This is a brief history of what has come to be called 'Turf Dancing'in Oakland,CA and it's relationship to dance styles that are popular in Memphis, Tennessee. There is so much controversy and arguing going back and forth between both sides that I had to act as a 'Voice of Reason' and attempt to bring some reasonable discussion to the table.
To set the record str8, Oakland and Memphis are not the only cities involved in this sort of back and forth bickering. Detroit and Chicago also constantly bicker back and forth as to which city has a superior dance style, Chicago Footworkin' or Detroit Jittin'. Well the reality is...there is no such thing as which style is superior to the other. I've seen amazing Memphis, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, New York, etc dancers. I've seen amazing dancers from all coasts, countries, and genres. So to me, the best dancer is the one who can excel at as many different dance forms as possible, and then combine them to create his/her own unique and individual style. Because in reality, as the saying goes..."There ain't nuttin new under the sun".
Oakland, CA aka 'The Town'
For those that don't know, Oakland, CA history is legendary, esp when it relates to Black history and culture.It's the birthplace of The Black Panthers, the birthplace of the whole independent Rap Movement,and the birthplace of the world's first EVER Pimps,and Players Ball. Oakland also has a very legendary and often overlooked history when it comes to music and dance.
'Turf Dancing' as it has come to be commercially called as well as the whole so called 'Hyphy Movement'originated on the streets of East, West, and North Oakland,CA. Originally the style of dancing was just called 'Hittin It' or 'F*ckin Wit It'. The 'Hyphy' Movement was the commercial media's way to capitalize and make money off of an Oakland street culture that goes all the way back to Huey Newton and The Black Panthers. Hyphy is an ATTITUDE not A DANCE! The style of dancing referred to as 'TURF' dancing originates from the boogalooing and popping styles of Oakland that started in the 1960's. Oakland's youth of the early to mid 1990's reinvented and remixed poppin' and made it much more free spirited and spontaneous, with less rules and regulations. As a result, though there are a few dances that form a foundation, there are almost countless styles and variations among 'turf dancers'. Each turf in different parts of Oakland was known for different styles of dancing. One of the first that I can remember goes back to the early to mid 1990's and it was called the 'Brookfield' because it originated in the Brookfield neighborhood of East Oakland. It was basically a dance that involved 'Gliding' forward and then backwards, fast then slow. Several youth of Oakland also began going back and watching clips of Michael 'Boogaloo Shrimp'Chambers from the movie 'Breakin'. That is what began the current fascination with gliding and made that a mainstay of current 'Turf dancing'. Every year on Memorial Day at Mosswood park, there used to be a cultural festival known as 'Carijama'. Each year 20-30,000 beautiful, black people would show up to showcase arts and culture with a heavy emphasis on Caribbean music because it was set up to correspond with 'Carnival'. Of course, every 'hood' and 'turf' in Oakland would show up and you would witness some of the most historic, and grimiest, dance battles you could ever witness in your life. sadly, Carijama was cancelled in 2004 due to violence and shootings that often erupted. But nevertheless Carijama remains an important chapter in history concerning the evolution, and development of 'turf dancing'. Because 'Turf Dancing' originated in the streets and house parties just like 'Break Dancing', a group of youth from East Oakland who called themselves the 'S.T.I.'(Scandalous Type Individuals)became responsible for the spread of turf dancing and culture throughout CA. They were labeled a 'gang' by the city of Oakland, and were notorious for traveling in large packs of 10-20 people, often dancing in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, ...often times to no music! They are responsible for the popularization of 'dreadlocks'(not Jamaican style but hood style)often dyed multiple colors at the tips, and the infamous 'Stunna Shades' that everyone including Kia Shine from Memphis(So Crispy)still loves to talk about. They invented all of that as a uniform to distinguish themselves from others. Beginning in the late 90's there used to be parties for the 18 and under youth known as 'Functions'. These functions would attract young people from all over Northern Cali. At these functions,all of a sudden the S.T.I. would show up and to onlookers it just looked like a pack of 10-20 strangely groomed,'thug' lookin niggas. The 'S.T.I.' would show up and outta no where, start pushing all of the girls out of the way, form a circle, and start battling each other. They would often times completely 'zone out' like they were in some sort of trance and start twisting, gliding, shaking and contorting their bodies in all sort of amazing ways. To onlookers, it often seemed kinda scary and intimidating, but yet at the same time fascinating and amazing. You had niggas that were known to bust ya head wide open, gettin down on the dance floor, in a way that was grimy and energetic, yet smooth and controlled all at the same time. And there was a heavy emphasis on footwork and the ability to create 'illusions' and combinations with the feet making them appear to do things that looked 'unreal'. That is why gliding has always been an important part of turf dancing and why we were completely surprised and caught off guard when we saw cats from Memphis, that had also took 'gliding and footwork to the next level. Because there were youth from several different cities at these 'Functions' that witnessed this, 'Turf Dancing' began to spread all over Northern, Cali as others went back home and began to try and imitate what they 'thought' they had seen at the parties. As the years passed several of the originators of the dance got lost to the streets of Oakland and are currently, incarcerated or otherwise caught up in the hustle of life in the killing fields of Oakland, CA.
