Batch The Founding Father Documentary

1. FRONI: BATCH THE FOUNDIf{G FATI{ER OF TBBTBG
FAHRENHEIT-7sTHE BRONX BOYS-/BRONX GIRLS
ROCKING CREW.
PRESENTATION: THE FACTS ABOUT HIP-HOP AND OF THE DAI{CE ART
FORM OF ROCKING.
Much love and respects to all our beloved brothers and sisters of our Hip-Hop and Rocking
culture. My respect and uplifting blessings goes out to each and every single one of you out there
representing TBBTBG FH-75 and The Bronx Boys Bronx Girls Rocking Crew. Much respect to
Aby, (Legendary Dee Jay) Johnny Juice, Stud, and Kid Prime. For they are our driving force that
keeps TBBTBG global family intact with remarkable energy that's
full of Peace and love. My love
and respect also is directed toward my special and loving sister Queen N-Soul where ever you may
remain at in this present time, you are thought of and appreciated . .
.
There are rnany different opinions and different stories out there about the history of the
Hip-Hop culture and of the Dance Art Form of Rocking ("Rocking", which became known as Break
Dance in the beginning of the early 1980s) This have been going on for many years now. The fact
is that, through out the many years of the Hip-Hop and Rocking culture many fairy tale-story tellers
have been involved in the history of the culture. Individuals that really never had experienced the
true historical events of Hip-Hop. For many years these individuals have been giving their own
share of their personal accounts of the Hip-Hop and Rocking culture, informing the world on how
it
all came together and by whom from. It has since been a difficult mystification for the real legends
and pioneers
of the
misinterpretations that
culture
to
over-see
the perplexity of the
misrepresentations and
for many years now have taken the culture's actual history by
storm.
Desperate magazine producers and media publicity have for long added to the misrepresentation
of
these counterfeit accounts of the culture's true historical events. They have done so by interviewing
individuals that in reality were never present or around for the formation of the Hip-Hop and the
Rocking culture's accurrence. As many
of us know, the culture's history really started being
documented in the early 1980's. And many of us also know as well that, in the very beginning of
the Hip-Hop culture it wasn't even appreciated or acknowledge by the media or magazine producers
etc. In fact, during the early 1970s when the culture started to gain some momentum around the

2. Bronx, certain citizens and the police started to form a negative imagination and perception of the
culture.
In the beginning. it was assumed that the culture's gatherings was base on
negative
hoodlum activity, that was involved with some type of gang activity since during the 1970s gang
activities was known to have a great impact in Bronx neighborhoods. And residents were terrified
by the realization.
The police would ro11 up at school yards and parks where Dee Jays would throw their after
school jams at. The police then would threaten the Dee Jays and the crowds, warning them to break
up the crowds and evacuate the area. Dee Jaying, Rocking, and graffrti was disregarded and labeled
as a form
of vandalism when it frrst started to take off during 1975. During which by this time in the
history of the Hip-Hop culture RAP was not yet present. During 1970-1974 "UP-ROCK" was
popular within the Bronx borough's neighborhoods. Mostly OUT-LAWS and graffiti artists Up
Rocked to James Brown (late 1960s) songs. UPROCK ruled the mean streets of the burned down
Boogie Down Bronx as DISCO music (and soul) ruled the club scenes. Since disco music and its
dance was much more preferable and acceptable since, Disco music, and its classy dance, was
considered the main dance of the 1970s era. Which drew hundreds of Disco dancing fans onto the
club scene. The original name of this disco dancewas called "the hustle". IIP ROCK onthe other
hand was perceived as a dance that was specifically created for hoodlums and thugs-stick up kids.
Therefore, disco clubs and other local dancing places would not normally accept or allow LIP
ROCKERS in their clubs etc. This UP ROCK dance which played an important role in the history
of Hip Hop, was surprisingly left out of the equation of the Hip Hop culture. According to my
understanding the founders
of the Hip Hop culture had introduced the "four elements" which
represents the culture as a whole. These Four elements that makes up the
Hip Hop culture are DEE
JAYING, GRAFFITI, ROCKING (Break Dance), and RAP. {,IP ROCK was simply never much
mentioned or bought about in Hip-Hop subjects in the past. Therefore, since it was never introduced
or perhaps not even thought of , when the "four elements" were being contracted during the creation
of the Hip-Hop culture, Unfortunately, "IIP Rock", that was suppose to become the FiFth element
of the culture w-as "innocently" left out of the culture's equation. However, this prehistoric and
felicitous UP ROCK dance have been busting lose in through the scene in today's Hip-Hop culture
with
a vengeance! UP
ROCK dance is getting its momentum and recognition around the

