Jerk Dancin' in Durham

Photo: Mark Wallace (Crush 1)

Jerk Dancin' in Durham

Paul Scott


Twenty-five years ago, Hip Hop kids like me were being kicked out of malls for holding impromptu break dance competitions to the chagrin of mall security. Well, times have changed and members of my age group are no longer doing windmills and back flips. However, some things have remained the same. A generation later, kids are still getting run out of malls for dancing.

The latest dance sensation sweepin' the nation is called "Jerkin'" inspired by a song by new Hip Hop crew, the New Boys called "You're a Jerk. " The New Boys are following a trend started by artists like "Soulja Boy Tell em" who put new songs on youtube with funky dance moves and become overnight superstars with a nation of teens following in their dancin' shoe steps.

Songs like "You're a Jerk" have also fueled dancing competitions called "battles." Go to any mall and you will see kids square off to engage in rhythmic combat. That is until some dude in a fresh pressed white shirt, a Dudley Doright mountie hat holding a billy club crashes their party.

It takes one back too a simpler time when a gathering of young folks meant that they were watching their homeboys dance, not engaging in violent confrontations.

Durham resident Mark Wallace has fond memories of those days.

Back in the early 80's, Wallace, then known as "Crush 1" used to electric boogie down the streets of his native Manhattan along with his homies, "Dizzy Doez and "Kippy D." He was also a member of one of the most popular break dancing crews of the day , The Rock Steady Crew, which gained national attention for their many movie appearances and their groundbreaking segment on ABC's news program, 20/20, of which Wallace was a part.

Before turning his energies to breakin', Wallace had his share of run ins with the law for tagging trains in Brooklyn.

However, dancing kept him from doing a lot worst things than spray painting his name on trains.

"Breakin' started at the heart of the heroin era and the dealers were trying to get kids involved in the drug trade, says Wallace. "Breakin' gave us a way out."

Poppin' and Lockin' also kept him out of neighborhood gangs like the Decepticons.

"We built a fortress that they couldn't penetrate", he says.

Just as dancing was able to stop gang violence in New York during the 80's, could it also stop gang bangin' in Durham in 2009?

Wallace thinks it can.

"Gang members will want to embrace this art form, he says. "Where they now identify with colors, they will identify with dance moves."

It's not like Durham doesn't have the space for dance competitions. How about that CCB plaza area downtown that is rarely used? Or that new park that they built downtown?

The city has the means but do our officials have the will?

While "Jerk" contests might not save all of Durham's kids, it will serve as an outlet for a bunch of energetic teens whose main complaints are that there is "nothing to do in Durham."

Local Jerk dancer, Nia Scott agrees. "There isn't enough stuff for me and my friends to do, she says. "We get tired of hanging out at the mall."

If dancing stops one child from going down the wrong path, isn't it worth a few boom boxes blaring downtown?

It helped Mark Wallace.

"There's no telling where I would have been without break dancing."


Mark Wallace is a health coach and authority on break dancing. To contact him call (631)428-6425)


Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

NWSF News 7/23: Drugs in the 'hood

In the latest edition of No Warning Shots Fired News' "Black in the 'hood" series, TRUTH Minista Paul Scott reveals how drugs got into the black community.

From Goddess to Gangstress

Fom Goddess to Gangstress:
The Devaluation of the Diva

Paul Scott





My friend, Jae told me about an incident that she recently had on her way home from work. These two teenagers were having a loud public/ private discussion in the back of the bus, tellin' the interested and uninterested, alike, about everything from the graphic details of their sexual escapades to the best way to roll a blunt. What really concerned Jae was that these were not guys but teenage girls who turned her ,otherwise, quiet and uneventful ride home into a combination of the Jerry Springer Show and Def Comedy Jam. She could only sink down in her seat and think about how her generation had failed these two girls and wonder what will happen to these black women of the future.

I used to be clear about the definition of a diva. In the 60's, it was all about Diana Ross and the Supremes with the big wigs and expensive gowns. During the 70's the epitome of diva-ness was Patti Labelle or the Three Degrees. During the 80's and 90's you had Kylmaxx, En Vogue and Whitney Houston (before Bobby Brown).

But according to Beyonce's alter ago "Sasha Fierce" the 21st century definition of a diva is "a female version of a hustler."

Forget Jennifer Hudson, the new Dream Girl is a sista that will stick you for your jewelry and slit your throat while you sleep. Yeah, that's what I call a lady.

It is a case of historical romanticism to suggest that all black women have always carried themselves as perfect ladies. Uncle Jack can tell you stories about how "Mustang Sally" could out drink, out smoke and out gamble even the toughest Stagger Lee-type dude. But for the most part, black women have always carried themselves in a respectful manner; divas in every sense of the word. However, over the last 20 years, the value of "the diva" has been on a steady decline; rapidly accelerating, downhill, over the last decade.

At first unlady -like behavior by sistas was condemned by male rappers. I remember Run DMC chastising a "Dumb Girl" back in '86. And who can forget Brand Nubian's "Slow Down" when they dissed some sistas by saying " a 40 and a blunt, that's all they really want."

At the beginning of the 90's we saw the emergence of the female versions of NWA (Nigga's With Attitude), the now forgotten HWA (Hoez With Attitude) followed by BWP (Bytches With Problems.) Also, during this period, the behavior that was once condemned by the male rappers began to be glorified by artists such as Apache who proudly pleaded for a "Gangsta Bitch."

