Transcription
Yo, thank you so much for your time, man. I know you're a celebrity now, so...
Oh man, I'm just, I'm just that's just regular. Okay, that's Explorer. I want to explore like who you are as Timothy Earl Solomon as well because, I mean, besides all your memes and all your posts on Instagram, I mean, like, who knows who, who you really are, right?
Yeah, exactly. So, wait, like, where's your setup right now? Is this like in your kitchen? You just always just chill in front of your... This is called an MPC. What is this?
Yeah, this is my, my MPC Live, you know, my mic, my keyboard controller, my monitors, my canvas, my turntable. Should have my head, a little mixer. So, yeah, you know, know what it's on the table. There's me and my son. He's not here, so. Okay. Some table. So I turned the table into, like, he also me slash podcasts and slash music things. I'm starting my own podcast.
Well, what this podcast be about?
Everything, you know. I'm gonna speak about from social to politics to, of course, dance history, you know, just these relationships. So all-inclusive, you know, just wherever what's on my mind for that date. I would definitely, you know, it's gonna be about, you know, dance, dance history, you know, by myself, you know, ask me guests come in everyone once in a while.
Or call it, "Yo, tell me about your experience being on tour with Omarion."
I'm not really on tour with Omarion. I was, I was hired along with two other people, Lincoln Ejo. We're the creative directors and choreographers of the show. And dining room, I want original dancers and correct. Versa for Marja back in the day. So we're not actually they have. We hired five other backup dancers. My son is one of the dancers. They have a guy named Jacob, Kaity, Kalani, and Torian. Three girls and two guys. So, so I'm just, do they say we just put the show together and and all that kind of stuff and then, yeah, I'm go. You know, it's like that, basically. Their third show coming up in New York.
How does that whole process unfold? Like, does that mean you just create like the general choreography, or you kind of, even after they do several shows, they come back to you and ask for advice?
Oh, no, no, no. I mean, you know, I mean, they, if they need it far as, you know, if they're on the road and and something needs to be changed, or, you know, that may, may happen differently on stage because we was in the studio. Stage definitely bigger. But, um, you know, but usually it's just we would create because it was a six weeks thing. It was a process of, you know, creating the moves and the concept of the of the show. So, you know, we had to do all the transitions, you know, getting the dancer in and off stage, getting, getting Omarion to places they needs to be at the time they need to be throughout the song. Directions. And also, it's definitely a process. This is my second, second time with him far as working with. Idea Millennium 2019 needed without B2K. So I was one of the choreographers on that one. He'll enlarge his fanbase. Is he like, I mean, I don't really, it's, you know, because since he just a B2K days, definitely a lot of these people been rocking with him since, you know, they were 15, you know, since he, 18 and Amy, you know, when he did his, his solo albums. And yeah, you know, he has a large fanbase. I know personally, he can be larger, and I think he will be much, much larger. But, you know, he definitely has a solid fanbase. He's a good guy, too. You know, me, all rockets. Versa, I work with him on private lessons was in 2008. Oh, we made back then. That's true. Okay, cool.
All right, yo, let's, let's talk about Poppin' Pete. Yeah. How did you even get that name? And because there's actually so different from your regular name, now that I really think about it.
Yeah, because my, my Peter Gunn was given to me when I was, my mom said I was two years old. There was a television show called Peter Gunn in the late '60s that, um, that a detective, white detective, he's come on and the theme song. And he said, my mom said, every time I heard that song come on, I would go to the, my little cap gun watch and just watching. Ashley, I just like two years ago, actually, from the federal, you looked it up and seemed like widow. So they just started calling me Peter Gunn. And when I was, you know, had a memory of that name, I was probably like six, seven, you know. And then my mom will call, you know, from outside playing and she, you know, Peter Gunn, in the house. Or, you know, we didn't clean up. And they name-drop. We dropped. Well, people stopped, stopped calling me Peter Gunn and started calling me Peter. Peter is the name the neighborhood called me. All my cousins, family, you know, they started calling Peter. Only people call me Timothy was the people basically I went to school with, you know, from schoolmates. They were calling me, you know, more Timothy and teachers. So by when I go back to the neighborhood, so when I got, so when I started at 16, when I started, you know, my brother started teaching me. Prior to that, everyone then, that from had these dance names. You know, I was like, wow, you know, taking Twisted Fate, done, you know, of course, Baloo Sam and all these different things. I'm like, dancing. And I was in, I was 16. So probably in tenth grade at the time. And I was in my biology class or something. And I was just going over, just trying to, you know, write names because how they, I started learning it, doing a style, popping, you know. So my brother, my little brother started doing ticking. So his name was, his name is Derek. We call him Becky. So he's pants name, too. Ticking Dick. And the E C K. So. And then, so I was writing all these names. No use my real name. Popped in tail, you know, I'm premieres, you know, life's erasing department. And then, and sister dance is, you know, especially it's pronounced popping. Out he was, you know, are seeing my name as pop in. People thought that was what the dance, how I pronounced it. But it's actually popping. And so, and when I was fine, all that didn't work. Pop in Timmy. And then I went to Roll pop and Peter, which sounded horrible. And I am, and I'm no one ever, ever called me P. Because you got me peek at when I was young. I got angry. Peter, Peter thought I was another Pete. So when I wrote Compton Pete, and said it, it just rolled off the tongue. Sorry. I came home from school. I went to my brother, Booboo Sam. I said, I got a name. I got a name. What's that? I said, I mean, Pete. He looked, he looked, he was making at the time. [Laughter] Poppin' Pete. Then thus, I said, I want to be fancy. So I started telling my name with one P. But it was P O P - in P E T E. Because because I started, I started telling people my name, my name means all the media. My name is the pop is in me. I wasn't inside a peep. So it was about how hard I could pop. So you had to pronounce my name, Poppin' Pete. So with me, but people can do it. So I kept saying, P. No, thanks. Poppin' Pete. Oh, Poppin' Pete. I say, I don't spell it P. Okay. Honey bears ball gonna Poppin' Pete. You know, then we're not taking in. Since nobody could actually perhaps the that concept of how I needed to sit. Started said, I'll forget it. Knocking Pete. So I just, I still drop the the P and the G or the extra P in the G. My name's became P or P I'm in P T. Which is just because it's called the promise in me. But has that spelling has nothing to do with the style. Style is pronounced poppin. So that's all I got. And then from this, from this point, I start calling me, you're not calling me probably Pete. And I just get kind of angry. All right, because they still look. Because Pete alone, I still wasn't used to Poppin' Pete. I'm cool. Pete. Just taking a few years for me to get used to people just saying, hello, Pete. My name is Peter. But Pete. But they said, what your name is? Dave's name is probably. Ya know, but you gotta say the whole name. You can just call me Pete. There's so many people that associate you in somewhat of a way like as the face of popping. That now that I know the history of your name, it's bruised up people's understanding of P O P P I N G. Yes, that even me. I was like, yo, why is there only because I like to do is fam. Like, why is there only one P? Oh, my god. That's because you can't add a dash. I mean, it's there now. Away because, you know, just I so wanted to see a lot of people's right over like 20 years ago. Graph idea with Heights and Anissa business. Too. Oh, you have a pocket P and P. Okay. Has since the birth of pop and P, like, has there have been like an internal, like a difference between your experience as Timothy and how you and Pete, like, did it come to a point where Pete just kind of overtook Timothy? Or like, no, tell me about that.
Yeah, I mean, I, I just even put up a video about that, you know, because a lot of people, you know, even like four or five years ago, people were shocked to know my name is Tim. I say from my name in class, Timothy Earl Solomon. A long way off, but I like to feel Solomon. So comfy, definitely taking over persona of that became, you know, they. And people started, you know, looking at me because of that. Oh, a name to people always a kind of celebrity, whatever this is. But me as Timothy, I lost, you know, and close. And then, but it's like, only shared by like, some of my again, older people on the school would've loved. They wasn't there. They was a use of the poverty that first day, right? I'm saying, you know, maybe like team. So, you know, for them, it's to say problem. Pete is weird for me, you know, 'cause they had been called.
So when did you like bloom? Like when, and when did you bloom? Like, was that it during high school?
