This might be one of the most personal things I’ve ever wrote, but it’s something I would like to share. For a good portion of my life, I didn’t really have a social life and I felt totally lost about my place in society. I moved out of Boston and moved to the suburbs with my mother at the age of 10. I still got to see my father during the weekends, but it was never enough time. I enjoyed playing sports but nothing was more meaningful to me than being around hip hop culture. I dealt with a lot of confusion through most of my teen years. I was living in two different worlds. I lived the “normal” suburban life with my mother and during the weekends I lived hip hop culture with my father. My mother was never into hip hop, and she actually kept me away from it. I had to visualize and be creative in my mind to keep myself a part of the culture. She was protective with me and wanted to make sure I didn’t go down the wrong path. Don’t get me wrong… my life and parents were never horrible to me… but sometimes it was a struggle. I mean it was a constant struggle to get approval from both parents. I wanted to please them both and this was nearly impossible. It caused me to deal with a lot of personal issues through out the years. I started to feel like I didn’t fit in anywhere. Most of the kids I tried to hang out with in the suburbs just didn’t get what I was into, and I always felt like people in my crew were progressing a lot faster than I was. I felt quite depressed about it for some time. It made me quit almost all of the activities I was into and my grades started going down in school.

In the midst of this time, I started really getting into music. Music was the only thing that I had in both worlds. I spent countless days and nights researching music whenever and wherever I could. Constantly challenging myself to explore music every day. I sent countless emails and made countless phone calls to reach out to some of my favorite djs, serious music collectors, etc. This was a way of escaping the tension I had within myself. My mother noticed that I wasn’t doing so well, so she went with me to go seek help from a psychiatrist. It made me feel a little bit better to talk about the personal issues that we had, and I became more active in all my activities again… but I still wasn’t where I wanted to be. My dad noticed that I was getting more into the music and insisted that I should get into djing. I wasn’t so sure about it, because I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of playing out music for a bunch of people. Music was something that was more personal for me to enjoy. I loved digging and collecting music, but it was so personal to me. I gave it a try and started to dj a little. It took me a little bit of time to get the feel of it, but I still didn’t really see myself doing it seriously in the future.

Junior year of high school came around, and everyone started planting seeds of college into my head. I started to apply for schools, and most of the colleges I applied to were out of state. Deep down inside… I wanted to free myself and figure out life on my own. I was really tired of being constraint. The opportunity came around and I got accepted into FIU in Miami. It didn’t seem like the brightest idea to my dad and he didn’t support the idea. My mother seen it as an opportunity for me to go to school, so surprisingly she supported the idea of going out of state. My mother and I flew down to Miami and spent a week at orientation. She was finally letting go of her son.. She had left me in Miami by myself. Now the only issue I had was what I did I actually wanted to do with school. I could never really figure it out, but I was definitely happy that I could make my own choices now. I started to train more consistently with my dancing and started to dj at more events while I was in Miami. I wasn’t really keen of dancing or djing for a living. It just seemed impossible to live comfortably making these things into a career… but I said screw it. I spent a lot of time visualizing and writing down creative thoughts.. eventually putting all these thoughts to work. More and more opportunities started to pop up, and I started traveling around the world more. I didn’t end up doing so well in school, but I kind of felt like I had accomplished my goal. My mom forced me to move back, because of my grades. I enjoyed the Miami lifestyle a little too much, but it was enough for me. I continued to go to school in Boston, but only for so long. I did better in school, but there wasn’t any universities that offered hip hop as a major. There definitely isn’t any steady jobs that offer positions for hip hop. It’s more about how far do you really want to take your life with this culture.

Since last year I decided to take a break from school and focus totally on my craft/culture. I have been the happiest I have been in years, and I have no regrets of the mistakes I have made along the way. Ultimately I’m doing what I love most and doing what makes me happy. We are all on different journeys/paths in life. My journey was never to be the perfect dancer, dj, etc. My journey is about being free with my craft, and not being constricted with so many boundaries. I have a winning mentality, but not against others… I constantly challenge and compete with myself. My thoughts come in infinitely and I want to continually learn infinitely. I was born in the cypher and I will live everlastingly in the cypher.

There are too many critics and not enough people that are here for the journey. Pay your dues and stay steady on your movement. If you really don’t have any experience in the game then just keep quiet… keep an open mind because in time your opinion will most likely change. Life is a constant journey with stories and knowledge that one individual will never be able to fully grasp. Just recognize that there are some people that are in our lives that are experienced and close enough to us that will give us criticism to help us get better. Accept your flaws and work on them. If you feel you don’t have any flaws then you’re probably not human. Guidance is always needed. Shit ain’t perfect out here. Judging systems will never be 100% accurate and you shouldn’t ever let it DEFINE why you do what you do. Treat your craft like a painting. Put meaning behind what you do. Take your time and observe what you do.  Appreciate your craft, and don’t rush it. Don’t get too caught up with “the crowd”. The ultimate battle is not against anyone but yourself. It can be hard because we’re surrounded with the mentality of being highly competitive amongst each other…. but step back and analyze how you could do better first. You control your destiny. You control your future. You can either work against it or work for it. There is foundation in every thing we do. Build with it, and create from it. Learn it all. For bboying it’s not power against footwork and for djing it’s not selection against technicality. It’s all relevant or else it wouldn’t exist. Life always gives us options to do the right thing or the wrong thing. We can all be great and we can all be better. Know your setting. Let people appreciate you for you. Let everything fall into place and let things come naturally. Patience and timing is key. Think inside and outside the box. Be an influence to the universe, and honor your bloodline.

