Reading Joseph G. Schloss’s Foundation, just like reading much of the other material for this course, made me feel extremely clueless. I thought I had a vague idea of what hip-hop was before I began this course, but every day I realize it is increasingly broader, more complex, and more contradictory than I ever expected. I never really understood what b-boying was before, or—gasp of disapproval—if I did, I believe I referred to it as “breakdancing.” But this book revealed my own ignorance to me.
Just a few of my thoughts and reflections while reading:
1. I really like what Schloss says in the introduction about how critiquing hip-hop is a form of battle. Hip-hop is all about earning respect through competition, so if someone is criticizing what you do—even in the academic world—it just fuels the fire to beat your opponent. This made me look at hip-hop criticism in a new light.
2. The entire premise of the book, encompassed in its title, is that b-boying is all about history—this “foundation,” which is a mystical set of notions passed from teacher to student. Schloss discusses how the history of hip-hop is so disputed and unreliable that it really has taken on mythical qualities; although b-boys and other hip-hop lovers cannot verify the traditions that they pass on, they become traditions nevertheless and are crucial to the form. The history constitutes itself, as in the b-boy “canon” of songs from the 1970s that are played over and over.
3. Schloss describes b-boy culture as a “meritocracy” in which dancers are judged based solely on their skills on the floor, without any preference to race, origin, or cultural identification. This seems like a very positive, liberating thing. But at the same time, Schloss also quotes several b-boys and b-girls discussing the role of authenticity in their art form. If someone learns b-boy moves in a studio, they say, and performs just as well on the floor as a true b-boy, he still hasn’t earned the title. If his motives are wrong, and if he doesn’t live within the culture, he cannot be a b-boy no matter how well he dances. I found this to be slightly contradictory.
4. Finally, I am embarrassed for ever having used the term “breakdancing” before. Although the word “b-boy” itself is disputed as far as meaning and origin goes, it is still an insider’s term. It just goes to show how prominent a role the media plays in shaping outsiders’ perceptions of hip-hop—I never would have compared “breakdancing” to the n-word. Luckily I have learned the error of my ways!
After studying yet another facet of hip-hop, I am also beginning to see how much of hip-hop really isn’t as exclusive ethnically as I originally thought. Just like with the MCs and graffiti writers, as long as you’re “real” in b-boying and give proper respect to those in hip-hop before you, you are generally accepted. It’s what makes hip-hop an ever-changing culture.
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