Then no, I mean, yeah, I mean, after maybe a Soul Train 1979. You know, my name is giving around here's, you know, in the streets of Long Beach and Compton and all that. So people start hearing about me. So the name started proceeding, just, you know, getting out there. And people at that time, yeah. So you didn't, you didn't see the have a picture or anything with names or order. You know, somewhere there, you know, it's my, oh, this guy leasing property. I could be sitting next to the person. They can say my name. They with me. But they just started on, you know, circulating. Especially we in those days, you, you know, you made it or make your name made it out there. Being in a sense, or is when you, when it got outside of your neighborhood. But people start, you know, talking about you. Like I live, I never lived in Lausanne. All these personal to Long Beach. So when you start him, he was saying, no, he goes, so they say, oh, say my name. Tell, are you mean, it's not in your name. That's when you, you, you have, you know, surpassed the fact that you just so. And that's when we kind of start like, I've been, you know, some funny. And we do have a TV show to be equal. So we first started became a group, turning professional in that very same year. Because when we did Soul Train '79, I really only talking for seven months personally. But we have performed in other places. I mean, I was performing in other places. I mean, my hive stuff for months out there. Powers were host. You learn. I learned. Learn. I was to learning. It's just because we got out, put ourselves out there to since we got something. And no one had seen this, right? Then how do we do? So that's what the people gravitated towards us. Even though we, you know, Sam Hussain was the one who was actually more experienced. But we since we since there was no writing ability like us. Gotta pass.
May I ask you a, like, what, what did your family think about all this? Were they like, your mom and your dad, like, what was their reaction to this?
No, my pairs ability proud. I saw my father was our manager for body heat. You know, did you know, trying to get us things and you get us live gigs and back at rec centers or talent shows or whatever it is. My mom made our uniforms. She made two uniforms that we danced and so forth. Black and silver and Dana. Oh, okay.
What about now? What about jealousy? Was there anybody in your sphere that you felt, not a negative, but like, you know, I'm saying, it's like they, you, they weren't wholeheartedly supporting you? I don't know, you know, what I'm saying?
No, I mean, with me, family, friends, know everyone. Because everybody wanted to be a part of the journey, you know, because they look at us, you know, as this new, this new thing. And people were loving what we were doing. So we had, you know, the neighborhood, anybody supported us by greeting a week. A third one, our first shows. And then in Long Beach was at a high school, Connie, Connie Technical High School. If we wasn't going there, we just went through the city and say, we won as a bunch of balloons. This is right after Seoul. Popular neighborhood. And they granted us permission to perform. They, you know, they, we, they list, use it, the print shop, kind of the tickets in the old city of Long Beach. And, you know, they say, we use auditorium, high school, you know, at that time, you know, we, you know, so student body there's like me too. So pretty much nothing is sitting in the county net. I mean, our Tony was 2500. We sold out. Giving you this, you know, and get post used in either city. Made whole crew since the bus to someone in Sydney. The actual ticket. And I got put it up. Well, you know, my Facebook. So I had that. And sort of support. And there wasn't no other name, right? I believe people like that that was just jealous of the fact. But it's a much support of family and friends. And they will mean we were.
What was, um, so you talk about how popping was this introduction to this basically new world. What was that dance scene like at that time? Like, what styles are there? Like, walking, locking, woman, locking, move on him, and whacking. And in time of Southern California, okay? Northern California, of course, had strutting, Chinese robot things like that. Posing. All that come up with the Fresno. Because y'all were just from Fresno, California? Yes. Fresno. Actually, the name of the routine. Sam made every routine. Because we can performing, even we can say routine into the peanut butter into the sauce onto the song. We have our for at the time was gonna have four routines. Every one. So Fresno, for routine that was done by the regional truth from Fresno. C legend, legend. Mughals are not from Fresno. We're from moment. Electronic, electronic Booboo Rockers, which is Sam's original crew. Who formed which later we are. We just merged into electric. They, you know, that, you know, started pretty much started, started it all, you know, routines and stuff. So, and that's what I came from. So when Sam started teaching me how to pop in the from the foundation and the technique of it, he started teaching me the Fresno thing. So because it was showing me how to use my arms, my chest, my knees, my neck, which is students. Is the beginning of the routine formulated into a teaching technique. Because that's the way you can talk back. And they had the swing, all this stuff, you know, and they giving is the way it was, you know, so we just say that technique is because it's from me, from actual routine.
How did Boogaloo get into this? Like, he seems like he had a lot of influence.
Yeah, you know, from them, you know, him. We growing up, ain't no exam as much. We have the same father, different mother. So Sam always been, no, you know, the dance, one of the best dancers. Other siblings fight. So. But Sam was shot. You know, he was young. But he learned a lot of his stuff from his, his, his great aunts, grandmothers when he was young. And they, because they always have parties. He grew up around, you know, six, seven. You know, even, even myself as a, we had parties in black families. They, in those days, in mid-'60s. Sam's three years over me. So. So Sam was, you know, at least mid-'60s was nine, eight or nine. Okay. Oh, so here it is. That he's, you've seen on dance doing these creative dances, whether it be the jerk, the twist, a lot to see the breakdown, all these things. So Sam always happened. Is we're not weird, but it's strange. Only way he, how he moved, he danced. He only decent was an extra stuff. But, you know, he grown up, you know, you know, your dad, you know, he's one of the best dancers. So. So, and the whole thing about how the whole book fan, that hope ain't say got put upon him is because, and the rule is a original dance. Not what we do. Not what all it does. Is it's a dance that even back my ability to change. But I did it. And it was actually done by, it's called the Latin Boogaloo. Which is basically music. Is a music animals and dance that came out of New York, mid-'60s, early '60s to the mid-'60s. So, and also in when I reach down South, Arkansas, all that. They deemed it blue as also means to get down to customer. As we would say now. So when Sam was dancing, his the older, you know, the uncles and other was state, all Sam do that Boogaloo. Which me, he just doing getting busy. And so since then, saying Sam do the Boogaloo, Sam doing that Boogaloo, Sam, that's how I got his name. And then that's how the movement that he was doing started, just, you know, people started, you know, looking at that as the way he got out. 'Cause he, Sam, and say, that's just in his field. Then he was said, honest. Then that's just bull, bull. So that's how the way Sam moved, how we learn department, belongs to different things, you know. Poppin' is is contraction of the muscles. Hard, you know, contraction doing it with magnitude to music. Yeah. Change and level changing, you know, changing positions and and rhythms. And since, you know, you, 'cause it's a property. It's a singing and dance style. It's not the umbrella term for all styles. Just a single or. So that's been Boogaloo. Is that that more smooth isolating, you know, rolling. So these are the two styles that of creation that he came over, you know, despite what you know, people try to say. I know, no. And then, so, and these are the things that that he taken from other, enhanced. I think I was influenced by again, like I said, the church, the joy of the dance. That's why you can't. This week, the twist is kinda like how we do the Boogaloo feel. This is why you see she's doing all this. That's what you feel. So that's that cold, isolated movement. And the Evie femme. [ __ ] take most people. I don't know any people on there now. I grew. I thought there was an original amount of people that. And we, you know, we put people in it. And I, and you have to get a piece. You have to go. You have to know all styles that we do. And let go. Who do you have to know the history? Yeah, you know, gotta teach on ideology of what we do. And anybody, you know, in like that. But it's a lot of people. We got do you people rushing? Oh, yeah. Japan, Taiwan, America. Damn, you guys in United Nations. Yes, pretty much. That's the cool thing. You know, and, you know, and we don't know. And it did something that nice, cool, rabid. And kind of started talking about because we start going to Japan and stuff. Then we put Tetsu chattering on keep down years ago. Did just became fan, fan. And then we just put the baby family title. Which I think Wiggles actually came back. That titled it's cool.
