battle against the founders of the crew; to show their Rocking skills and to prove that

they had what it took to be down with the crew. But this wouldn't matter much to Legs, because a

year later Crazy Legs would become the Official Rock Steady Crew President. When Jimmy Lee

the original founder of the crew would wind up in prison in the winter of "1981". Once Jimmv Lee

came to prison, the original Rock Steadv Crew fell apart and this is when Crazy Legs took over,

and gave the unconscious dance-art-form-of Rocking resuscitation. The fact is that - and like I have

been saying for many years now, is that if it wasn't for Crazy Legs going around and recruiting

Rockers in the early 1980s (Break dancers), this unique and spectacular dance art form of Rocking

would have not been around these days. we all own this much to my brother "TBB", Crazy Legs

from back in the days 1977.

In 1982 The Dance Art Form of Rocking took another huge step forward toward major

league status in the Hip-Hop Culture, when New York City citizens began recognizing the artistic

dance form as a skillful and incredible and fascinating dance. This turning point was made possible

when Rock Steady Crew and New York Citv (Breakers) featured in the movie film called: BEAT

STREET- in the early 1980s, movie producers began producing more movies of the Dance Art

Form of Rocking (BREAK DANCE). The movie Wild Style in 1983 was the movie that gave a

factual example on how the Hip-Hop culture was formed. This Rocking artistic dance, bought in

Millions of dollars into the movie production, movie producers continued producing Rocking

movies from the beginning of the early 1980s all through the 1990s and through the 2000 era. And

still today in 2AI4 Hollywood is coming through with movies of this artistic dance art form of"Rocking". This original name 'oRockins" of the dance was changed to BREAK DANCE in the

beginning of the 1980s. when the dance was introduced to the down town area of Manhattan. The

commercial media and movie producers help change the name of the dance. However, The Bronx

Boys Rocking crew in todays culture still call the dance by it original name Rocking. Crazy Legs,

10

the poster child of the dance and who has become extraordinarrly famous for taking the dance of

Rocking to another level during the early 1980s, and he is credited as being the original Rocker of

the dance when he introduced The Rock Steady crew to the world back in the days. Crazy Legs had

this to say about the Rocking culture back in July of 2001 LEGS said in the interview. ooThe name

was based upon a dance called The Rock. Which was basically stylized Top Rocking. It was

kind of like Top Rock/UP Rock. It was initially going to be called The Rock Dance Crew. But

then people said Let's name it Rock Steady just to keep it going. I actually joined Rock Steady

in 798. It was me and my cousin Lenny-Len who had to battle Jimmy D and Jimmy Lee to get

in. Jimmy D was the original president." CrMy Legs was so very close to the truth of the history

that I just had to tip my hat for him. However, Legs was not l00oh accurate about his pretty close

comments on the history, with respect to CRAZY LEGS.

The truth to our history of this Rocking culture, is that in 1979 I had no choice but to break

up The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. In the process of TBB Rocking crew breaking up Jimmv Lee,

Jimmv Dee,n Jo'[g, E-Z Mike, (Roney) RUBBER BAND formed Rock Steady Crew from TBB

Rocking crew Division from 183Rd and 182nd . These young men at the time were members of The

Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. Jimmy Lee was the original president of the "New" Rock Steady

Crew. And what Jimmy Lee said, "went" I had Broken up TBB Rocking crew in June 15, 1979.In

June 16, 1979 rrght the next day Jimmy took that whole 183 rd TBB Rocking Crew Division and

turn all of them to The "New" Rock Steady crew. As I approached 184 th Street on that sunny day

in June 16, 1979. where Jimmy Lee and the rest of the guys were hanging out by Junior High

School 115 (where Aby went to ) onthe corner of the block. As I got closer I noticed that these

TBB Rocking crew members now had on Rock Steady Crew Shirts with white letters. The minute

Jimmy Lee saw me he went berserk and excitingly almost jumping up and down and said, "Yo

Batch - check out our new crew." As he turned around and showed me the new name of his crew.