Most of you will never understand the work that some of us djs to put in towards our craft. Rent money gets spent, meals are not eaten sometimes, etc. There are just so many risk that some of us take. This isn’t any sobb story, and there isn’t anyone to blame but the dj for taking these risks. I just want to put things in perspective, so  you just appreciate what some of us do. Some of us are just really passionate about our craft. It is very true that a dj can totally make your event better, and can totally make a bboy or just a regular ass person dance better. When I play out for yall, I make it a challenge for myself and at the same time I try my best to keep yall happy. I’m not out here playing  premeditated mixes or sets. I’m totally feeding off the vibe of the gig. If I didn’t love this culture then I wouldn’t accept the challenge of bringing you something fresh and different. If I was in this for the wrong reasons, then I would just sell my soul to play only at the most commercial clubs in the world. If it gets to that point, then I might as well just find a 9-5 job. I love what I do, so that’s not happening. Most of you just want to hear the hypest songs, and you probably don’t analyze what the dj is even doing. I mean a lot of heads don’t care if the dj is playing a song from another djs mix or if the dj even ripped the song off a clip on youtube. Some of you will probably never care, which I guess is cool. Understand that some of us are here to progress at our craft and try our best to better the scene. When you do things out of love and do things naturally… that’s when you receive the most praise. So lets please try treat every element of hip hop the same. ALL ELEMENTS ARE RELEVANT yall! The only way we create our own legacy is if we create our own lane. Stop worrying about the hottest songs from the big events. For all of you djs that find the hottest songs that they heard from another dj, then at least flip them with your own style. You have to be in this culture for the right reasons or else your career will be short-lived. Even though most of the music we play we don’t own the rights to, then I have the right not to tell you what I’m playing. If the artist isn’t telling me to tell you the name of the song, then just chill. It’s our effort still to bring you something new, fresh, and innovative for you to enjoy. Many of you don’t care about the music that us djs play as much as we do. Just enjoy the music and enjoy the journey. It’s not about knowing the titles of the music, it’s more about being ONE with the music. If you want to know the name of a song then go look for it yourself. Stop forcing things in your life and just let things flow. As far as being influenced and “following a path”… Early on in my career I was heavily influenced by Leacy, but there was one quote that he said to a that always stood out to me. That quote was along the lines of “the best way to honor me and pay tribute to me is by being yourself.. not by being like me”. If you try to be the next man then you’ll only get as far as being the next man. Lets open new lanes and create new standards. Lets be original and innovative in everything we do. At the beginning stages of our careers we usually try impress people but once we’re in this culture long enough we realize there is a bigger picture. Constant progression and bettering our own lives. Much love to all the promoters that recognize the duties of a true dj and much love to all the djs that are inspiring this next generation. On another note lets keep it funky yall! I’m not the perfect dj, but there is no doubt that I’m very passionate about this culture…

Respect to my Horsepower brothas, First Nature, LGA, The P Brothers, Rockin Rob and Chuck City, Renegade, Skeme Richards, Tuff Stuff, Mr. And 7, Chung, etc.

Euro Tour Vol. 2 Wrap up

This last Euro Tour was nothing short of amazing. So amazing, that I had to write about it. Here is the journey from start to end….. I packed my luggage and set off for Logan Airport. My cousin El Nino picked me up in Boston, and brought me to the airport. I got to the airport, and the vibe just didn’t seem right. At the bat, I could tell the lady at the ticket counter was rude. My prediction was right! She refused to give me my ticket because of the condition of my passport.  She even wanted to me show her my returning ticket back to the states, and I had to prove that I had it on a different airline. I thought it was really out of hand, but I ended up taking care of the situation. I showed them everything they needed and they finally printed out my ticket. We could all move on with our lives now, and I just hit her off with a nice big smile. I boarded my flight, and went straight to sleep. I flew to NYC, Warsaw, and finally landed in Vilnius after 12 hours. The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, and I didn’t feel jet-lagged. I don’t think I have ever imagined in being in Lithuania, let alone for hip hop. Bboy Pluto and Niek (Just Do It) arrived nearly at the same time as me, so we all got picked up at the same time. We went directly to the hotel to freshen up. Then we went off to eat lunch at this place called “Soul Box”. I ordered chicken tempura and potato wedges, as well as some ice cream and apple pie. I refrained myself from having any beer while everyone else had a beer from what I remember (even though the beer in Europe is much better than the beer in the states). Mr. And 7 and his girl met up with us not to long after. He was telling us how he walked 6 hours around the city looking for records. I’m not sure if I would walk 6 hours for records anymore haha. At least he came up on some goodies. After lunch, Niek and I decided to run around town with the promoter Laurynas. He showed us the center and brought us to the prejam outside session, where a bunch of dancers were getting down. We checked that out for a bit, but I could only watch it for so long. I felt the urge to get down but  I was injured. I had hurt my ankle just about 2 weeks before, so I wasn’t trying to dance at all. There was just too much temptation, so I had to left quickly. Niek came along and we walked further into the city. Niek wanted more ice cream, so we stopped at this spot where they were serving all types of sweets. I guess during the time of our stay there was a Lithuanian Folk Festival going on in the center of Vilnius. At the center, we saw a bunch people singing traditional Lithuanian folk music, bbqing, and people Poi dancing (people that spin with fire). I never thought of poi dancing being a part of Lithuanian tradition. On our way back to the hotel, we actually ran into some people that were Lindy Hopping at this park. I thought was extremely dope. I was quite surprised to see that Lindy Hopping would be thriving anywhere. There was an older guy and younger lady that were killing it. So Niek and I watched them for a while in awe. Quite honestly I don’t think I have ever seen people lindy hop in person. It started getting a little late, but I didn’t even notice since the sun was out at 10 pm. Niek and I wanted to go out to check out the night life, and have some drinks.  We went back to the hotel to freshen up, and to dress warmer since it got cooler at night. Niek and I went back to the center for some drinks. We went to a few bars, and it started to get pretty live. We didn’t really hear any hip hop being played anywhere, so we hit up this small bar where they were playing some decent house music. We chilled there for a bit, and were almost tempted to hit some more spots. We both decided to head back to the hotel because we had to wake up early for the jam the next day. I got back to the hotel, and I barely slept. The jet lag was in full effect!