I wanted to ask about Skeeter Rabbit. Like, yeah, what's this, what's his relationship to you? Is he, and how did he get into dance? Because, you know, just he was locking at first. Pocket and rule body, you know, you know, it's like one of the people that votes is, is you don't, you know, see. And you see him, they just doing the same thing he doing. So, and he just, he just started one. You know, I wanted to learn. I want to learn another how to pop him stuff. And then, you know, and actually, well, he wasn't that good. Like, all we just learned. And then quite often, total to ski because he'll actually locked very well. We stuff. So robot and all that. We said, somebody told him, a, you should stick to lucky for you. Just kept practicing, you know. But he didn't. He didn't become a full-fledged member. And still like '96. So because he had his own crew called Twilight. Twilight Lockers. And a locked and popped a little bit there. But, and then we fully became a member because we, it from night, from '78. We had other members. And he was just, you know, legal, just be around, you know, learning stuff like that. But, and I think the first time you get show, show to get well, none of me. Let me stop. Means, yeah, what full face. We was under the banner of legible. We did a show. I can '82. Okay. Then, yeah.
Guys, okay, cool. Okay, now I'm gonna dig a bit deeper into who you are. I always wanted to know about Booboo Sam, Skeeter Rabbit. So thank you for that. Um, all right. What is a single word which is enough to describe you as a person?
Passionate.
Oh, you'll actually love your shirt, by the way. Yo, come on. Why you gonna wear that shirt alone? Should have torn away, man. So, yeah, I definitely love it. Those tie-dyes, my favorite. Thanks.
Other than music and dance, what else are you passionate about?
Man, other music and dance, equal rights. It's for me. It's not about being a feminist. Not about being. It's just about being equal rights for everybody, man. You know, whoever, equal rights for for every, you know, whatever religion, creed, color, you know, whatever it is. I think, I mean, everybody should be, you know, treated equally. Especially equally on the fact of whatever you. Now, there's social equal. You know, me being in that situation, run somewhere people an accountant. And you, and your woman, and your man, you got the same degree with the school, you know, for the same things or whatever. She get paid the same. Actress, and you make blockbusters movies as well. It should pay. It paid accordingly. That's that, when I say equal, I don't, you know, and it equal means according to what your status, stature is. I mean, you know, if your movie, and you know, you should get it paid accordingly to data. And I mean, I don't mean just because you lead other guys at the movies. Yes, he should get paid more. But you're still should get paid in and that equal of holy war. And not cheapening you because because of your sex. I feel like this must have come up because you've seen a lot of unequalness. I mean, just been in the business that we've just been in, you know, around Hollywood. So see it. You see a lot. You know, to me, or just in a workforce, just, you know, the times that I've done my, what, 18 ray, hello, we get out and you just see it. You know, you see people, some people wanna be of the color, gotta work harder than it. I think this sexual orientation, you know, just, you know, I just know. I understand there's a status, status quo, you know. But at the same time, when it's blatant, but you know, I'm also like, I said, I'm down for empower women, power. I've got just down for equal, equal. Just be equal. Meaning you treat anybody with got their respect.
What do you think the goal should be for humanity?
And anybody respect each other, man. It's about, you know, stop the connect, you know, this, you know, oh, it's like, I'm better than you are more privileged. I, you know, my thing is, we all contributed to this, to this nation, this world. And it's just certain people, you know, it's, you know, me growing up, there's even people who were house calls, poor. I can't even coming up. And there was people that was even in, even in that status was talking about people who leave a team, slowly poorer than them. So. But, you know, you can put an extra piece of chicken on your plate. Should be better than this post. I hear what that is. Is, you know, you steal poor. Even poor people have us that is for some kind of, you know, unjust on evilness. It's crazy to me. Like, you know, as you look at it, just not rich to poor, middle class to this. It is no. All right. I didn't know. I didn't know middle class people. I didn't know rich people. I knew poor people that was in my neighborhood. Sometimes they were, we were acting like I knew better than that poor waiters. When we say Pope Wayne is polish. You wow, you can't get no new tuition. T.S. goes in. But, you know, it was his great sin. That any level. So that's why I say, I look at stuff. And I'm not a person who go, I don't always just look at the rich against before. Does America, this disenfranchised people, is whatever is going to be an Amy, a situation. You know, like I said, I only loop for people. Anything I wish. So anybody I knew him. But we all had, we all some. I don't, they do better than someone is saying. We are poor. That's all get together and just respect each other. Do where's my things? Everybody to respect each other. Then no, no matter, you know, the status of your money, your bank account, or the color of your skin or your religion.
Don't you find it interesting how being an artist, but also not just being famous, but reaching a sort of mastery can put you in a position where you're able to see this, like, able to see concepts like equality from like a third-person omniscient perspective? Like, that's though, isn't that the weird part though? Because you represent both, but the same time, you can even me too. You see individuals that are much more in their own groove. This is kind of what their life is. And so, like, let's just say, you know, if they're, if they are going through that, you know, that chicken thing, I can, they're kind of staying in that. It's almost like it's really sometimes it hurts me too. Because it's like, too much awareness. Because like you say, I wish there could be a quality too. But, you know, how can we achieve that? Yeah, after the Nestle Horace thing, because it's easy, this thing, you know, 58 now, to, you know, I just remember, you know, just growing up and and it's just seeing things and then going, and I wish this would change. The oceans would change. Yeah, there's a lot. I've changed, you know, I mean, of course, there's a change. Fast enough. Know that my changes not to change. It isn't even permanent. So, you know, that wish and wishful thinking. Yes, it's been, you know, when I taught you, you know, to among black people or black friends or whoever's like, you know, we all, we all got. I wish, I wish it's never. It's never that they might, you know, this is actually could happen, you know. No, me, some things have changed. But you're always like that. I wish is the Equality. Is it, is respect? There's a lot of different things that is still going on in 2020 that was in 1969, 1970, Bob, 1984. So I see it. I'm just like, you know, and got people. It's gonna change. I said, you know, it's a slow, it's slow in coming. But it always say, you know, you're strong. You know, you try to live your life as best as you can. And of the time that you have here. And you make the best of it. Because these are not. If it was to change, what's gonna happen? That equal. No one is no one is point fingers. As someone getting better. You bet. Everyone says, I see you on the same goal claim as, you know, as anyone. No questions. No one going. Yeah, you, you, you know, this patient Apollo. Say, I'm honestly surprised that's how eloquently you actually speak. Because like, sometimes I feel I thought you just had like this joker side to you. But when I, I sent this, like maturity and professionalism in the way that you carry yourself. And I feel like that comes from your, like, we stuff, like your wealth of experience.
You know the crazy thing is, yeah, I'm coming my twenties, I never stole. I always listened. Even I first started learning how days, the only history learning. I never was that kid in school that jumped up my raises here. But I was always the kid that listened to everything people say. I hold everybody accountable to what they say. And I won't repeat everything people say to me. Like, you know, like you say something to me, I go, you said no. Yes, you did. So I always tell people, you know, what would you speak to me? I'm gonna hold you to it. Okay? That's that's that's why, you know, now I speak to Pete. You talk. Yeah, I do. Because now I have knowledge. And I can, and I came under. I understand out of my processes of things is quicker. So I can, you know, so that's the, that's the reason. And ex-ante graduated high school. They go to college. No, that. So I'm agent. I was just a person who, who understood, you know, the power of words. And also the power listen people. Yes.
Well, that brings us to music. So you'll, this thing is on that you have in front of you, you know, yeah, be like some new leads. Do you ever even post your beats like you're gonna end up or anything?
I know, like, I know Angie. I'm gonna do. I'm going to put it out. I just, you know, peace beats, poppy. What my name is probity. No, papa beans. What I'm going to post up. I just, um, I just just travel in a lot. Not take this thing with me everywhere because not only is it, you know, it's also rechargeable. So I can, you know, I don't edit it. It go for for me for four or five hours without recharge. So so I can carry around like.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]
And I do like argue. No, I don't have a general idea. I just start finding the sounds. And I can actually put a whole song together. Well, but that's. I haven't done a complete song about 30 minutes. What? Yeah, because that because I'm, you know, and I just understand from. And what I want. They're not cooking about coming and tweaks. I'm not coming Brackins. Have a whole song. No, the idea of this song of complete 30, 30 to 45 minutes. Okay.
So we got, we got, we gotta educate everybody. You gotta educate me. So what is this machine that you have? What is it called?
