Gangsta Walking

For the 2006 single by rapper Coolio, see Gangsta Walk.

Memphis Jookin sample

Gangsta Walking (often referred to as G-Walk , Buckin, Buck Jump , Jookin, Rollin, Reading, Raping, or Choppin) is a street dance that originated in Memphis, Tennessee alongside "Buck" music during the 1990s. Some^[who?] have speculated that the dance was originally created during the late 1980s. The dance has been suspected to be created by a street dancer named “Capital D” - real name Dima Grinevich.^[1] In Memphis, in an alley, he decided to display his new idea for crunk dancing, which evolved into the Gangsta Walk. The Gangsta Walk is commonly performed to crunk music due to the particular 'bounce' in the beat and the movement the dancers make to keep with it. Though Gangsta Walking has been around for many years, much of the dance is still exclusive to the city and surrounding areas.^{[citation needed]}

Due to video streaming websites like YouTube and social networks like myspace.com and others, "gangsta walking", "jookin', "choppin", "buckin" or whatever it may be called, has spread all across the globe.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, Memphis rapper–director–producer Young Jai, of Jai Productions / Black Star Enterprisers, released Memphis Jookin Vol 1 DVD. This DVD featured the new generation of jookers/Gangsta Walkers. It featured such Jookin as G-Nerd, Lil Daniel, Dr. Rico, Lil Buck, Lil Black, Bobo, female Jooker Shuante, Underground King Keviorr, DJ Sidewalker, North Memphis Legend Lil Jayson and many others. This DVD helped springboard the movement that has been spreading around the globe for Jookin/ Gangsta Walking. In November 2007, Jookin was featured on Channel 3 WREG news in Memphis and also on Channel 5 WMC. There are several videos on Jookin on http://www.memphisjookin.com and Youtube.com, with some videos receiving hundreds of thousands of views in months and thousands of views in a week's time. Jai Productions and The Memphis Jookin community was also featured in the December issue of the French magazine Juste Debout as the Dance of the Month. Jai productions also released a solo Jookin DVD on G-Nerd entitled "Truth Be Told" and Tutorial entitled "Memphis Jookin wit G-Nerd". Jai Productions has also released the entire Memphis Jookin Vol 2. 3-part series, which showcases more of the Jookin community that is involved in the movement to help get this dance on the map. Nowadays our youth have somewhere to go and learn the Memphis style. Memphian Tarrik Moore And Marico Flake (Dr Rico) have opened U-Dig Jookin Academy, located in the Raleigh Springs Mall.

Origin

The origin of the Walk itself is a mystery. Gangsta Walking has constantly evolved over the years into the much smoother version it is today. Some state that this style was created during the early 1980s, a Memphis based dance & rap group, G-Style (composed of Romeo, Wolf, and Hurricane) went to New York City and saw dance the most practiced dances (e.g. breakdancing, popping, gliding, locking, etc.) and incorporated these styles into the traditional Walk. When they returned, they brought back a new style Gangsta Walking that was new and notably similar yet distinctly different dance that matched the new wave of rap music,which matched the beat down to the bass, snare and hi-hat. Others suggest a New Orleans connection. Early gangsta-walking in Memphis was often called "buck jumping", and "buck jumping" was another name for second-lining in New Orleans. The two cities shared a love for the Showboys' "Dragrap" (a song that would become the basis for New Orleans bounce music) and New Orleans performers such as Gregory D and Mannie Fresh often appeared at Memphis' Century 21 club on Winchester Road.

Positives of Gangsta Walking

Along with being a popular street dance, the Gangsta Walk is often viewed as a form of self expression and relief from the hardships of living within the inner city. Some have even considered Gangsta Walking as being a less extreme kin of Krumping due to it steering many the youth away from street violence and exacting their energy into something positive and constructive. The dance can commonly be found in urban areas of Memphis like North Memphis, South Memphis, Orange Mound, Whitehaven, East Memphis, West Memphis etc.

