I recently had the chance to catch up with Burn 1, an up-rocker with more on his mind than serving kids on a dance floor. While interviewing Burn (who is very keen of his Hip Hop history and ideologies) I was able to gain a better knowledge of the different periods in the dance's history, while gaining a decisive timeline of what Burn was doing through the 70's, 80's, and 90's, and up to the 05'…
>> THE INTERVIEW
Around what time did you first start doing your thing?
BURN:
Start as far as what? Graff? Dancing? Well I actually got into graffiti through dancing. A lot of the dudes that were dancing were popular and all had nicknames. When I was rockin' I always liked to burn niggas, so that's how I came up with the name Burn. Everyone's name also had a meaning to some extent or some degree… I could also break down my name. "BURN" stands for Bad Undercover Respected Nigga.
Dancing in the 70's wasn't called "breaking" (which was one of its biggest misconceptions) it was called "rock"… I got to see the transformation of the rock turn into breaking... As rock died down, I tried to learn B-boying, but I had no one to take me under the wing. I knew my records, and I already rocked and burned so it all just clicked in for me. The first time I actually saw dudes get down was in Downtown Brooklyn Park Slope. It was 2 dudes that I still remember to this day and whom I still see till this very day. It was "Spice" and this dude named "Aaron"- they were the J&R (Jose & Ron) Dancers. I used to watch them, and one day they threw me in a circle in a jam and ever since then I never stopped. I only used to see them in the summer, at block parties or whatever. They were about 10 years older than me, so I couldn't go to the clubs with them and shit. Eventually I went to church jams and shit, and it was on from there…
As far as writing, I can take it back to 77' 78', but I wasn't hitting trains yet… I was watching trains, and getting my craft up. I was actually hitting moving trains, mailboxes, and light poles…
A lot of cats who were doing their thing stopped after a while. As a writer and dancer who got to rock up thru the through the 90's, how did you see the dance evolve or change as it emerged through time?
BURN:
Shit changed because niggas are fuckin' suckers and they water shit down. They condone bullshit. I never had a problem with people learning the dance, but keep it in the right perspective… People need to stick to their roots, learn the fundamentals and the basics. Throughout time kids lost a lot of flavor, style, and footwork- you know the basic shit that niggas should have learned before the gymnastic aspect to the dance. Kids don't know how to dress either. B-boys nowadays be dancing in fuckin army suits and shit. They look like clowns. Not everyone is blessed with the funds to dress dapped all the time, but you need to work with what you got and make it look right. Nowadays kids battle one second… and they are best friends the next. NEGATIVE. If you my man, I'm not going to battle you. You never battle your peeps, not for fun, not for anything. Your people aren't there for you to play with. I play with other niggas, cuz if I'm going at you one way or another… I'm going to smoke you.
Have you had the chance to dance in other places other than NYC? How was the B-boy scene outside of New York when you were out in these places?
BURN:
To be honest I didn't travel until the 90's, but actually in the 80's I used to go on tour throughout the United States. I went to places like Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania… u know local parts of the US for the most part. In the 80's I had the chance to go to Italy, Hiroshima, and other parts of Europe, but I stayed home because I didn't want to comply with the rules that were applied from this particular "dance company"… See my shit was always keeping it raw. I was always ready to battle a nigga and bring them down. I was the one going to rehearsals and battling niggas in the rehearsals which was another reason why I was kept from traveling at that time.
Towards the 90's when I got down with Roc Steady, I ended up going to Switzerland, and Japan. Out in Japan… them people kinda do their homework as far as Hip-Hop. You go out there with the commercial shit, and they definitely identify a person's fakeness. The 90's was when I realized how grimy the game has got too.
How do you feel about the commercialization of "certain" dancers and how media has seemed to form a spectrum around dancers who through media have been exploited and themselves exploited this element of hip hop?
BURN:
Them types of dudes may have a fat check at the end of the day, but they lose all their credibility in the streets cuz they aint keeping it real. Me, I feel it's always about "each one teach one". Like if me and you grew up together and I'm involved with that select group, and I have the opportunity to let niggas shine, I think it's only right that I call you…. It's like yo… That was my man from back in the days, and he's still down, there's no bad blood, so let me bring that brother out like he brought me out. A lot of those dudes worry only about themselves and stay stuck on the Style Wars era- You can't stay stuck in the past, you got to live for the present and adapt. Word up!
What is it that has made you keep doing this throughout all these years?
BURN:
I don't know man. It's just something I've had love for since I first seen it. As it progressed it became more popular and mainstream and it's like now everyone wants to be old school… from kids in the street to celebrities on television. Another big motive I had to dance was consistency; I've stopped for a while and came back, but its like I said before- everyone wants to be down yet inside they are all fake! I have my own identity. The fake shit also drives me to keep going. I been the same dude for the last 20 years, and ain't nothing changing me…
Bottom Left Clockwise: Brother George IND'S, Pay-Dro FMD,
Naco 7DS, Ken Swift, Skeeter Rabbit, Burn1, and Spice FMD Prez
cold chillen @ Brooklyn Sole. Check out www.breaklife.com
Shouts, final words...
BURN:
I want to shout everyone in all boros and to everyone out there reppin' the underground hip hop movement… All I got to say is watch out for me cuz I aint dead yet…
|