The back of his brown sweat shirt read. ROCK STEADY CREW , with TBB on the bottom. I then

said to him, (feeling almost empty and wordless), "But Jimmy, why Rock Steady Crew?" Jimmy

bounced around like a ball of pure energy and exploded enthusiastically and said "Batchl Don't you

get it." Because The Bronx Boys ROCIilNG CREW we always Rockine Steady!" He stood there

for a few second concentrating on my silent look, then he just busted out in a loud laughter that was

filled with some type of crazy happiness. 3\ year letter in 1981 after he had Battled Crazy Legs and

Lenny Len to have them Rocked in, Jimmy Lee would end up getting arrested along with some ex

TBB Rocking Crew Members. Jimmy Lee blew Trail for something he DID NOT DO. And was

sentence to 52 and a half year to Life in a State Penitentiary along with some ex TBB Rocking Crew

Members. Once this unfortunate incident occurred Jimmy Dee disappeared, and for many years

magazines had it that Jimmy Dee couldn't be found and that no one knew where he was. JoJo who

was also TBB but had to lie for what he thought was for a good course, would end up giving Crazy

Legs the copy rights of The Rock Steady Crew some where around in 1982 or 1983. I was up north

at the time serving 6 years, my state ID # number was 8343136. I will always remember this

number.

The dance art form of Rocking started to die off in the beginning of 1981. Many people

stopped performing it. However Crazy Legs came to the rescue and relived the dying Dance art

form of Rocking and agatn, as I have already mentioned, I strongly believe that if it wasn't for Legs

going around and recruiting new Rock Steady members, the dance would have be history and gone

with the wind. Just like The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew had vanished from the Hip-Hop culture

back in 7979, when the Hip-Hop culture was still not fully appreciated nor recognized throughout

New York City. However, The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew would come back from the grave in

1998 when Aby would step up and relived Frankenstein: TFIE BRONX BOYS/ BRONX GIRLS

ROCKING CREW the founders of this, indigenous Dance Art form of Rocking, that was created in

the mean streets of the burned down, Broken down, Boogie down Bronx -- in 1975. The Bronx

Boys Rocking history is by any mean in a class of its own. Though you have a couple of individuals

that don't believe in the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's history, there is substantial evidence that TBB

Rocking crew is loyal to its historical events. Some say that the Bronx Boys Rocking crew formed

in 1977 . But if this was the case then why would the Lesendarv and Poster Child of the Rockine

Culture "CRAZY LEGS", would state this statement: " In the summer of 1977 is when I got my

own personal dance thing ono the whole Hip IIop game. My cousin Lennie Len introduced me

to it. The first crew that I got into was The Bronx Boys, my man BATCH was the first person

who ever. . . basically took me under his wing as an up and coming b-boy he saw something in

This offrcial and original Legend of the. Hip-Hop culture CRAZY LEGS. WAS NOT

PRE,SENT WHEN I HAD FORMED The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. So if it was to be true ("like

some say") that I had formed The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew rn"1977", then this also goes to say

that CRAZY LEGS was one of the original Bronx Boys Rocking crew members that was "Present"

when l formed The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. The True to the matter is the factthatby 1977 The

Bronx Boys Rocking Crew was so large that it caught the eye of the mighty, "Africa Bambaataa"

(Zulu Nation) rn 1977. He was so impressed and concerned by the Bronx Boys Rocking crew's

immensity, that he had sent the Nieea twins to give me his message for our meeting in the Webster

projects. This, my brothers and sisters, is a true story.

The Bronx Boys Rocking and the ZuIu nation supported every Dee Jay Jams that was

popping off in the burned down, Broken down, Boogie down Bronx. Where ever Dee Jays like

KOOL HERC, GRAND MAST'ER FLASII, one of my beloved Favorite DEE JAY (Cold

Crush) Charlie Chase, KOOL DJ AJ, LUV BUG STARSKI, my boy 183 rd Grand Master

Caz, who appeared in the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew anniversary with Aby in20l2, can't forget the

Legend himself Grand Iilizard Theodore, Dannv dan Beatman, DJ Crome, DJ LAY-LAY from

FunCityCrew,DJCiscofromBurnside,W,Dr.Dred,{CMmainman)'Whereever (Just to mention a few of these exclusive old school Dee Jays) these Dee Javs were Jamming

and Rocking the spot, TFm, BRONX BOYS ROCKING CREW was there, Rocking to the battle of

the Dee Jays. My big brother Butter LAB is one of the old school pioneer that in the early 1980s

lived and breathed Hip Hop. Unfortunately over 25 years ago he was sent up north to serve his

sentence. This brother was not just a true lover of the Hip Hop culture, but he also grew and hanged

around with Legendary Dee Jays like Red Alert and others. Within the State Prison Populations

there, we have many old school pioneers that have been trapped behind the great wall of prison life

These pioneers through their years of hard core times in prison, have proudly seen the entire Hip

Hop culture transform its self into what it has become in today's culture. Through T.V. and

magazine and photos they have come to observe the spectacular transformation of this culture that

they was once a substantial parl of many - many years ago. This sad reality brings some happy and

proud smiles to these missing in action old school pioneers behind the walls of prison life and its

desnairness that comes with the sentencins.