Scarlet. A A chi. MPC Live. It is. And actually, I have. I have a first guy ever bought. Is NPCs. NPC 62. Okay. Number two. And I got that one back. And I was in the really late. I mean, the late '90s. I so. So they did is updated version of that. Which that one is Xin Jie's look across. It's huge. The big thing. But at the time, we thought was the best thing. And plus he used properties and all that. So the same principle. But I had to read Lerner. Had a film, you know, tutorials. And actually, my son also helped me learn how to use and reuse this. And so I just been. I'm in going and assist. So I mean, I was doing music and like in a teeth. I had my cousin had recordings to Daddy at his house. We had a little small recording studio. I was in a couple rap groups and recording there.
So what is the, how do you describe, what's the word to describe someone that uses this machine? You know, that you're not a DJ, you're not a, are you a producer?
I'm a BJ. Are you in, like, this really? That's called that's wrong. That's what I mean. That's what I tell people. I'm not. I mean, I can play. I can play by ear people stuff. Some stuff. But, you know, you take. You can. I can take samples. Or I can do a whole cooking sample. Just all sounds that. And plate. But it. But I always say, could you got beat makers? You got producers, musicians, DJs. I'm a BJ. I mean, I make beats. So I tell entire budget. So I said, I can plant. We landing before the coronavirus hitting's in China. I was talking to one of my friends who's gonna. She was like, no, she's saying any time you always play your music in the classroom. I Roxy music. See, why, why don't you use your machine to play at the battles? Yeah, and in host owes me. So I have a thing. I'm gonna. And I'm a podium hammer hot. Come on machine here. And it's me playing on the beat. Because always say, a lot of times people know abusing already. You have random music. People from NOAA surprise. People dance. Just me, you know, the, you know, the real people dancers for me that dance. Or any stuff that they'd never heard. That's how it is. I loved their some stuff. I've never heard. First time surprise. Let's go. That's why each time I go there. And they just so long now. I tell DJ, just play what you want to play. Dance to. So because I love. I love the surprise of the day. And I'm like, you know, if I'm not. I mean, am I right? The song they played it cool. But I know a lot of people listen to music. They know all the beats, all the hits, all the things that they know these songs. But especially battles. And then you got a call. What you called dense? I know DJ's designer DJs. Or the ones that would actually see a person. And they know an old song they like. And they they play that song for that person. They they they cater to to that. I, I, I love people just hear random songs. And I'm telling you, I've exposed a lot of people. When they don't know the music.
Have you ever been to a jam where the concept was like, the DJ for the whole battle, you had to use only fresh music that no one had ever heard?
I think that's only in the capability of someone that does beat jiaing. Or like, you could create like a whole set list, just like debut it for a battle. That would be the only way to truly make sure that that's what we. That's what no way. That's what I was saying. This for me, my friend with me. Oh, now fake. Because that, you know, you, you've got some DJs that will face some mixes that people may never heard. But most leading. And you know, they're gonna stick to was almost was the most popular. You know, stuff that they, that people are against. Nothing wrong. But at the same time, you want to channel. Are you, you know, channeling some money of their creativity. And they'd skills. Put on something that they don't know. I'm telling ya. Let's see. But that's because I come from the days of listening to radio. So radio, we would owe to them. Yes. So we, you know, at those times, they they play some, you know, they have unless. But when you don't know the listener, first, something for the first time. I'm like, I heard when I heard that. They heard a song. Dance floor. And it was like, you know, gone. All I heard the DJ, DJ say, Donna on radio said, got a new song coming up by this group called Roger Troutman's up. And when he came out of commercial, and me asking around, screen is this it? It was so permanently funky in the ear. And we took off. And it just, we do. But everybody back then that wasn't a proper song. Even create a song. As the popping summer. So it was a party song. And you played a song in a, in a 21-year-old club back in the day. Every about it just party to doing point. It's not popping or waving, tutting. All right, to it. Just became it. You know, became that later. Even though we started doing it off of that. But but those people didn't create that for us. We just turned it into that.
What are three musicians off the top of your head? This three really dope musicians, creators?
Creators? That's hard. See, look, that's why I think the word. But yeah, any other. I'll say, Joyce Clinton, Roger, Roger Troutman, and Bootsy Collins.
Okay, now I'm gonna ask you a funny question.
No.
What's that? What's that on your fridge?
Oh, oh, that's my, my niece drew that for me. When she, she said, there's a nice total. I put it up on high. Fiat. Nah, she was only, I think 11. Now she's like, almost 14. So now she was a teenager. And she said, why you have that on your refrigerator? And why you put it on? You know, so it's been a billion. Never, you know, I'm afraid it. I told him to frame it. And then will she get older and get married on me? Give it back to her. Okay. I'm still here. But if I'm still here, she's nothing. Get it back, you know, when she turned these, these 18 or 21. Because she's like, she think I'm don't know. I'm gonna get it. Nah, man. Somehow, like, you're one of the most active people I got. It actually doesn't make sense. At the same time, it's I feel like that's a good thing. But like, I don't know. I feel like it is. It's kind of cool.
No, no. You know, it's the thing about me. Is even into social media thing. When when the whole internet started, you know, yeah, cars got it. It was a '97, '98. This morning, internet has been out. But it wasn't to the public yet until like '97, '98. Now, first thing I got was Web TV. And you had a. And that's when AOL had just come out. All this stuff. And we were like, this out for people stay. You know, I ain't you gotta get a email. We were like, it was a mail once when it at me email. You know, and and for not nobody was saying they get like chronic mail. And we're going on electronic mail to email. Because you ask a lot of people nowadays, live generation. Do they don't know email? It doesn't know where to stand along the east. And so when we were, we when he first came out, this whole thing was for them. Matter of fact, someone had said to me, amen, I read something about you guys on the internet. And we said, and I remember this is 1997. We, what's it then? Clean it's a place where you know, so on a computer. And you know, like new days, computers were only for data. And all that stores. You know, we don't know. We go away. How did it get this? This is how, how pretty much naive we were. We like, how did he get all the information inside all those? You should me. So being what information is in the computer is inside. It's crazy though. For real. Yeah. Yeah. So, and, and I'm somebody printed it. Printed whatever it was about us out. We're going, what did he get this information about? Like, what is this from? My internet. I know the internet. We don't know what that is. So, and then that's when, you know, I got the Web TV. And song. But it was very limited. So just, it's just as I had been introduced to that. So that's why I'm so active now. Is a lot of people from my era who look at the internet, you know, back analysis, social media. We was like, we wouldn't call it. It was just, you own the internet. That was it. You know, some chat rules, internet, you know, when social media, we would call it. But, and it was just as, you know, for me now, just, you know, I tell people, if, if we had this back in the '70s and '80s, everything will be more expect us now. Because now, as people, you know, we're putting information. But that information, people, is you can't check. Or you hear about it all day. When we was doing this, now you got people who can start the history now. Because, and, and put it on. I mean, yeah, I got clips up. But think about all all the clips then. I that I had no camera phone. There was that I've seen and done. Like, there is so many battles that I've been. I was a part of or seen and witnessed. All that that's only here. You can't put. Until they get something. You plug into my head and visually see it. It's a lot of uh, a lot of memories of a lot of us that's just just here. You know, we should probably speak it. But it's almost like people hear this. All right, that's true or not. But we had can dispute. You see it.
But I love how like, because of that, that's one, that's one thing that I miss about like a century ago. Like me now, because it's that's the opposite. Man, with TikTok and everything. It's like, I mean, I went to like a Winter Festival. And there was a satellite show. And everyone was just kind of huddled inside. And I only saw like the lighter from their phones. It's like they weren't even there living the experience. And that's something like when it's in here. I just think that that's like something that's prices. That's like, yo, I'm not gonna sell my mom for like $10,000.
