In Part 4 of this four-part series, Cyber in Seattle is coming to an end, but the gateway to the world of break dance — and its bright future — is open.
I wandered around Seattle the day after the event. It was an overcast day, not quite an unusual occurrence in the area, but I couldn’t help but look at the city in a different way from the day I arrived.
Beyond the skyscrapers, statues, street lights, and bustling Seattle residents there was a sense of culture. There was an underground hip-hop scene waiting to be discovered. The banners were everywhere. Graffiti clad walls in the sides of the building, telephone booths, and support beams. A local museum with a notable exhibit dedicated to the history of this genre. It is an entire community in itself, hidden among the vast arts culture of this beautiful city.
TThere is no medium in existence that emphasizes the combination of community and individuality in the way this breakdown occurs.
As I strolled down the Seattle Center footpath, moments after taking a trip to the Space Needle for the first time, I encountered an experience that tied my entire weekend together. A father and son stood by a stereo, microphones in hand, and a donation container at their feet. The two were playing a series of homemade songs. There might have been two or three people standing around when she appeared, but whether there were three or 3,000 people looking on, their approach would have been the same. They were there to express themselves, spread the culture and most importantly have a good time. Father’s name was CZON. He has been playing music for about 15 years and only recently started rapping with his 10-year-old son Nico a few years ago.
As fate would have it, Nico was spoiling some key moves during the duo’s final song of the day. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was the culture, lifestyle, and society that I spent days learning about manifesting itself before my eyes. This was hip hop. This was broken. This was Seattle. CZON and Nicco had recently attended the cypher program where the famous Massive Monkees in Seattle were scheduled to perform. Before the event, Niko was able to practice some of his break in the dance circuit before he and his dad performed one of their songs.
From the underground hip-hop scene to the streets of Seattle, the impact of Breaking World is as broad as it is exceptional. There is no medium in existence that emphasizes the combination of community and individuality in the way this breakdown occurs. “It’s not what it is, it’s how it feels,” said Lee Tilson, one of cypher’s MCs. “It’s not what people see, it’s what they don’t see.”
There is a whole world of people blinded by the beauty and influence of this society. I was too before I opened my eyes this weekend. It’s pretty cliched, I know – such a metaphorical, erotic interpretation of a regional break-dance tournament. But don’t take my word for it, try it yourself.
Meltdown has always been a niche, but in the summer of 2024, a whole new audience will be exposed to this incredible mix of sports and art.
Their lives will never be the same again.
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