Types of Gangsta Walk

There is a variation of styles for the Gangsta Walk:

• One particular style requires the dancer to take (in a jerking motion) quick steps, stomp, twists and throwing their arms around all while moving to a beat, the best example being Crunchy Black's style, referred to as G-Walking [1]. The style is considered the basis of all Gangsta Walking done in Memphis since the 1980s.

• Another style requires three or more people hopping around in a circle in a rhythmic motion, while throwing their hands into the air and yelling "Get Buck" or the lyrics to a Buck song. This style of the Gangsta Walk is more commonly referred to as the G-Train. It is said that this style was banned from the clubs shortly after being created due to the wildness it invoked in performers as well as onlookers. Reminders of its existence are still left behind in older clubs or closed down night spots around the city [2].

• The most known style of Gangsta Walking is within the standard crunk atmosphere, involving a crowd of people slamming and pushing off one another on the dance floor.

• The most famous and practiced style of Gangsta Walking around the city takes bits and pieces from other street dance styles like liquid dancing (the wave, tutting, tracing, contours and hand flowing), the robot, locking, popping, gliding and even breakdancing all merged together with the traditional dance. The most recognizable moves in the dance is the dancer does moves similar to the two-step between making another motion and spinning or walking on the tips of their toes. This style of the Gangsta Walk is mostly done by the younger generation and the generation behind them who grew up shortly after the invention of Buck music, thus titling it Buckin.

• Jookin took the classic steps and combined a much more smoother look due to the music change in Memphis Music during the early 90's. Jookin is most noted for not only its smooth steps, but it introduced pantomiming into the styles heavily. Jookin took to the isolation of the footwork in a way that focused the crowds attention on the feet. Jookin is really characterized for their abilities in sliding and stepping

• Buckin brought in the exaggerated movements of Gangsta walkin and Jookin. The movements were made to appear even bigger because of the buckness of the dancer. Clearly the most explosive style of Gangsta walking. Buckers began to lift the slide off the ground and creating even higher glides than ever seen before.

• Choppin came in the mid 90's as dancers in Memphis started to add the animated effect of Gangsta walkin, jookin, and buckin to the dance floor. Choppin consisted of stiffening the muscles until they began to vibrate and then moving trying to create a very unreal stiff Gangsta walker.

• Icin the newest form of Gansta walkin is most known for the ability of sliding one foot while gliding with the other. Icers give the illusions of ice skating with fire by the explosiveness they applied while icing across the floor. Some nickname it "Blazing." Icers also included different ways of freezing the body parts while carrying yourself around the floor.

• Basics of all the styles include stepping, pacmans, and buck jumps.

Spin-offs

Turfing (an acronym for Taking Up Room On The Floor, an Oakland, California based street dance that heads the Hyphy Movement, has its roots in Gangsta Walking. . Oakland Museum of California. 2006-04-07. http://www.museumca.org/exhibit/exhi_cool_remix.html, Cool Remixed: Bay Area Urban Art + Culture Now [Brochure]. Retrieved 05/06/2009.  In the late 1980s, native rapper, MC Hammer, toured in Memphis and saw the dance in the crowd while performing. He began performing the Walk and the dance eventually caught in hometown to create a more rugged, less smoother version of the Walk. Many people consider Turf dancers as a recreation or a "knock off" of their own Gangsta Walking style.

Music videos featuring the Gangsta Walk

• Al Kapone - "Buckin' and Jookin'"
• Three 6 Mafia feat.Chamillionaire - "Dope Boy Fresh"
• Three 6 Mafia feat. Bow Wow & Project Pat - "Side 2 Side (remix)"
• Three 6 Mafia feat. Lil' Flip - "Ridin' Spinners"
• Project Pat - "Raised in the Projects"
• Da Volunteers feat.MJG - "Favorite Color"
• Huey feat T-Pain -"G5"
• Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi - "Tightrope"

References

1. ^ http://www.danceorigin.com/articles/other/history-of-the-gangster-walk.html

External links

• Memphis Jookin, Vol. 1 DVD: The History and Evolution of Gangsta Walking website
• Gangsta Walking the Movie Website
• Gangsta Walking the Movie trailer
• http://www.myspace.com/jaidakingproductions Jai Productions Music