Tight. Yeah, I mean, I know kind of both Finny's and mopping is. Yeah, I get it. You know, when you go to, you know, when before you go to a club, when I was going to nightclubs and stuff, there was take pictures. But they not en ask me, wow, you can actually take pictures right now. Like, we had to take a Polaroid. You wouldn't bring in a Polaroid camera to the club. Gee, you guys looked at as the nerd. This year, why are you here? The big old Polaroid camera. You know, you may, you know, someone actually, because they did. They had to take pictures of you. And he was because that's the Instamatic thing. That was the incident. That was like our social media. Then instant that poets. Yeah. So right now, I'm more like, it's easier. You know, back, you know, when to say nobody overseas. And it was when I came up. No, we didn't. Nothing about what Japan or China or you need Mike. It was dawn of the dance. We need Harley. No, even in America. When New York was doing it on a special. Or someone come from New York. I say, this is what we don't know. Someone come from you. Go out there. This is what we're doing. Through some other thing. Is, you know, I, I get it. People, you know, wake up. I'm how wake up. I'm on my phone. But it doesn't stop me from from being engaged. And what I have to do, you know, I can't, you know, yeah, you can go. You can do a lot thing in the shop. Go shop. All that. But I don't think it makes any of us lazier. In a sense that may be convenient. It misses. I'm becoming a week. We the world been trying to find better ways to to do things more efficient. I agree. That's true. You know, especially coming up in my date. When you had the dial-up phones. And you had to, you know, use the rotary dial. And you, you trying to call your girlfriend's fast. And it's like, well, she got all, you know, it's nine, eight, seven, eight. You gotta be nice. By you can. You can even call 9-1-1 without somebody somewhere in the house.
Know, yo, yo, that's hilarious. All right, no joke. Okay, that's cool. Okay, but yo, okay, let's get back into it. Yeah, yeah. So, you, me, like this funky, crazy. No, this is okay. What is happiness? Oh, happiness is, happiness is doing nothing because I do, I do so much. And on everything I do, I mean, I enjoy. But happiness, this one, I don't, don't even, I mean it when I'm literally lying in bed watching television.
Oh man, okay. Being on the go as much as I am on plane, train, automobile, and going to these countries, different countries. Yes, lovely to see. Gonna place that I've only seen it in a book or, you know, or dreamed about. But that, you know, happiness is, you know, true happiness for me is not Tony. And I notice we do say, I love. See, there is something the love is the bubble of the dance. I love of teaching and love of sharing. Happiness is what I'm not doing. That's true. I'm so happy right now. Like I'm just kind of like, because then you get to reflect. Okay, you know, when you're moving, I'm in my class, I love what I'm teaching, I love what I'm doing, I'm doing it, I'm there, I'm in a physical situation. But I'm happiest. I got food, TV, sleep. Oh, yes, yes, that's my thing, you know. And family, of course. But TV, I love being, being lazy. Being no-no-no changing, being content. Being lazy is different than being. Yeah, it's true. Tim, I'm just like, it's important that you made that distinction because if you let it slip, it could have messed up your psyche. Exactly. You're right. You know, and I'm big into the psyche, so I'm more like, you know, this whole energy, the whole thing. So it's kind of like, you know, you can say something or do something and just, it just rearranges everything.
Will utilizing time properly make our lives meaningful and happy? Yeah, pretty much. I mean, because, I mean, yeah, I mean, definitely, you know. But in some days, and I don't, time, I don't care. Right? What am I doing today? Nothing. So I have, I wake up, then I go sleep. So time was, I'm not looking like I got you, you know, utilized. Right? But if I'm on a schedule, all right, you know, I, back when I was doing personal tomorrow, we had to be a no. So from 12 to 6 in that, and and after that, other thing, and then sleep, then go back. So it was a schedule. And are no, are like, our environments at that scale, like actually there, you organize. Like, does it actually starts at 12 and end at 6? Or is it like a little bit? Because sometimes you gonna dance jams. No, no, no. Nothing, nothing. Only things, pretty much. Throw some time is the movie. That's true. Because, you know, they say movies start at 12:20, but they not. They know. Now we know days of previews and commercials on. And so it doesn't stay for 20 minutes later. So basically, now you can get to the movie 20 minutes it starts. So there's no space. Just say, I think the movies since a priest are pre, you know, actual start. Is this the pre? So now, you know, I can get here at the utilize my time. So I really have the rush. They go, we good. They got my 2015, 15. Count that out as much. 20 minutes. So there needs to be a category for this type of knowledge. Cuz there's a lot of random [ __ ] that everybody like deals with. But like, I don't know, is it street sports? I don't know what it's called. Nothing. I make it make sense. That's all I'm saying. This is me. This is me listening to just being observed. Two things I pay attention. I well, not Miss Kier ever say this. There are some people who surpise dwell. Look at stuff. Surprise. We dumpster die. We rule. So we, the word dwell is a good word to. Because you will like involves like sustenance in time. Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah, exactly. And because there's a thing where a lot of us won't read the fine print. Because I got, I got no. You know, like, I can't. I didn't see the what you really mean. I can see the undercurrent. I can see, okay, that's the hidden subliminal. But you think, but I understand what you're trying to do. So never get screwed over by something like that. In a weird way. Mmm. Okay. And let me stop. I say no. Because no, then because I was naive. I only. But mine. But I recognized me being naive. I'm naive once. And then then I conformed to in vain. You cannot. You cannot do me. Kavya. Oh, it's no. This is simple. No. Oh, I see you coming. Oh my god. Tell me more. I can see. I see you come. You're like a window to me. I see y'all. You're so clean. Just see into your soul. I know what you about. I know what you're trying to do. You know, that's why people can't get over me on business. Okay. People go, hey, ya know, do we really know? Yeah. But if you do, what's our one piece of business advice you can give for us, man? Always say whatever you, especially, you know, I go this a lot. Whatever you negotiate. Far as like, some people, you know, just find out somebody's getting paid. Love it. Morning it, man. That's who you mad at. Because see, did you, or did you negotiate with the same organizer that I negotiate with? They said, yeah. Were you in my under go? Jay said, no. So you asked for what you asked for, right? So know your worth. Know your work. Will stick to what it is. Do it. And even if you find out somebody got a little hard, doesn't mean you're worth less. You worried. You say you are. So people, but people tend to to look at that and, oh, I didn't get. But you negotiate that. So who you be mad, man? He managed yourself. Say you a poor negotiator. Then you. But I tell you, you're not a poor negotiator. She just, you know, what your work. That's what you feel. I'm not knocking you because you said you only want this amount. But this person got this amount. Ain't got nothing to do with it. There's no scale. And if there's a scale and it organized away, don't tell that other person. It's different. Okay. Somebody you premise that dough. True. Yeah. Know your work, man. And know your work is knowing you. Not knowing anybody else's. They'll spot you.