The next day was the start of Urban Essentials. I missed out on breakfast, and I was feeling a little grumpy about it. For some reason I thought breakfast was from 6 am to 9 am. I guess it was from 7 am to 11 am. We had to be at the venue at 12 pm, so I my day started off with some red bull and water. I felt exhausted and still grumpy. I couldn’t let it get the best of me though, so I changed my attitude. Mr. And 7 was getting things ready and setting the vibe right for the dancers. This was the first time I had spun for any hip hop stand up battle. It was new territory to me, so I was a little nervous. There was a lot of local talent in the building, and a lot of new faces. The battles had started, and I took over on the tables. I was anxious to see how people reacted towards the stuff I played, but people ended up really feeling it. I had no idea my headnod mixes were popular in Lithuania, until one of the dancers came up to me and told me. There were some house dance battles in between that Mr. And 7 spun for.  We both took turns on the hip hop stand up battles, and things turned out pretty well. Dancers were feeling it, and doing their thing. The dance scene is quite underground in Vilnius at the moment, so I apologize if I don’t remember anyone’s name. The bboy battles had started, and one of the monitors started going out. I got a little frustrated with it, because I couldn’t really pay full attention to the battles. In some of the prelim battles I was fixing wires and mixing at the same time. We ended up fixing the monitor right before the top 8, so everything worked out. Around this same time, Paulskee finally made it to the jam. I guess he had issues with flight delays and flight cancellations. It was dope of him to still make it out there after a hell of a travel. He made it right on time for a quick bboy cypher. Paul, Niek, Pluto, and some others were getting busy. I felt tempted to get down again, but I knew that wasn’t the brightest idea. So I didn’t. Mr. And 7 was getting it in on the doubles and dropping some gems I never heard (which is always motivation for me to get on my shit). The battles started up again, and everyone went back to their duties. It just seemed like all the battles flew by, because I barely remember anything that happened. The event was nearly at its end, and I was starving at this point. Judges did their showcase, and the battles finished. I don’t remember who the winners were, but the vibe was dope. (I apologize once again). We went back to Soul Box for dinner before the after party. We all sat down and built for a little. Most of us were excited to get our party on! And it sure ended up turning into a party! The drinks were going and flowing! And most importantly the people were dancing. I’m not going to front but I wasn’t too happy with my first set. I knew I had redeem myself with my second set. Mr. And 7 and I ended up going back and forth on the reggae/dancehall, which the party went crazy for. We got news that the party would end whenever we wanted it to end. Little by little people were getting too tired to keep up, and started leaving. I was still on east coast time so it felt like the beginning of the night. I decided I would stay and dj until it was time for breakfast, haha. It was maybe about 7 am, and I decided that it was enough. The people at the bar to arrange a cab ride back to the hotel. I got back to the hotel, and met up with Paulskee for breakfast. I had to go to the ticket counter like 3 times, because my card for the room wasn’t working… Fail! Laurynas was waiting for me in the lobby to take me to the airport. I was very impressed by his professionalism and how he worked everything out, since it was his very first event he threw. Thanks again to Laurynas for making it happen!

I got no sleep from the night before, so I was on straight zombie mode at the airport! I flew to Latvia for a layover (Seems like a beautiful country). Then I flew directly to Zurich, Switzerland. I arrived maybe after an hour or so. Olivia picked me up from the airport, and we dropped all my luggage off at her spot. (For those of you that don’t know Olivia.. she is responsible for putting together the Breakthrough Festival and United Styles Europe.) Shortly after, Mercy and I went off to go meet with the homie Salesh.  He was playing ball with some homies. I tried shooting the ball a little but I almost injured myself again so I chilled. After a little bball, we went to Salesh’s crib to go bbq some food. I felt dead tired! I needed to sleep! So I slept for a few hours, while Salesh and Mercy played Fifa and watched movies. We ate some food, and watched a flick then headed back to Olivia’s crib. I went straight to sleep as soon as I woke up. I woke up the next morning, and went off to the city with Olivia. We ate at this spot called Hiltl, which is a really dope Vegan restaurant. (The oldest Vegan restaurant in Europe!) Not too long after, we met up with Nicole and Flying Buddah. Then we set off to chill at Dynamo. Dynamo is the legendary practice spot in Zurich, where bboys from all over Europe have been training for years. I had no idea it was holiday, and I had no idea there was a big party going on out there. It was almost like a rave out there. We were chillen with a bunch of the Ghost Rockz guys, and we all decided to check out the party. It was a bit too crazy though, and it looked like a bunch of people were on drugs. So we went back to our spot at Dynamo and bbq’ed.  Olivia came back just right when things started to fizzle down. So we all headed back home to get some rest. The next day Olivia took me to the truth spot, where she always met up (with one of favorite people on the planet) Rebecca! The spot is like a little shop you would go to in Bangkok. The food was amazing, but definitely spicy as hell! Unfortunately I don’t remember the name of the spot, but you guys will just know it as the truth spot. The food they make melts in my mouth! So I pretty much ate there for lunch every day. Right after we had some of the truth, we went to Sprunglis to get some luxembourgli. I’m not the biggest fan or chocolate or sweets (besides gummy bears and Swiss Chocolate), but goddamn this luxembourgli is something else. I’m definitely addicted to both since the trip. A few hours later Nicole invited Olivia and I to come chill and eat with Ronnie, Lil G, and some others. We went over there for a bit for some food and beer. Earlier in that day I was telling Olivia how much I loved her Nike Blazers she had on. They were some of the illest I had seen! While we were at the table I was talking to Ronnie, and all of a sudden I knocked over this big ass cup of beer all over her shoes LOL! Everything happened in slow motion. It ruined the vibe a little, and I don’t think she has been that happy with me since LOL! We went back to Olivia’s spot, and I made plans with Salesh to go out and party. Salesh and his girl took me to some club called Kaufleuten. Salesh was telling me that it probably wasn’t going to be all that tonight, but we’ll see what’s up. We get there, and the music sounds pretty good. Then right before we get in the club I hear the dj playing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song LOL We enjoyed as much of it as we could. Until it really started to go down hill, so of course we left for some Kebabs.