As for this legendary Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's legacy and its early extinction of the Hip-Hop's

"young culture" back in 1979, for most part the Bronx Boys Rocking crew did not get to achieve its

rightful recognition in the Hip-Hop culture years later. Since it had fallen apart in a time when the

culture was still not fully recognized for its true artistic and gifted qualities back in 1979. However,

those individuals that were devoted TBB Rocking crew members after the Break Up of the nation

many of these individuals continued to live life as B-Boys and spent many of their years

participating in the artistic Hip-Hop culture. The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew for most parts was a

gifted nation in its own world. It was indeed a nation within the Broken and burned down Boogie

down Bronx. It consisted and contained many young and problematic kids that were hooked on

ANGEL DUST but yet they were amazingly talented when it came to Rocking and graffiti.

Unfortunately" they were also a significant part of criminal activity. Most of them were

DANCING WITH GUNS by their waist line. They were known for being stick up kids and drug

dealers. This unlortunate reality was another perfect reason for others in the culture to keep The

Bronx Boys Rocking Crew hidden from the true history of the Hip-Hop culture. Away from their

extraordinary role in the history of the DANCE ART FORM OF ROCKING. Moreover, away from

the public's knowledge. Especially when the history of Hip-Hop culture began being "officially

documented" into the books of history, when the culture first started to blossom and many wealthy

movie and music producers - along with (the forever there) "Commercial Media", and reporters,

started interviewing people from the Hip-Hop community. Many of the people whom were "first

interviewed" for the culture's historical events thathad formed in the Bronx. These first individuals

wanted to paint a positive and pretty picture of the culture's fundamental roots and its history.

However, CRAZY LEGS, the poster child of this entire "Rocking culture" (or Break dance)

had a different shade of the culture's history. Since after all, realistically speaking, the culture's

history also contained a "BAD BOY" side in the beginning of it all in the early 1970s. In 2001

Crazy Legs was interview-ed by reporter DA\{EY-D who in some parts of the interview simply

asked Legs: oo was Rock Steady primarily a dance crew or were you guys like other Hip Hop

crews in New York where you were doing a little bit of everything?" Crazy Legs then gave it

to Davey-D raw in response said: oowell you know when crews were first set up back then,

there really wasn't a term called to label the culture. So what you had was just a crew. lVithin

a crew you had brothers who liked to rock the mikeo while other b-boyed or deejayed. The

first crew that I ever got down with was The Bronx Boys. There was an affiliation with Rock

Steady at that time. The Bronx Boys had a lot of different things . . . Stick up kids you name ito

they had it.'o Kudos to Crazy Legs, for his honorary statement, and for refusing to yield to superior

strength of overpowering appeal in these subjects of ourHip-Hop culture. As much as I would like

to deny these facts about The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's history, I have to admit that our Hip-

Hop culture as a "whole'", has a little dirty dark secret that came along with those Burned down,

Broken down buildings that surrounded the poverty and despair that was present in The Boogie

down. tore down, Bronx in the 1960 through the 1970 and 1980s. This my friend is fact not fiction

with all due respect to the true pioneers of the Hip Hop Culture.

The Bronx for many years" even going back as far as the 1930s and 1940s, had suffered

tremendously lrom depravation, immorality, from impropriety and unethical double-dealings from

crooked city officials, construction agencies, housing agencies; and from other corrupted r.ulturines

that for centuries preyed on the poor and on the helpless. Corruption in the early 1950 all through

the 1980s on to the 1990s. This was the norm in the everyday life style in the Burned down,

Broken down, Boogie down Bronx during those darker days. Housing agencies and their housing

development projects were the ultimate type of business for many wealthy company owners.

Landlaws were hired by these housing agencies, their jobs required for these landlaws to encourage

occupancy and establish habitation in those neighborhoods throughout the Bronx, especially in the

south part. Most of those residents that occupied these housing agencies - the building in which they

moved into most majority of these people were immigrants with low budget status and were being

supporled by the city's welfare deparlrnent. The more often a landlaw would fill his entire housing

building with poor tenant that were being financially supported by the welfare, the higher his pay

check. However, a building that easily contained over 200 or more tenants with rents that went up to

400 dollars a month, per each tenant, was not a "financial comparison" with a Burned down- or

Broken down housing building. In fact a Burned down and Broken down building was worth way

15

much more then a housing building that was active with all its tenants in their apartment and paying

the monthly rents. The true to the matter is that a tore down building, not active at all, contained a

pricey tag. A Landlaw's paycheck amazingly increase whenever his housing building would go "up

in smoke" like Cheech and Chong. Except, that in the Bronx's case, WEED wasn't the exemplary

element of the smoke in the Bronx's air. What was legally and peculiarly distinctively strange, was

the fact that the insurance of each of these housing buildings were remarkably worth so much more

burned and broken down. These burned down and broken down building benefited the city officials,

construction agencies, and the housing building companies. These companies and city offtcials were

making millions of dollars annually, which was funded by government funds that came from citizen

taxes. These insurance's of abandon buildings were so beneficial to Landlaws that many use to

allow outlaws or gang members to simply take over their building in order to discourage its tenants.

