The Official Red Bull BC One Blog

Hip Hop in Mexico

Buenos días amigos y amigas of the B-Boy lifestyle. I am writing to you from Mexico – Mazunte to be precise, a little village at the pacific coast. I am travelling in Latin America for a couple of months and we thought that while I’m here, I might as well let you know a little bit about B-Boying in Mexico and Central America.

I love Mexico!!! I went to numerous Hip Hop events, dance festivals and B-Boy practices. I met with quite a few crews and asked them about their lives as B-Boys and B-Girls in Mexico. They all got really exited when they heard that it was for the Red Bull BC One blog and wanted to know, who of the amazing dancers I had actually met.

Hip Hop in Mexico is like Hip Hop all around the world. People with a great deal of dedication, creativity and energy share a passion that unites them and determines their life. When you meet with them it’s like meeting members of your family that you just hadn’t gotten to know before.

In Mexico you will certainly meet Hip Hop in many ways and forms. Be it that you go to the Zocalo in Mexico City – the big plaza en el Centro Historico or to the Youth Culture market El Chopo, where you will see B-Boys and beatboxers doing their thing, or you go to one of the many events. You will see graffiti everywhere – Mexico has a long mural tradition, with Diego Rivera being one of the well-known Mexican artists of his time. The difference is that graffiti here is more political than what I’ve known from other countries.

The first B-Boys I saw were “Los Primos” (The Cousins) on my first day in Mexico City at the Zocalo, next to the big cathedral. They are a B-Boy crew with a fulltime job, working five days a week there to make some money of the tourists and the passers-by. I actually didn’t see very many tourists in Mexico City, but B-Boy Thomazoid of Anikilation Squad who is also working with Los Primos, explained to me that they manage to make a living on their breaking.

When I asked him how they got that great spot for their shows, he told me it was all about corruption. “You have to pay government officials, the police and a so called godfather for so called protection. If you pay all of these people, you can keep the rest of the money. It’s a tough job, but it’s what we do and what we love!”

Apart from Los Primos, there are other crews dancing in the streets. When I went to El Chopo, the youth market, I met the guys of Apestosos Crew www.metroflog.com/thefunkingbboykikirybu who are actually working at a traffic light. When the light turns red, they jump onto the street and do their thing and then ask the people in the cars for a little money.

To be continued...

If you want to see more pictures of my trip, go to www.nawteeneek.com

Peace out! Nawtee Neek