This period was followed by gangstress successors like Da Brat and Boss, whose "street cred" was busted when it was discovered by the Wall Street Journal that her tales of gangta-ism took great liberties with the truth.

Next came the age of the "Ride or Die" chicks, sistas who would do what ever it took to hold their men down whether legal or illegal. The movement was headed by rappers such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, rappers who built upon the "Bonnie and Clyde" theme that was established by Ice Cube's female protege, Yo Yo, a few years earlier.

While this "ride or die" theme may have been glorified on CD, the real life results of following this path resulted in dire consequences. One just has to look at the life of Kemba Smith, the former Hampton University student who ,beginning in 1994, served a six year prison sentence because of her involvement with a crack dealing boyfriend.

The legacy of the "gangstress" has been carried on courtesy of rappers such as Khia, Trina and Jacki O, who often compete for the crown of the "Baddest Bitch" in Hip Hop.

To blame the negative image of black women on today's entertainers may be unfair since one could argue that Millie Jackson and Vanity 6, women whom Slick Rick James would have called "the super freaks that you don't take home to mother," set the standard for female vulgarity, during the 70's and early 80's. However, regardless of the past, in real time, you now have teenage black girls in every mall in America with baggy jeans and bandannas tied around their heads, cussin' louder than the boys. Not to mention the fact that some of the once teenage fans of Lil Kim are now grown women with nothing more on their minds then gettin' their hair and nails "did" and hittin' the club on the weekend to find a "balla."

Maybe, we have spent too much time discussing the plight of black boys instead of paying attention to what was going on with our black girls. Perhaps their emulation of gangstas is a disparate cry for attention.

Suppose instead of just reading street novels, black women, of all ages, would start reading books like "Black Women in Antiquity," a collection of essays by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima that discusses the great black women of history. Maybe reading about the great queens of ancient Egypt and Ethiopia, whose beauty and intelligence were legends of mythical proportions will improve the self esteem of black women, young and old.

Some believe that it is too late to do anything to save this younger generation of black women. Some men believe that even older black women of today have been so influenced by pop culture that if you greet them with "Peace, Queen" they will only roll their eyes and suck their teeth. But if you yell, "Yo, Shawty," you might get a response.

However, there are still a lot of examples of real black women, sisters who carry themselves like beautiful black queens, true divas. And I'm not just talking about the soon to be first black first lady, Michelle Obama. I'm talking about that intelligent sister at work who has her stuff together. Or that caring wife and loving mother who has dedicated her life to raising a strong black family. How about that honor roll college student who is working her way through college by doing something other than working at a strip club ?

When I think of them, I realize that there is hope after all.

Even for the girls in the back of the bus.


TRUTH Minista Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. To bring TRUTH Minista Paul Scott and the Black Culture Bail Out Tour to your city contact (919) 451-8283 or
info@nowarningshotsfired.com

NWSF Bullet: Hip Hop Patriot Act Starts December 1st

The North Carolina Street Gang Suppression Act aka the "Hip Hop Patriot Act" that NC politicians have been trying to push through since 2003, under the guise of the NC Street Gang Terrorism Act was signed into law on 8/15/08 by Governor Mark Easley and is set to go into effect Monday December 1st.

http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2007/Bills/House/HTML/H274v7.html

Although some folks swallowed the act, hook, line and sinker, black and latino parents with teenage children should be concerned about the part under § 14‑50.16. "Pattern of criminal street gang activity" Part B which says:


(b) As used in this Article, 'criminal street gang' or 'street gang' means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, that:
(1) Has as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more felony offenses, or delinquent acts that would be felonies if committed by an adult;
(2) Has three or more members individually or collectively engaged in, or who have engaged in, criminal street gang activity; and
(3) May have a common name, common identifying sign or symbol.

So any kid that looks like he gets his fashion sense from BET can be considered a gang member.

That's all some police officers, like the ones who were busted for allegedly putting racist anti Obama comments on MySpace need; an excuse to bust some heads on general principle.

http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2008/11/nwsf-bullet-durham-po-po-accused-of.html

So Monday morning when black and Latino youth are being arrested in large numbers just because they fit the description of a gangsta, don't say that you weren't warned....

http://nowarningshotsfired.blogspot.com/2007/07/when-mayberry-goes-gangsta.html

NWSF Bullet: Props to BET

Now, I won't say that I have been Black Entertainment Television's worst critic. I'll leave that title to Aaron McGruder (Boondocks), Rev, Delmon Coates (Enough is Enough Campaign) and my homie Kwabena out of Gary IN. However, I have gotten in a couple of licks, myself over the years.

I remember back in the 90's when the network used to have call in talk shows, sneaking past the screeners and using their airwaves to attack the malt liquor ads that they used to air every 15 minutes.

But as they say, one good program "can cover a multitude of sins."

Let's face it, for the last 15 years, BET has been an embarrassment to most black folks over 18 with a job and a GED.

But I have to admit that the American Gangster series is pretty good as the first minutes of every program usually deal with the socio-political climate of the time.

They recently did a program on J. Edgar Hoover, former head of the FBI and father of COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program).

The show was important because that is a period of time that America would like to forget. A period when the government turned on her own citizens for merely fighting for equal rights.

Maybe the program will inspire BET's "106 and Park" crowd to pick up books by Kenneth O' Reilly (Racial Matters and Black Americans:The FBI Files) and read about a piece of history that they will not get in school.

I just wish that BET would connect the dots and reveal that the damage caused by COINTELPRO is the reason for the "gangsta-isms" promoted in their videos...