Landlaws would also fail to attend to tenant's apartment for things that needed to be fixed. They

would create unsafe conditions by turning the building's boiler off when it was cold out side. Under

these conditions many tenants would eventually move out. And when the building contained a hand

full of tenants that had no other place to go to. The landlaw would then pay some one to burn the

building down so he could collect some of the insurance funds. These incidents continued to occur

for many years in the Bronx. From the 1960s all through the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1985

President Ronald Reagan visited the South Bronx for his very first time. And when he witnessed

the battle looking field in the South Bronx and it disgraceful conditions, The President of the United

States couldn't believe his own eyes as he stared at long roads of streets filled with abandon

buildings and debris everywhere. He then demanded that the Federal Government step in and

clean up the mess in the Brom. But before President Ronald Reagan visited the South Bronx in

1985, President Jimmv Carter visited that same exact location in the south Bronx in (or around)

1977 and demanded the same eract order to the Federal Government. During the early 1990s

Federal Government finally stepped in to investigation the city's housing budget, and city officials

fundings that the government supply them with.

In the summer of 1977 all the lights in NYC City went off. And for the Bronx this historical

event, became a celebration as hundreds of Bronx residents pour into the pitch black night with

crow bars, trucks with heavy duty chains, and all type of handy equipment all for one thing, to

break into stores. People were tearing store gates right off by attaching chains to the back of cars

and trucks, then they would hook these chains onto the store gates and simply hit the gas peddle in

the truck or car. And as these vehicles drove forward the store gates, many of them, would fly right

off onto the sidewalk The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew were going crazy hke packs of hyenas,

racking up on electronics and jewelry and even cash! It was really a celebration! Everyone and their

mothers were racking up like hell.

There were young people, old people grandpa,- grandma, - and even a couple of crooked

cops joined in the night fest. I saw an old lady about 80 years old trying to climb.up through the

broken glass window of a store flront. As she was trying to make out with her stolen goods in her

hand, I just had to run over to her, before a big piece of glass from the broken window drop on her. I

give her a hand" and carefully helped her out from the busy scene. When I simply asked her. "Lady

what are you doing out here so late?" She tried to push me out the way as she said, what the fl**you think I am doing" now get out my way!" I just couldn't believe it as I jumped into the crowded

stored to get mines. There were lots of flash lights every where, so even though I didn't have a flash

light I could still see what I was racking up.

By day light the entire Tremont section was destroyed. There was heavy twisted metal every

where. Broken glass glidered from a mile away as if a powerful tropical thunderous tornado had

swept thrbugh. Twisted metal and debris of all sough accumulated the streets. Many residents were

walking around with expensive clothes and jewelry. Many others walked around with big JVC

Boom Box Cassette radios on their shoulders, and fancy sunglasses on their faces. Others had on

big bright smiles on their laces with T-shirts thatread'. KISS ME I'M FROM TI{E BRONX.

The blackout of 1977 literally played a substantial role in the Hip-Hop Culture, It displayed

a sentimental and sad reality of those poor and problematic young Bronx people that, through their

own struggling imaginations, had the artistic abilities to create a culture that would years later help

change the world in many positive and colorful ways. The Power of diversilv in our societies

around the globe these days is the gratifying out come of the brillianness of what the Hip-Hop

Culture in general have placed around the world for all of us to fully appreciate and unite one

another with. It has been said that good things can indeed come out of bad situations. Well, I have

to sincerely agree with that unique statement. Simply because I have personally witness it.

In closing this information I send my homage and respects with much love to the founding

fathers of the Hip-Hop Culture. DEE JAY, KooL I{ERC and AFRICA BAMBAATAA

Peace and love to all our Boogie Down Original Pioneers. I represent the Bronx to the

fu11est.

Respectfully, I am:

*BATCH *

The Founding Father of the Bronx Boys\Bronx Girls

Rocking Crew.

The Founding Father of TBB\TBG FAHRENHEIT-7S

THE GOD FATHER OF NEW YORI( CITY BREAKERS

AND OF ROCK STEADY CREW.