Where does self-worth come from, man? With this, you know, self is just, I pretty much like, how, you know, how you think of yourself. If you think you're a good person, do you think you're an okay person? I mean, self-worth, it's like, what, how, how much have you put in to to to you and what you feel? You know, you know, you know, these new hours into this. Some people go, well, because you've been around for 42 years, so you know, you know. Know, there's people. It has nothing to do as people who came, who have been in the business, became popular, famous, and gained ten times more than I asked for. Yes. Not so self-worth. And there's this thing, you know, balance. What you have to understand, there's is popularity work. Then there's someone said, don't treat me like [ __ ] you know, I'm right. I'm so. So you got to understand, there is some worth is you, my you respecting who I am or respecting the value of who I am versus the business part. I, you know, and go on, get to say. So self-worth is, is it fluctuates or it changes within the realm of what you write, you place yourself. Self-worth, you know, so I wanna see, you know, you ain't no. I'm this is who I am. I'm way better than what you think I am as a person. So I'm gonna say when out, business-wise, I gonna get is this. Yeah, this is my, where I am. Self-worth. And I may be treading into dangerous territory here. So you can tell me if you don't want to want this. Indian, whatever, anything. If I don't, if I don't answer, that means I just, what it is. I feel like when we talk about self-worth, this makes me think about the very, like prominent and recent phenomenon with fiction versus Jay Hawk. I don't even know. What are your thoughts on it? I don't know. Like, I'm in that. The battle is tomorrow. We're not going, not about. Because for me, I don't mean, you know, not wrote it. I don't need no one to battle for me. I don't know. You don't need to. You know, I've been dissed. I've been talked about. I've been said this. And many people said, man, let me bow, man. So, yeah. So dance. It's not to the death. This is not gonna war. This is not Big Brother, little brother. This is about dance. And if you calling out someone, Nairobi, Carl, Carl, Chinese legends, everybody, it's acceptable for the gate down in the help. So I don't care about all that. You know, but my thing is, I don't, I don't, I don't need no one to fight my battles. She danced my battles. And I'm not offended by someone calling out. Some, I call that Boogaloo Sam. You don't step up. You know, step up. Yeah, that's my thing. Is I don't, I don't get that corn. I don't get. Because you deem a person not in the, you know, in the street dance, you know, whatever stuff like he can't call out a person. Person. So I don't, that all. And it, for me, is simple. And again, I don't understand all the rigmarole, all that yippity yappity geeky yak, all posts, all the long means and daughters. If fiction called out, called out Flat Top, Flat Top, Ethan has either step up or don't step up. But in any, everybody else to jump in, go, man, now, oh, he dissed him, he, you know, he's a legend. But I got to do with anything. Yeah, it's called a call-out. We are all still dancers. No one is above the ass-kicking or giving that kicking. So man, from, I'm cut from a whole different thing. I battled about on my whole son five times. Wasn't nothing about he's my son. It's just, I Sam told me to respect the dance. I don't have to respect you in the sense of because you got a status. Meaning I'm not. There's a thing about dissing and things about I'm respecting the dance. You're, you're just a person that's doing the same thing I do. But I have to make sure that the dance that I'm doing is on a respectable level. That means I got step up to the plate of doing what I need to do. Because the dance that I was taught, then I have to do that. And I don't need anyone to step up for me. Cuz I'm a loser. My own married. Uh-huh. Cuz this, this battle for me doesn't, what does it do? It doesn't do anything. Uh, Flat Top putting his skills against Homeboy. Yeah. Does it do? He's out of the woodworks now. He got called out. Day by day. He, he got called out. Yeah. Step up with those. Step up. That's already. It's time. Once back in a day, Scooby-Doo. He, we never do. I don't get this. I don't get this. This, this, you know, this arrow and this arrow. You know, I'm not saying anyone. And I mean, of my freakin that works with me. That's why it's important for me to ask these questions. Because I'm in that era. And all the people surrounding me are in that era. So if I don't talk to people that aren't in this era, how can I, you know, approach something from a more? Are they step back from the situation? Right? Cuz now it's just like, anywhere I go, it's just too. And I have to form an opinion on it. But I agree with you. If it's, it's kind of like their opinion. This is not even though it's not even a. It's about, oh, he called him out. Yeah. Did they battle? No. Okay. Sorry. Next bill. Next. Listen about trying to figure out what, you know, well, how can fiction do this? Okay. And J-Rock do this. How can [ __ ] Mr. Diddy step up? No. Did they battle? No. Cool. Until someone else. If you don't call, if I'm a call someone, let me call you out on my, my, my thing against you. Because I have something guess you. Not to generate it through something else. Yeah. How do we, you know, see, see, would you watch it? You better have a fight with someone else. They back down. And then you turn around, pick a fight with somebody. Sickness. And they have nothing to do with anything. Just like, oh, you know what? A fight. Do you like you want to find me? We don't fight now. But I have nothing to do with it. I'm just a spectator. I don't carry this. He bag down with it. Has nothing to do with the tea in China. I don't know why I since always that way. Tea in China. Teas and teas in Europe. I don't know. Like tea in China. But anyway, so it's right. This is like, I'm not interested. I'm not interested. This is not a thing that, you know, you know. And this, for me, just became an exhibition. It became the vs. Like when we, we did it. Like we just sleep. You had a club at school. Let's go. You know, I get called out many times. Do I do social media? Do my inbox to me? They inbox me and say, I want to battle you. And I write them. This is easy. He even. I don't know if I'm more open. A feel Figueiredo. Okay. When you, when you, if you ever, if we ever crossed paths, but we can do that. Other than that, this is, this is you made your introduction. They have. We have no other thing to say. I'm not. I'm not writing no no bunch of [ __ ] goddamn alone posts about nothing. And I'm not going to talk about a person in saying what they don't do, how they don't do, they real, they this thing, that being this thing. Back then, while you battle in this, that's my question. It should be battle. Yeah. I'm gonna battle you on that. Okay. Cool. Cool. That's how simple it it has to be. But we hope we got a, we got a make a story, story line about every damn thing.
Dance, yo. Popping P, what was your, what was your most interesting battle? Like in one of your Rogers, dude named Tony Hall. Tony Hall was, I think I, we were both, he was 15 at the, I was 16. And we, we finished now to this pain. And we battling at a, in Long Beach at, oh, at the recreational youth center called the Hutch. And he had had a party. And he called me out. And we, this isn't like, it's MEA. This isn't just in the, you know, me young. And maybe a couple months before he started, he star seeing us and learning and doing stuff. You know, he's one of the battle. And, uh, and I think we went three songs, you know, going back and forth. And then we stopped. Some people say he was, I'm you say I want something over time. Well, but then we battled again a couple months later. Because the back in those days, when you battle someone and you lost, or if you want, if you lost, you go home and you practice that person again. Oh, it's all. Oh, my god. That's that's how I was. When when I seen him at the next, you know, a year later and sign up for just the blue or or something. It was. I see him on streets. You know, I maybe give at that time, you know, goes next. But you go home, you go to practice. And you, you see what you didn't do. Or you see with a beard. You try to counter it and think about it. That's what I did. So I saw him a couple of months later at his jeans. And I had this. When I was only doing a copy. Then I started learning how to Boogaloo, Toyman style, all these other styles. And I just, we got here at his school at the homecoming day. And it was a big circle. It's the first time I heard some aqua boogie. Part of it. And I, long, I went so. And he went. And then I went pop. And then he went. And I came out blue stuff and rose and Toyman. He was like, he be stop. You say you want. Okay. So, hmm. Oh, it's my mind. But I want to ask. So like, now that so much has changed with like, how the battling perception has like, in the past. Do you think that this taints? Like, I don't wanna use the word taints, but this changes the culture of what Google ooh Sam or what it originally was. So would you like to see it like sustained? Or yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean, there's things that that's progression of change is going to happen. But even how we again, call out, you know, again, let me just me reiterate. I'm not mad that J-Rock called Fiction out. I just said on the fact that, you know, he, Flat Top didn't really need him to do that. In a sense, there's here we have some free thing that he, he'll and Fiction has some kind of friction. Then maybe that came out. And that's what I'm soaring back in. When we coming up, it was, you know, the callouts was the best. The unexpected call-outs. Those is the best. You walking in a mall and calling crowd. You, you had a new drug. It's time that we're driving down the street and people drive up on a sign of us. Know who they are. They dance. Hey, this battle. And we're gonna say, seaweed. It's a battle in California. A day in the night. And the seventies in age. We say, get down or get go against or you want to dance against me? Valentin. Oh, okay. From New York. So we, when we heard start hearing that, when I first heard that word, I'm like, putting a battle. They fightin' or lose this war? I didn't know. He was like, can we, you know, then we felt almost the same. You saying, go against dance against. What's New York's history with poppin? Like, how'd it? Cuz you know, you mentioned it. It seems like it was first. Was it so California? It wasn't from California. Long Beach. Long Beach. I don't know. This is Fresno. Fresno, you know, of all places. Like you had Oakland hair and Bay as straightening change, robot clicking polls in a lot of different dates. We had prop in a nail grant, Boogaloo, true. And we have the news, just the worst. The same. Were different approach, different evolution. But for me, was it was from the Bay to Fresno. Fresno to bail. Harvey, you want? How did it spread to New York? We also did a lot of people. People, some people came out of New York to from New York to LA. LA to to the East Coast. Of West Coast. It, you know, however. Okay. That's how I was ready. But when you know, and then you know, you see some stuff here and there. He was telling me that you will see that the Soul Train. When we saw the Soul Train show, was the one that gave her a bigger introduction to what the West Coast was doing. Kalea. Now, Mr. Freeze orders from many people that live was there in their times. Even though they were young, everybody will say he was in school or preach or maybe junior. He's illegal at school on Monday. Said he didn't get to see them or me. You saw everybody talking about it. Don't look good. Because I, you know, I'm met, you know, by dancers and their parents who seen us also who were who were 17, 18, my age. And and they say, yeah, I, it's so funny because the people that, you know, that theory that their kids are now being taught by is the same people that they were watched us on TV. So it was like, so the whole thing is like, New York, they saw it. But they again, not understanding what it was. So everyone had an interpretation. Because there was no snow schools. There was no teaching. So you see something for the first time. You remember there was background. There was no, there was no reruns. There was no repeats. There was no, none of that. So once you saw us that one on any television, I don't care who it was on. You're dancing on these things. You, you try to remember. And that's why I called, I'll call the arrow before, you know, social media or before the internet came. Was I think this is how you do it error. Because you, you will see somebody on their live. You go home. This what they doing. That's what people did for like this. So I thought it would be neat error. So which was in turn turned a lot of things of the foundation incorrect information started being going out, flooding out. Because everybody had their interpretation. Up with Facebook. Then we saw. Then they hear a name, Lexi Boogaloo. And that's they something became Electric Boogie. Then they became problem. All these things were no people, um, you know, didn't know. So because it was, I think era. And because again, now you can put information. People, oh, yeah, can you see if you read it and it's over and over somebody said. And even now, it's more confusing now. Because you, the building offered that whole thing where the East Coast was and their interpretation of what they saw. As well as, I mean, a lot of other, lis Midwest, down south. So it's time, a lot of, you know, different, different elements or things that had changed. And their narrative of what we thought originally.