音樂： Apart from the S.T.I(who were not actually a dance group) there were no organized 'Turf dance' crews in Oakland. But believe me when I say, almost everyone in Oakland dances. In fact being from Oakland became synonomous to people from other cities with one of two things: either you were 1)a thug, or 2)you could dance hella good. Not saying that this is true, but it definitely is the perception. I've been to many a party or club and the minute somebody gets out on the dance floor and starts tearing it up, the first thing you hear people say is...'He must be from Oakland'. Jeriel Bey(Much Respect)was the first person to take street dancers who were scattered all over the city of Oakland and organize them into one dance crew known as 'The Architeckz'. He was also the one who coined the term 'Turf Dancing'. Over time, as with most dance crews and groups, differences in opinion arose and the original members of the 'Architeckz' broke away and formed their own crew called 'The Animaniakz'who have distinguished themselves as the premier 'turf dance' crew in California. Jeriel continues to perform and tour with a younger generation of Architeckz and you've seen several of 'The Architeckz' and 'The Animaniakz' on TV. Their credits include the videos, 'Tell Me When To Go'(E-40),Candy(Snoop),Fergalicious(Fergie)as well as 106 & Park. However, I must stress that hardly ANY footage of these individuals exists on YOU TUBE, as it rightfully shouldn't be. Legendary Founding Fathers of 'Turf Dancing in Oakland are...Jack,Darryl,Dom,Daghe,Keith,Price,Sean,Ski, A-1(not the one I just saw today on You Tube)...Forgive me if I can't remember some names right now. The next generation of legends that I respect include,Meech(RIP),Wole,Scooby,Sterling,Shep, Rene,Davin,Corn,Jeseus,Dash,Butterball,Joe Dat Go, Corn,Marcell,Looney,I can go on and on. And I will tell you this once again...you will not see hardly any clips of the people I just mentioned on YOU TUBE!! And if you do happen to come across any of them, it will not be any serious dancing, just a lil playing around. But I do have footage of several of these individuals and one day I might get tired of all the sh*t talking and just put up a clip or two to shut all the sh-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------mmk------- ,mt talkers up.
書籍： To my Memphis brethren...The first time we(Oakland) saw Memphis style dancing was on an underground DVD called 'Hood 2 Hood'. Immediately word spread on the streets that there were these cats in Memphis that 'Hit It' (as 'Turfin' was originally called)almost just like us. That's where the curiosity and competitiveness came from. Because alot of us were ignorantly assuming that no one else in the country danced 'like us'. To set the record straight,(and I'm sure this will create some controversy, but the truth must be told) when you all do the 'Gangsta Walk' along with that other dance when y'all look like you're bringing your knees almost up to your chests, walking in place,that's your original creation. Everything else I've seen, 1)Body waves, poppin, glides, king tuts, all of that stuff YOU DID NOT INVENT. Yet any person that isn't blind can see that those dances have become MAJOR components of present day Memphis Style buckin, jookin,or whatever other names you presently call the dance. Gliding,waving and king tuts are all elements of boogalooing and popping that were originated in Oakland,CA in the late 1960's and then spread throughout Northern CA first. Then to Central CA(Fresno) then finally down to LA. If y'all say that y'all started this in 1984...well the movie 'Breakin' came out in Hollywood in 1983 and Turbo and Ozone were gliding, waving, and King tuttin in that movie. In the streets of California that style was already several years old in 1983! Even New York had picked up the King tuts, glides,and body waves from us by 1982-1984. And as regards alot of the footwork and leg tricks you do... well,'Poppin Pete'(Fresno,CA) from the Electric Boogaloos has been doing stuff like that since the late 70's til the present. It's a dance style he calls 'Crazy Legs'. So what makes you think that you originated that? Now I'm not here to argue with you about the origins of what you claim started your style of dancing. But I can tell you that based on EVERY SINGLE clip I've seen and the Memphis dancers I actually witnessed here in Oakland at a battle,(I think it was Bobo),what you all are currently doing now is nothing but boogalooing and popping, with a slower, Memphis twist because the music that you dance to is slower than traditional boogalooing music. You all definitely have your own swagger which I believe is dictated at least in part by the style of MUSIC that you all usually dance to. No disrespect, but I can't let y'all try to rewrite history that goes back 40 years...I wonder how buckin would presently look if all of the gliding, waves,poppin, and king tuts were removed from the dance. Would it be as jaw dropping? What would the WOW factor be then? Again, no disrespect, but it is food for thought and a reminder that you can't dis Oakland,Cali, and then incorporate movements that we innovated and originated into a major part of your dance and then refuse to acknowledge, credit and respect that fact. It is a big mistake on your part to assume that based off of You Tube clips, that all we do is dance fast, that we're not smooth, and that we don't dance on beat. When 'Turfin' first started so called 'Hyphy music' did not yet exist. Neither did Chris Brown( as someone said that all of our music sounds like Chris Brown). Real turf dancers dance to any kind of music and adapt to the beat, whether fast or slow. On the other hand, all I've ever seen from Memphis is dancing to 3-6 Mafia style beats. I don't ever see y'all switch it up. But a real turf dancer can dance to your slower style of music easily, with no problem, and then switch it up and dance to something more up tempo. In conclusion...I enjoy Memphis style dancing. It's one of my favorite styles of dancing to watch. But just as with everywhere else, there are good Memphis dancers and there are horrible Memphis dancers. On the flip side there are good Turf dancers and there are horrible Turf dancers. Mostly what's on You Tube, is HORRIBLE turf dancing, that does not accurately reflect the complete and true art form. Almost everybody that posts a clip looks exactly the same and shows no originality at all. But then again except for a few names that I've seen on You Tube, I can say almost the same thing about Memphis. So which is better, Memphis style or Oakland style dancing? That debate will continue and I'm sure the answer will be biased depending on where we individually are from. Of course I am biased towards Oakland, but for now I can definitely say...Memphis has better You Tube clips than we do. But then again I kinda like it better that way.
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