The next day it was pretty much the same routine. Olivia and I headed out to the truth spot again. Not long after, Rebecca met up with us for lunch. We ate for a bit, and waited for Rebecca’s sister to drop off her daughter Shaynah. Shaynah is a trip! There was no way I couldn’t include her in this! One of the funniest little girls I have ever met. Not long after that we all met up, we went to go get some Luxemburgli. It was pretty much a wrap after that. We were all like little kids running around the streets of Zurich. We chilled by the lake and played around for a bit. It was a beautiful day out, so it was so needed. Shortly after, I had to leave to do some press for Nothing but Flavor for some Swiss Channel called Joiz TV.  Nicole picked me up along with Lil G, Caleaf, and Rossy. At the TV station we met up with Crazy and Richi. I think we were all kind of confused to what was going on, but I guess the show is totally on the freestyle tip. Like whatever happens.. happens! We made the best of the situation, and we all started acting like fools. Especially Crazy and I! We were pretty much yelling and dancing obnoxiously. I think all dancers have ADHD! We all started doing the Carlton, and they gave us the epic Carlton theme music for our intro. That was pretty dope! LOL I had no clue to what was going on during the interview, so I just sat there and made faces behind Richi LOL They were speaking in Swiss German for most of the interview. Caleaf and Lil G did two short showcases, and sooner or later our time at the station was over. Not long after we met up with Olivia. Then Rossy, Caleaf, Olivia and I went to get some thai food for a bit. (I ate thai food almot every day on the trip). Olivia and I headed back to her spot, and waited for Rebecca to pick me up to go out again. Rebecca came with her friend Anita, and we stopped at this club called Mascotte. It was like electro house night, so I could only take so much of that. We ended up on another journey to find some coca cola. We headed to Langstrasse to see what was going on. So we bumped into a bunch of Rebecca’s architect friends, and went to another party. The music was awful but we made the best out of it. By the end of the night, I needed to go home. And I needed some food and sleep quick LOL

Lil G on Joiz TV - Video from the TV show

It was my last day of being a tourist… the next day I had to leave to another city called Biel. The Nothing But Flavor Festival was taking place there, and I would be working every day. We started our day off at the truth spot again, because that’s what we do in Zurich lol. After eating another delicious meal, I wanted to get a haircut. Rossy picked me up and took me to her boy KD to cut my hair. I was a bit nervous about it first, because it’s not easy to find someone that knows how to cut your hair right especially overseas. I think I might have seen some of the worst haircuts ever in Europe LOL We were there for a minute, and the dude did a lot better than I expected. I felt fresh again! Not too long after Mercy and I left to Dynamo to practice for a little. It was the first time I had thrown down in nearly 3 weeks, so I was being very cautious about my movement. Ronnie just finished his workshop, so we started throwing down a little. Ob One had brought his set up just on time for me to stop dancing. I was already at my limit with breaking, so I jumped on the wheels real quick. I probably spun just for like 20 minutes, and chilled out again. After the session was over, we were invited to some magazine party. Ronnie and I got some food real quick, and headed out to the party. We thought it was a Red Bull party at first, but it ended up just being some magazine party. My friend Michele came through with her friend, and we were all dancing.. trying our best to have fun. That was probably the most interesting and weirdest party I had been to in a while. I really don’t know what was going on, but I started getting my Nasty Ray on LMAO Rebecca showed up late with only 10 minutes left, and Ronnie headed back to his hotel. We went to Mascotte right after to party some more for like 10 minutes. At this point everyone was tired as hell except for me. So everyone went back home to rest up.

The next morning I headed out to Biel with Olivia. As soon as we go to Biel, we had to go watch Teki Tekua rehearse their piece for the theater show we had next week. They needed me to facilitate their music for their piece in the show, so it was important to watch what they had ready. Teki Tekua is definitely some of the most dedicated and most inspiring group of girls I have ever met. They are serious about their biz, just google them! After the rehearsal, I checked into my hotel and walked around the city for a bit. I ran into Ness, Javier Ninja, MK, Caleaf, and a bunch of other peeps. We chilled at the hotel for a bit, and decided that we would head to the preparty. Piggo gave us a ride to the preparty, and of course we ended up getting lost thanks to me LOL I thought I knew I knew the city since it was so small, but I guess I didn’t. We ran into Foxhound and a couple other heads. He told us that the preparty had actually just finished. I thought we were going to head back to the hotel, but Foxhound actually ended up bringing us to this club instead. The club was the same club where the afterparty would be the next day. We chilled in there for a bit. Tony McGregor, Shannon, Caleaf, and Javier Ninja were doing their thing… dancing the night away. As a matter of fact, my dude Shannon never stops dancing… He will out dance just about everyone I know! LOL Javier Ninja was killllling it too! Everyone was talking about how this dude was an incredible vouger, but he isn’t just that…. this dude is an incredible dancer! I was very impressed! Ness and most of the peeps left the club after awhile. The homie Ash and I stayed a little longer. Just a couple minutes after everyone started leaving Flying Buddah, Hill, and Loni showed up to the club. They immediately started bboying and created a cypher. Some guy started pushing all the bboys while they were dancing, but all the bboys kept dancing as if the guy wasn’t even there LOL That was pretty crazy but funny! I jumped in one time real quick, but then someone stole my hat. It started getting a little rowdy in there, so that was my queue to leave the club. I headed back to my hotel room to get some rest, in which I didn’t at all.

The next morning I had to wake up early to spin for the kid’s battle. I was pretty much dead, and didn’t want to do anything at this point. I got to the venue, and the auditorium started filling up with kids. It was probably the most kids I have ever seen at any bboy event. (Switzerland takes the cake for having the most kids that break in any place that I have been). They had two 1 on 1 battles and a crew battle. It took awhile to get through with, and I was really tired after the work was done. I headed back to my hotel to drop off my bags. I thought I would be able to take a nap, but the red bull started kicking in. I pretty much walked the whole city trying to find the venue. I got lost in Biel again, which again is a pretty small city. So I found my way back to the hotel, and got a map to find the venue. I got to the venue, and couldn’t stand in one place. I was all jittery and full of red bull LOL I watched some of the prelims of the popping battles, and cracked jokes with Renegade. They started the semi finals of the house, vouging, hip hop stand up, popping, and wacking battles. I watched those for a while, and my good friend Michele aka Paleta aka Mrs. Poster Girl actually ended up taking the vouging battle. Congrats to her! They started the Red Bull BC One Switzerland cypher right after those battles were done. Some kid named Yu-Seng ended up winning, congrats to him! Now it was time for the afterparty and time to spin for the afterparty. I was chillen out with Blanka and Ash, two wild guys! We bought a bottle of champagne to start the night. Foxhound started it off with some Soulful House, so I left off where he ended. I don’t usually play too much house, but I played just enough to get by LOL. I think most peeps were surprised that I could even play house. I knew my limits though, so I switched into some feel good hip hop. The club started to get crackin, and it started to get packed. Everybody was dancing, and having a good time. I did my thing for a bit, and then Renegade jumped on the tables. I bought another bottle of champagne for Rebecca since it was her bday. She refused, so we celebrated Ronnie’s last night in Switzerland LOL I jumped back on the tables and played a little more house, and then a quick soul set. I didn’t know I had to spin again, but I got on for a little. Foxhound got back on the tables, and took control of the party. Next thing you know the party ended and we all headed back to the hotel.