You've traveled a lot, obviously. You travel all the time. So, hmm, I'm curious about your experiences with different dance cultures. Like, at first, when you like, can you tell me about like, the first time you started like doing international traveling as opposed to now? Now that you're a seasoned traveler, they're like, what do you expect? Like, what excites you? What was your pan? Japan was the first place where that bad with the movie Breaking Day. We did a promo tour in Japan, '84. Owners, they, they released what ain't no kind of in '84. Cause a star, they released the movie internationally. Like the, we came out May '84 in America. I think this came in August in an essay. It dropped like a July, August. And so long, we're gonna do from to. Oh, that's my first time. I mean, you know, international. Go on Australia, corner, Mexico City, going to Hong Kong, Japan. And that, it was, you know, it was a truck. Because you bring in something that they hadn't seen before. And now I'm even watching the movie. And you know, accident wasn't out me doing this promo. And then they talk to you. It was just, you know, just, it's crazy. And then '85, being skinned rabbit went back to Japan to perform in clubs and stuff. So not knowing the language, not even. And then though they really teach it. It was no class. There was nothing. We were just in the nightclub. And anybody, suite 180, know what? Just sees in the club. And then you won't see these people. By anybody party all night. So you don't see if he put into the next video. The club. Like it wasn't a hangout spot. Was that you only seen us get out on a clock within either we doing something a daytime tag. Nothing to do. We are playing arcades or shopping or exploring in Japan. But there was like party now. Like so, you know, it's just the language difference. You know, and again, they really, they just dance. And then, you know, you tell them that year, we danced on a movie stand. Back then, you got Mr. Fraim. So just, you know. And then aim at this time, China hadn't had not developed yet. And this is again, '85. Korea hasn't been developed. Because we used to go to Korea because we used who's dead in Japan for like six months. But you know, three minutes, you gonna leave out. We go Korea. And for one day, come back to step. But we go there later. We go to club. You know, you see when they're trying to do it. But Koreans, yeah, it wasn't no, no, not one in 1984, '85, '86. '86 already danced. And they started kid start being talked into like '90, maybe '93, '94. Because that's when it, you know, us one, oh, she has Japan OGs with our teaching. That's why I got a Korean OGs. So yeah, it was a, you know, to see. I've seen countries develop. Not people. Countries that then wasn't, wasn't bull under lock. And we learn it. Sure. Not to be, you know, powerhouses. That China was not ski travel. Was the first foreigner to go teach in in China. He D style. He first was he talked to super Dino. Was his first. You so yo horse. Some like Japanese OGs. I'm Ashley gonna. I think I'm probably gonna move to Japan in June. Mmm. Japanese OGs. No tattoo. Yes. Yeah. The second January. No, you got what a key name came up. That's you know, they've been around. But they was, you know, kinda was like young. My Tetsu is the OG to them. Cuz he, I met kitchen when he was 16. Now 26. Tester just turned 50. So I'm annoyed with each other. So, you know, I mean, pretty much those in his cup. A lot of lot of people. Yes. And stop dancing. No. I wanted to ask you about that. How do you feel about that? Is that, it's just people that you've seen devote so much of their time, of their life, or even their identity, but then they just kind of, it just kind of disappears or they disappear? Well, yeah, because, you know, I mean, for one, you gotta make a living at it too. You can do it for the love of it and still, what you gotta. Because it's like when I first started, let me know. Do you remember? We were, we were young. Was 15, 14, 17, 18, you know, years old. We was kids trying to dance for the dance. At that moment, was a dance at the moment. It was a trend. It was just happening. I'm thinking, was a hobby to people. No one, no one saw the future. I mean, in assists, we saw the future. In a sense, because I was like, you know, I made a career out of it. Not people. Once made a a a trained out of it. It was a trend to them. Now they come back. They see now popular. They became sustained. And I'm the ski Robinson yogi. Were sustaining. Maybe, you know, put it out there. Going in these other countries. Because it wasn't for. When I say this, but all seriousness, if it wasn't for the international market of us going there and then people saying international advantage doing this thing that's trading in America, competent rocket breaking, our stuff would be dead. That's why it's kind of crazy. That's like, I think that you already know. But it may be understated how much of an impact you actually created. Like the fact that even in Canada, like we have a lot of Japanese people come to study English, etc. But a lot of the people are dancers. And they kind of like get together at this university called Ryerson. Just something so specific like that. It's because of that popularization. Yeah. It's weird. I don't even know. We planted the seed. And it's in. And but I haven't often tell my American dancers who sometime will really cute. Before the international market, they don't know. They die. That I'm saying, if it wasn't for them, I said, and this goes and Robbie. We don't understand a lot. Even in, even in singing and all that. A lot of artists go international, go over there, get popular, then he comes back here. They become more popular. It happened like that with the dancing. Because you go and talk to young, young generation in China. And you got kids. I was at a studio where it was. I talk nothing but kids from four years old up to 13, 13, 14 years old. And if people, this is what they, they know. Is I want to know how to pop, Boogaloo, tuck, look, all the stuff. This is their social dance. This is what they grew up on. Nope. Yes. So when you look at it like that, you're going, this, this is what this isn't where the discomfort. But these people embrace it more than the young generation here in America. Because here, we in America, is social dance. It's not competent. Like, and in all that stuff that is for them. That's this. That's Odessa. That's that old school. On that states before them. That is now. So, but if it wasn't for Japan, it wasn't for Europe. This dance in America wouldn't be on the level. We wouldn't be having contests. Because all, all the events started overseas. We wasn't having that night. That it was formed over there. Then people start former stuff here and there. Whether you know, they went to Canada. Canada hat, you know, early make a sandwich to Calgary. And in like an '84. I went, went there. Vancouver. So a lot of things that we done. But we don't get the credit for us. I don't want bragging about it. How do we go? Yeah, what be y'all would be doing this? But I don't appreciate some time when I hear a lot of my American dancers or bitter sometimes talk about the international market. Might be. They don't know that you wouldn't even be. You wouldn't even be talking about this whole thing. It wasn't for them embracing and making it, making it put it on a platform where people want to do it. I, you know, some of the biggest events are from overseas. Just about. And all these other be started. They're doing American dances. So that should be for me. You should, as an American dancer, you should feel proud. Whether you, you should be getting over. While we're influenced. And even if you didn't directly, you say indirectly, I'm American. I do this dance. And we all this, you know, I would even. I don't even brag about that. But a lot of people don't want to do that. Cuz they so stuck on us against them. Yeah, that's when we talk about equality. And that's also one of the things you got to include, man. Huh? Dude. Okay. They mop mop buried by the die.
How important is failure to success? We got to you right now. Yeah, I mean, you know, I think that, oh, I guess that no stigma. No, I'm saying, you know, no success. He failed. I don't know. I mean, maybe. Well, who wants to fail? There was a teaching thing too, I guess. I mean, I know. I know listening to that statement or kind of like how I am. I, you know, failure is the worst thing. I, yeah. And and sometimes failure can make a person not want to succeed. Because you gonna fail and it's, it hurts. Like, you know, and you get discouraged. And you, but, but I think, I mean, on the other hand, yes, you know, you gotta go to, gotta go to the I will do the fire. Yes, yes. But I don't like to fail. Oh, man. That's that's the thing. I just. But I know if failure is a part of thing. Because anyone not gonna be successful, you know, achieve the goals that we set for ourselves. It's about kind of like, you know, I guess if I think I'm a bility to get up from a failure. Whether you getting up and trying to do the same thing. Or if you just get up drunk. And maybe say, well, that didn't work. And that's the thing also about something about about failure into success. Is about how, how often are you going to keep trying something that you feel that? And that's that's that's the thing. Laughter. You know, I'm gonna try to get him. Try it again. They need go. Let me readjust. Me. Maybe that's not for me. Maybe I should go this way. You know, sometimes like that. You know, saying cuz a lot of people. I have a lot of friends who failed at dancing. But became very successful. And on the other side of the camera, on the other side of the business. They was dancers. And they made it happen like that. Now actually make more money. Know what they do now. That still has something to do with entertainment. Then they did doing dancing. So he failed at dancing. With that recorded image. Okay. What if I do this? I'm gonna manage me. So now, now this person is managing NBA, NFL player. You know, and he was a field at dancing. He he stopped dancing. He went as far as he could. Same band. And isn't. But I've seen people just off or didn't dance. When for them. And when just when it is on. So then they became teachers. And dissidents. At what point is too much hardship? Asked that that to myself. So many times. Like how much? But will you let it? Like never rate training for most centers. Pepper this lie. Because the thing about it, man. No, there were. I say passion. Some kind of passion. Really makes you, you know, stick to something that you know, you know, like, okay. And no distance. They say it's a kind of a fine constant thing. That even myself. So because some days is good. Some days are not. Some years, okay. Sometimes, you know, silver. I'm still hustle.
So how do you feel about art? What is art to you? Art, hmm. Make it, uh, I don't know. I guess it's something that has that's important to others. Because I don't know. Because the interpretation of art, tan painting, painting art, art isn't Jesus. You know, interpretation. But I think it's also mean like, what's how you, you know, you want to present what you do. Like, you know, even what popping over the so many years. You know, people in the class, whatever, look down on us. Like, oh, yeah, what you are doing is just time. Has no structure. Has no. There's no, you know, you correctly am or any of that. But it does. And I think that's the part where in what we do. This is why I do say what I do is this art. Is artful. Has has some, you know, the structure. You know, I think that's what it is. It's just, you know, me having to of had or had many debates and arguments with people in the classical world that shunned or looked at me like, like, really? I said, here's is this. This is how much art we have. They say, no. Cos our city has culture. Is or no. Check this on. This is called a walk out. It has made. It has what you to do this. It has. So that's the foundation. You know, has name. I think your, your thing called the, the hundred a summer. So that you, you can even teach it in. And in a school or whatever. I can do the same. So it's not like this closed read. And so I sometimes hate when people just say, oh, you know, people can do anything. That structure to. And in. And things that I do. That we do. So I think, yes, if art is, I guess these things that are that they kind of like just, you know, the it's important. Me. Okay. It has important components to to to a culture making. You know, people look at it or or read about it or do it. Has just a, has a universal community cultural field workers do it. I don't know how the hell you answer that question to be honest. But they, I just ask questions and listen.
What benefits does art provide society? Does art hurt society in any way? [Music] Was a little interpretation of it. I mean, you know, you could have naked negativity in the sense of what, what it was, what it was born under. You know, what it represents. You know, but I think anything that makes people feel good, it's beautiful. That has, especially for me, it was about self-gratification. It was about Sam. How I like when I saw him dance, how it made me feel. When I was like, this is beautiful. This is amazing. This is, you know, so, so I wanted to, I want to have the same feeling. So this for me, that encompass that, you know, that whole situation where it's about, it's about an inner. It's about that inner. And how you, that's why I came. What about that Sadie? Respecting the dance. But also, is how you, you give it. You know, and and then I teach anybody. Nor teach with would love. Teach these advance. That you see it in in the eyes, my body, and my brothers and I. And everything I do is its artful. It has to be tested.
How can, how can others respect dance and give back to everyone? That's how they do. Not say give. How can we give back to our funk gods? Oh, gods. I mean, we all just dancers. You know, I'm like this. We are. I started out just like anyone else. And people, I'm not doing any other than me being on television, maybe a movie, me being in a situation where, you know, because there are people who came up behind me. Even young. And me are just as popular. You saw the, the thing is, it's a continuous. We all, we all cogs in the machine. You know, ya know, we might add. They thing. We all keep rolling. We all keep growing. We all keep, you know, keep the wheel, you know, machine oiled and functioning. So I understand this whole popularity, whole famous thing. I get it. So every, whatever. But my whole thing is, it's just for me, it's just passing on the gratitude and in the humbleness of the dance. Yes. A lot of lot of people get caught up into the, okay, now popular. Knockin act, you know, out versus saying, how did I get here? How did I was that? Was it be just walking down the street? And so I said, oh my god, like, you could dance. No, is it because the dance that gave you identity? Gave you your identity? So this is where you have to say, without this, then I'm not. I'm not known in the dance world. So the dance is the most important thing. That dancer, which got you to where you are. As me being talking Pete. No song. So being so, so this person made that person. So my thing is, you have to stay humble. Humble to the facts. So you pass that along. And you know, skill set is skill set. These people saying, I want love the way sauce or dance. I like the way he danced. Gonna be there. Who cares? But it's tough. It's the humbleness that we should be passing along. Though. Since we got back to the whole respect about, you know, I respect who you are. Oh, you're not as popular as me. I still respect you. So that's that's how that's how I am. I just respect people on the fact that they don't dance. That I fell in love with. I respect you, man. I can't believe. Yeah, man. I don't want to sound like a fan. We as friends. I have friends. I understand man base stuff. But um, I treat everybody as such. You know, something I feel weird still autographing. Could you say it happens all the time? Yeah, it's weird. And you're, and then you're just like, nah, I'm humble. But then the prison like, fight dudes like, but if you say, they'd say, oh, now you're Deva. So wow. So like, oh my god. But in myself, I'm going, I get it. But it's we actually. I've never. All of celebrities, people, artists I've worked with. I've never had a personal autograph. Never asked. So I know. Don't believe me. I get it. I truly did see some my own TV everyday music, you know, in his system, singing, dancing, acting. But, you know, the people around here, just pleasure men like that make system. But you, no one looks at the doctor. You just say 20 people. And one get his autograph. Right? That's that big. You know, because this is my heart. Yeah, just doing you. Doing it. The really important work. We don't get abused. A singing doctor. Because I can say it's like, like the, the actor, the fate actor. Doctors didn't get, you know, get all the paint them. It's no love. Eighth anatomy, dude. Oh, that's high. But that's how society is. You know, because we, you know, entertainment and seeing entertainers takes us into a fantasy world. As I say, I still feel weird. And because you picture, okay, you know, it's not the fun. Like still. And then there's a lineup. And you're like, yeah, this is fine. Last week. Too. Yeah, yeah. But okay, I want to ask you one last question. Okay. Good. Yeah. We got one last question to guys about if you could teach everyone in the world one concept, one, what concept would you share? The ability to dance on beat. Thank you. Let's see. Dance on beat. That is one of my pet peeves. Serve. I don't care how many times you can learn all the foundation. You know, all the moves. But they not only to me. And they're just like, someone singing in a band. Cannot sing. The bass sounds great. But the singing is all key. So what is terrible? Ladies and gentlemen, we have Poppin' P. Everyone goblet. [Music]