It was the final day of Nothing but Flavor, and we were worn out from all the partying. It would be the longest day for me, because I had to spin for most of the event since Renegade had to leave a little early. The venue (Coupole) was so dope though! It felt just so HIP HOP! Storm and some others were telling us that this venue “Coupole” was like the mecca of European bboying in the late 80s/early 90s. It was the same venue for the first Red Bull BC One. I could just feel the energy in the building, so I had to bring the heat. They just started the battles for the Freestyle Session qualifier, everyone was on point, but the crowd seemed tired LOL Trix and Mario Bee had to wake them up, or else the vibe would die down. Battles started getting heated, and that sparked me to hit them over the head even harder. One of the highlight battles of that night was definitely Hustle Kids vs Top Side Dogs. My homie Xisco was killing it all night, in my opinion MVP for the night. It wasn’t enough though, because Top Side Dogs would prevail. After the semi finals of the Fresstyle Session qualifier, they started the Octogon. There may have only been 3 bboys to hit any of the cones during the whole battle (which is really incredible). It Heads weren’t any doing easy shit either. Peeps were saying that it was one of the most memorable Octogon’s to ever go down. Blanka ended up taking the Octogon title with ease. After the Octogon was finished they started the final battle of the Freestyle Session qualifier. I could feel some tension between Zulu Kosher and Top Side Dogs. And Boyyyyyy was I right! I think this was one of the few times this year I have seen a competition battle turn into a real battle this year. Tempers were flaring and there definitely was a lot of trash talking. So after the competition was over, Ness got on the mic and let them know that they still needed to settle their score if they were going to act up…. so things could cool down a little. I dropped Ante Up and Nas “Nasty” to make things interesting again, but then it just became too much. Top Side Dogs ended up taking the battle, and Nothing but Flavor was officially over. I headed back to Zurich after the event was over.

The next day Ivan was came into town, and we all had to prepare for him LOL Ivan is full of energy, he has more energy than anyone I know. We had theater rehearsals for the show “Fusion”. (which is a show about fusing Urban and Modern dance together). We were at the theater for a few hours, and started putting the show with Sacha (an incredible guitarist) and Donny (an incredible tap dancer). We got a decent amount of work done that day, but we still had a long way to go. After rehearsals we spent some time roaming the city of Zurich with Ivan. Ivan and I have known each other for 14 years now, so it’s like family. I think we were probably getting on Rebecca and Olivia’s nerves, because we didn’t stop talking for hour’s haha. Shortly after I met up with some troublemaker and we went out for some food at Hiltl (the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Europe).  I’m no Vegetarian, but the food there was delicious! I went back home to rest up for an early day of rehearsal. I was more than tired, so I drank about 5 coffees. I barely made it through rehearsals without almost falling asleep even after 5 coffees. More of the people that were in the show started showing up, and next thing you know rehearsals were over. Olivia, Rebecca, Ivan, and myself went back into town to eat some traditional Swiss food. That didn’t work out so we ended up just going to some other spot where they served all types of food. We were all so tired, but Ivan and I said screw it we are going to the club tonight. Everyone knows how Ivan gets down at the club LOL So Rebecca took Ivan and I to Kaufleuten. Ivan set it off and got the club going. He was on the dance floor, and it turned into a bunch of vultures trying to eat away at their prey LOL Rebecca and I just watched in amusement and laughter. Ivan had on his sunglasses, and looked like a straight cholo. We left after a few hours, and went home to get some more rest. The next day we got to rest in for the morning. All we had on schedule for that day was to go see Teki Tekua rehearse their piece. So we watched them for a bit, and were amazed on how much they had completed since the last time we had seen the piece. Their piece was looking incredible, and shocked us all. Ivan was in awe, and gave them the nicest speech ever. After their rehearsal was done, I don’t remember what happened. So I will just fast-forward to what I do remember from the trip. The next day my dad, Colleen, and Pookie flew into town. I had to spend the whole day in the theater so I didn’t spend any time with them. We worked on the lighting and Teki Tekua’s piece for most of the day. I just worked on my scratching during the down time. I had the easiest yet hardest job in the show. It was easy because I didn’t do much physically. It was also the hardest because it was probably one of the most stressful. I had to deal with everyone… you know.  That day we were at the theater from 12 pm to 12 am, so by the end of that day I hated everyone LOL jk

The next day was show day… We were all happy and anxious, because now we were performing the first show. Our first performance was for a bunch of kids, and the show actually came out pretty well. The kids really loved it! The second show came along, and the show came out even better. We only had one more show left! It was another day at the theater for a whole day. I didn’t mind it as much this time though. The next day was the start of United Styles Europe, and the last day for “Fusion”. We got to the venue, and Satches was on the tables doing his thing. The venue was packed full of kids. Again Switzerland probably has the most kids that break. I thought that was really a beautiful thing. Since most people forget that this culture starts with the kids. They started the prelims of United Styles, and I spun for most of the prelims. Prada G came through with Deep Trip, (no one even knew that he would be in town). My time was cut short though, because I had to leave back to the theater for the final show. It was the last time we would all work with each other for maybe another year, so the emotions were a little high LOL After all, the show ended up coming out great. We received a standing ovation, and I would say this experience changed my whole outlook on theater.

The next day was the last day of United Styles Europe, and pretty much my last day in Zurich. We had to finish up the Dirty 30s and the Top 16 of United Styles. It was the first time I got to meet and spin with Woodo (whom was an inspiration in my early years of spinning), so that was an honor for me. There was some really dope band that came in and was killing shit during the cyphers too. One of the best bands I have ever heard at any bboy jam. Not sure of what there name was, but they should be at every jam. The Dirty 30s and United Styles Europes battles were really hype. (Some of the highlights being Deep Trip vs Licensed to Chill, Buz making it to the finals of the Dirty 30, Crazy killing it in the first round of the Dirty 30s, and Deep Trip vs Top Side Dogs).  Top Side Dogs ended up winning the whole event, and some guy from Suicidal Lifestyle won the Dirty 30s battle. We had one last party in Zurich, which was the afterparty for United Styles Europe. I used the last bit of energy I had, and danced away. The next day I woke up, and I was sad to leave Switzerland. I had such a good time and met so many incredible peeps. This trip easily goes down as one of my favorite and one of my most memorable. I left for Paris for the day to chill with my homie Kareem from Sans Limite/Ready to Rock. I took my luggage all around the city of Paris, and was dead tired. The tour was now officially over.

First and foremost I would like to thank Olivia and Rebecca for putting up with me most of the trip! Laurynas and Nicole (No Easy Props) for contributing to the tour and being wonderful promoters! Ivan for being inspiring as always! Michele and Branca for being there for a good portion of my trip to Switzerland too! Shout outs to Mercy, Salesh, Ronnie, Renegade, MK, Sacha, Donny, Teki Tekua, Shaynah, Niek, Xisco, Menno, Paulskee, Alien Ness, Blanka, Mr. And 7, Ash, Caleaf, Flying Buddah, Rossy, Foxhound, Crazy, Storm, Cros, Mario Bee, The Godfather, Buz and everyone else for the good times!

Photos courtesy of: Stev Bohnage, JD-Pictures.com, Etien Photography, and Helen Ree

My first weekend in Europe started off in Stockholm, Sweden for Streetstar Festival 2012. I arrived 4 pm (January 26th) in Stockholm, there was no sunlight and it was pretty damn cold. Even though the weather was so brutal, I wasn’t letting it stop me from having a good time. My cousin El Nino arrived a few days before I did. I could see in his face that he wanted to go out for the night. So we went to the opening party of Streetstar at Fashing. It was chill and dancers were definitely doing their thing. We decided to hit another party though, where the homie Boogie Blind was spinning. We took a cab to the venue, and thought we were lost. It kind of looked like we were getting set up for death when we arrived haha! Then we actually ran into Mode 2, Vandalz in Motion (OG Sweden writers), and Hanna from WeSc as we got out of the cab. I guess they were just getting there as well. We checked out all three rooms, but it was still a bit early in the night. We went upstairs and checked out some artwork by Vandalz in Motion. Official nonetheless! We went back downstairs and Boogie Blind was straight murdering it! It was getting late and the party was about to end. We ended up taking a cab back to the hotel, and wasting all of our per diem for the event (equivalent to $110). We didn’t know they had fake taxi services, so that was pretty much a fail.

The next day was the first official day of Streetstar. I got to the venue, and pretty much had to get ready for a long day of competitions. Each bboy battle was about 8-10 minutes. It was only Jam One (Sweden) and I spinning for the battles. There were about 36 crews in the competition, so there wasn’t much time for cyphering. The venue had 3 different rooms where various competitions were going on. Everything from House, Waacking, Popping, Vouging, Bboying and Hip Hop dance competitions. It was in some arena in Stockholm. I had been at the venue pretty much all afternoon and all night. My day consisted of deejaying most of the day. Later on that evening, I had to spin at the after party with Pure P (Sweden) and Yugson (France). The party was really dope, and probably the highlight for me that day. Everyone did their thing, and had people getting their dance on. The party was over around 4 am. I was jet lagged and couldn’t sleep till maybe 6 am.

It was the final day of Streetstar, and I only had to spin 2 battles for the day. I was very tired from the night before. I went to the venue around 12 pm but I looked on the schedule… I didn’t have to go on until around 8 pm. You know damn well I went back to the hotel to rest. After my nap, I went back to the venue around show time. I got to catch some of the popping battles, and watched my homie Greentek kill it (like he always does). The bboy battles started not too long after. Jam One spun the first semifinal battle between La Smala (France) and another crew from Scandinavia. I spun the next semifinal battle, which included Above the Clouds (Sweden) and Funk Fanatics (Russia). The highlight was definitely Robin’s (Top 9) round. I don’t have the best memory of what exactly happened in that battle but Funk Fanatics advanced in the finals to battle La Smala. They did the judge showcases right after the semifinals. El Nino, Yarko, King Foolish, and Gaffar did their thing out there. The MCs would then do their own showcase. I guess they were really feeling the beat I was playing, and I’ll just say they really killed the freestyle. I was very impressed by the skills homeboys had. The final battle was underway, and I knew things would get heated. It sure did get heated haha. Funk Fanatics would end up winning the crew battle. I stuck around to catch the vouging battles after the bboy battles. I have only seen vouging battles on YouTube prior to this event. I would be lying if I said these battles aren’t entertaining. I definitely need to catch one of these battles again. These people were totally in character when they were doing their thing. I was dying in laughter, and definitely enjoyed watching some of the girls do their thing. It’s always time to party after the competition is done. The after party was in some weird building, and it was hot as a mutha in there. My two favorite dancers Niki and Martha (Sweden) know what time it is when it comes to the party. These two are definitely my favorite to party with. I have shared so many memorable moments with them. The night was going, and my shirt was getting sweatier. It was officially over for my Streetstar weekend, and I had to wake up just a few hours later to go to Slovakia.

It was my 4^th time going to Slovakia in 2 years. Slovakia has sort of become my home in Europe. I had 3 workshops set up in 3 different cities in 3 days. The weather was crucial! Nearly 0 degrees, while back home it was about 50. My first workshop was in Zvolen, my second was in Zilina, and my last workshop was in Bratislava. I met up with my homies MG & MK. We headed out to Banska Bystrica before the workshop to the Bboy Spot Europe headquarters to get some work done for Outbreak 8. Outbreak 8 will definitely be one of the best jams that will happen this year, not just because of the actual jam but also because of the festivities surrounding it. You will not want to miss this one! My first workshop in Zvolen was the first workshop I have did overseas in 3 years. As most of you know, I have been concentrating more on my deejaying than anything. I had about 15 students that came through, and they were pretty much all experienced bboys. I break down my workshops into segments ranging from top rocking, intros/footwork/transitions, freeze combos, and freestyle/creative abilities. At the end of the day we all have different bodies and different ways of thinking. We all have the ability to be different. It was quite the workout for them, but it was definitely inspiring to watch some of them discover their own abilities. People tend to teach a set routine, but I feel people don’t really benefit from it as much because it limits what they can do with their own creativity. The only time I feel teaching a routine is effective is when your students are beginners. Beginners need more structure, as they don’t really understand the dance yet. I did a Questions & Answers segment to finish the workshop. They definitely asked some great questions, but I don’t really remember what they asked anymore haha. We went out to get some food after the workshop. I’m not so fond of the restaurants in Slovakia, so McDonalds and gummy bears were pretty much the best available meals for me. I could feel McDonalds taking a toll on me after just a few meals though LOL I definitely loved the beer selection out there though. If you’re picky about your meals, the best meal you can get anywhere is a home-cooked meal. MK’s mother definitely hooked it up for lunch one day.

The next day I had another workshop in a city called Zilina, about an hour away from Banska. Thanks to the homie Jaro (Hasta LA Muerte). Most of the students that attended the class weren’t bboys or bgirls. They were experienced dancers of other styles though. I had about 30 students in the class. I’m pretty sure it was the first time for many of them of taking a breaking class. I taught them just really basic steps, and a routine. Many of them were taking breaks before I even told them to take a break LOL It’s understandable though, because bboying requires you to use nearly every part of your body while most dances don’t. I’m not going to lie though; I was definitely sore after my workshop. My legs were burning and were very tense. MK, Jaro, & I headed to the spa, to get massages and hit up the sonar. It turned to a bit of a party, pretty funny at that. Some big ass dude came in and started showing off his taekwondo skills. It might have been one of the greatest things ever until he asked to spar with me. He could have easily just eaten me (pause).  Good luck to him and his future MMA career LOL I was getting tired, and I needed some rest to recharge for Bratislava. MK & I drove back to Banska to recharge for tomorrow. The first couple of days in Slovakia were very chill, but busy. I knew Bratislava would end that run of relaxing.  We drove to Bratislava for my last workshop (in Slovakia) at Hip Hop Fakulta. I had about 20 students, and the level was a bit higher. I would teach it based on how I taught the first workshop, concepts and freestyle/creative abilities. We were able to get a bit further in depth because we had more time to work around. After the workshop, we went to the homie Miniboj’s (Hasta La Muerte) crib. We chilled there for a bit, and decided to go out to this little lounge out there. The walk wasn’t that far, but it sure as hell felt like it was far. I don’t remember the name of the club we stopped by first, but I think it was closed. So we ended up hitting up this lounge, which was pretty cool. The deejays played everything from electro to funk to disco to hip-hop. Not something I would expect on a random night. Dude started playing some breaks, so peeps were rocking, but then it mellowed down. We went back to house to get some rest.

The next day we met up with Pablo, and basically walked around the center of Bratislava. We filmed a shout out for some jam in Slovakia, and that was pretty much all jokes. I had my chicken schnitzel for lunch. It was my first day off, so we didn’t really do much but clown on each other. I’m pretty sure they were clowning on me in Slovak. I’m learning their language though… I’ll surprise them one day.  We had a 3-hour ride to get to Prague the next day, so we just stayed in that evening. The next day we left to Prague, and I pretty much slept the whole car ride. I have trained myself to sleep on trips that require a couple of hours of transportation. It’s another one of my special talents. We got to the hotel, and settled in. We would meet up with MK’s brother and MK’s brother’s girlfriend for dinner. He took us out to some bar where it seemed like it was an LMFAO and Black Eyed Peas tribute night. That’s all I will say about that one.

The next day we left to the venue and met up with Lix. Lix is one of the organizers of “Bboy.CZ Vol. 2”. Definitely a good dude! Everything was in full effect, but first I had to do workshop before the jam. I put more focus into the deejaying, but I also left time to do a quick Q&A on bboying. I could tell they were really anxious to dance, and I was really anxious to spin. We started the event immediately after the workshop. I knew I had to warm up a bit, and get into my zone. I blessed them with the funk and some hip-hop, nothing too heavy though. It was a smaller event, but the energy is usually better at most of the smaller events I have spun at. When you’re closer to the people, it’s a lot easier to vibe off their energy. I definitely felt the energy that day. Peeps were cyphering for nearly 3 hours straight, and they all seemed to enjoy the music. They selected 8 peeps to battle in a cypher, and they began the prelims for the 2 on 2. It didn’t run too long, and things were definitely moving. I don’t really remember the names of a lot of the bboys, because I had just met them all that day. Czech Republic has a growing scene, and like most of places there is definitely some up and coming talent. The battles were heated and definitely hype for both the 2 on 2 and cypher battle. It came down to two bboys to battle 10 rounds after the battle in the cypher. Those dudes were going hard, and I was surprised they could even go on after all the rounds from earlier that day LOL I don’t remember who won, but I’m sure they were happy it was over. Peeps definitely showed a lot of love, and I had no choice but to show some love back. It was a great for Lix and the rest of the staff to show the importance of a deejay at a jam. I am very thankful for the opportunity.

The next day I set up a photo shoot with Lix, whom is also a professional photographer. It was definitely not the day to do a photo shoot outside, but hey! You got to pay your dues sometimes. Society had hooked it up with some gear for the trip, so basically in return I shot some international flicks for them.  I also took the opportunity to be a tourist. The last time I was in Prague, I was with my two homies Keebz and Kuriouz. We basically just walked around the whole city getting lost, and had no idea of what was what. This time around I had a tour guide, so it was easier to learn more about the history. The only problem we had was that it was probably coldest day of the whole trip. So we were definitely rushing to get things done. We shot some flicks at the Prague castle first, and most of the pictures came out super dope. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so I’m sure any picture would look dope with Prague’s setting. We went out to lunch, and I tried one of the traditional Czech meals at some restaurant near the Prague castle. It was some sort of honey smothered Ribs, and it was pretty damn good. I also tried out the original Budweiser beer called Budvar. As I expected, it was a lot better than the American Budweiser. For those of you don’t know, the Czech Republic has some of the best beers in the world hands down!  After lunch, we finished our shoot at the Charles Bridge (which is the most famous bridge in Prague). It was right off the river, so we all nearly froze to death. We knew by then it was enough, and we headed back to hotel. Later that evening we met up again at Lix’s spot. He had his Wii set up, and he had an MPC. I kept myself entertained with the MPC for the most part. You know me.. I was killing it! LOL

The last day in Prague we went to a dance studio and practiced with the Survivors. The Survivor’s are probably the one of the most established crews in the Czech/Slovak area. I felt off, and I wasn’t really in the mood to dance. I tried to vibe out, but it was just one of those days. It was dope to break amongst some other bboys though. I chilled out, and just relaxed after a few go downs. We built with the guys for a little bit, and we went back to pretty much call it a night. MG and MK had to meet with Red Bull early the very next day. I watched the super bowl online, and boy I wish I just went to sleep. It took me like an hour to find a link online since the MSN page wasn’t working for me. The Patriots lost to the Giants again! The Giants definitely wanted it more. I still got my Pats back though. I got a little bit of rest before we met with the Red Bull peeps. We went to the Red Bull offices; MG & MK handled their biz. We headed back to Bratislava to chill for the rest for the day. Spunky aka Machete was trying to get on me, but he didn’t know that’s what my crew does all the time. I’m pretty sure he hates me after clowning on him so hard haha

The next night I had to spin at this night called “Street Spirit” at Nu Spirit Club, which Dj Piggo hosts. I knew the party was going to be crazy, because the parties are always crazy in Slovakia. I don’t think I have ever been to crazier parties LOL I did it up that night, buying a big bottle of champagne and Grey Goose to get the party warmed up. I’m not going to lie! The party was full of dancers from all over Slovakia. The vibe was right, and I kind of did my thing on the wheels. I have had better nights, but as long as people kept dancing then that’s what counts. The club closes around 4 or so, so it was a long night. I played some classics and threw in some Dilla (R.I.P) produced joints. It was Dilla week, but it is pretty much Dilla week every week. Piggo took over near the end, and my work was pretty much done in Slovakia. The next day I think we were all worn out, and tired. It was my last day before I left to France.

Pablo picked me up, and his gas froze on the way to the bus station. I couldn’t help but to laugh, but luckily enough we left early so I still had time to make it for my bus to Vienna. I knew I had a long day of traveling ahead. I had an hour bus ride to Vienna, which wasn’t so bad. Then I had to wait at the airport for about 3 hours before my flight to Paris. I was starving, and my options were limited. So I ended up eating McDonalds, which made me feel sick. I went to my gate, and chilled there for a bit. The flight was about 2 hours and 30 minutes, which wasn’t so bad either. It was just the fact I had to carry my big ass suitcase and two backpacks around. So if you do end up traveling a lot one day remember to pack light haha I got to Paris about 2 hours before my train ride. I chilled at the train station, and I ran into All Area Crew (Japan). They had a 16-hour trip, so they ran off to smoke their cigarettes. Then shortly after I ran into Teembo from Predatorz (Russia), it was my first time meeting him. Definitely a cool dude! We were pretty much all confused as to what train we were taking, but luckily I was smart enough to ask an employee to help us out. We had a 3-hour train ride to Nantes from Paris. I saw Focus and A.T on the train, so that was a good sign that were on the right train since they were guests at Hip Opsession as well. I ended up having to change my seats 3 times, and I couldn’t even get mad. I thought you could sit anywhere you wanted LOL My e-ticket for the train was in French, so I didn’t know! I rested just enough before we made our way into Nantes. The Hip Opsession staff met us at the train station, and greeted us with some goodies. They took us to the venue to get some food. I chilled out with Ken Swift and Spin (UK) for a bit, and left to the hotel to freshen up. I heard the pre-party was really dope last year, so I made an effort to check out the pre-party this year even though I was tired. The vibe was pretty dope when I got there, but I just got too tired to even stay the whole time. Dj Cleon was definitely doing his thing though!

The next day was the main day of Hip Opsession’s “Battle Opsession”. I had to spin the bboy 1 on 1, bgirl 1 on 1, kid’s 1 on 1, and a 3 on 3 alongside Dj One Up. I will just say it was a very long day! We definitely put in a lot of work, in which we probably spun 5 hours each that day. I had to strategize on what to play, because I like to always play different at events. I don’t really like playing the same sets or even the same songs too often. For the most part I get tired of playing certain songs, so I have to retire them. I was really surprised at how long the general public stayed for the whole competition. There were a lot of bboys there, but most of the crowd there was just the general public. There were some good battles, and there were some bad battles just like most competitions. Hip Opsession is a quality event nonetheless. Niek (formerly known as Just Do It), Lil Kev (France), and Kirill made it to the finals for the 1 on 1. Movie One (Spain) and Narumi (Japan) were in the finals for the bgirls, and Beast Kingz (USA) battled Total Feeling (France) for the 3 on 3 title. Niek, Movie One, and Beast Kingz all won. I went out to this after party with 7 Dollars and Universal Alchemy. We went to a bar next door until the line died down, and ordered some food. It was the only place that had food at that time in the whole city. That made up for some of the waiting we did, because it was cold as hell outside. We got to the club around 4 am, and it was pretty weird. We made the best of it, but shortly after we headed back to chill at the hotel. We chilled until it was time to get some breakfast at the hotel (around 6 am). We pretty much ate all the bread at the hotel that morning, and I probably got about 3 hours of rest. I left for Paris a few hours later, and stayed with my boy Kareem (Sans Limite/Ready to Rock). I wasn’t trying to take a 3-hour train ride then fly for 10 hours, so we just kicked it at his crib. I was deadbeat by this time, and I was definitely feeling home sick. The next day I would home back to the states! The End!