3. globe these days. More and more young dance artists are getting involve and practtcing its unique
skills. Old school Rockers from the New York City areaare teaching its history.
here in our Hip-Hop culture today, and
L"
ROCK dance is
it won't be going no where no time soon. Young dancers
from around the globe are highly interested in tIP Rock dance and in its individual historical events
"LIP ROCK", a spectacular element" with a spectacular past.
The Hip-Hop culture's history contains remarkably an astounding, miraculous and one of
the most amazing historical past that the Bronx has ever erperienced. This has to be taken fbr great
consideration when we think back to a time when poverty and despair was literally deteriorating the
great borough and its citizens. When all that surrounded most of the Bronx neighborhoods were
burned down and broken buildings. Crime was a way of life, police brutality was practically legal.
Most residents in the Brom were jobless, conditions in the South Bronx were in humanely the worst
conditions fiom any place in the USA.
The Hip-Hop culture was amazingly created during those degrading and hardcore times.
It
was created by the very same people whom suffered inexplicably from poverty, lack of education,
crime, and by and from the conditions of being neglected from city officials during those old school
days in the burned down, broken down Boogie Down Bronx. Today almost 40 years later, the Hip-
Hop culture consist of many wonderous and exceptionally features-which has attributed
many
artistic possessions through out the globe, with the gift of prestige and gratifying DIG,RSE
qualification.
The crbdibility for recognition and status in founding the "Hip-Hop culture" and its "Four
elements", that has been established in the history process, can be a frustrating and confusing topic
in today's Hip-Hop culture. What makes the history subject of the Hip-Hop culture, so complicated
for people to simply accept is the everlasting debate of "who started what and who created this",
among many Bronx old school individuals This you see a 1ot of in the Rocking culture. And to
make matters even more worst, is that throughout the many years when the Hip-Hop culture started
being accepted and recognized by the media and Hollywood, many individuals have created their
own subjective lairy tail stories about the history of the culture. And many of these story tellers
have been interviewed by the hundreds
with their own personal account of this culture's historical
events etc. These hundreds ofdifferent beliefs and stories through out the years have been

4. documentedinMagazines, T.V. interuiews, Videos tapes, and in Media Publications. However, the
true facts of the culture's historical events have indeed been also documented by the originals
founders and legends of the culture. But since there have been so many stories made by so many
people, lots of individuals that read and that are interested in the history of the Hip-Hop culture, in
many cases, these readers and researches are still some what skeptical about the information they
absorb. Can we blame them ? Absolutely notl
As one of the original pioneers of the Rocking culture (Break Dance) and the founder of
TF{E BRONIX BOYS ROCKING CREW,
l7
I have received many letters from many individuals in the
years since l've been in prison this time around. And since I've writing many commentaries
through out the years which have been placed on the website, many people have questioned me
about Hip-Hop history and of its four elements that the culture consist of. Many of them have even
with their own accounts and beliefs of the cultures history, which I have
taken for consideration. One particular individual strongly stated that "Rocking"
challenged me
perspectively
(Break Dance) was actually created by a group of young men that came out
Stuyvesant) Bedstuy Brooklyn section
rn 1978
I
of (the
Bedford
responded to the person's remarks about the
history of Rocking with an eflort to correct" obviously, his misinterpretation or misunderstanding of
the history. When
I received his response about what I
some tasteless comments about the Bronx and
had written to him, he responded stating
its history. That was the end of our frendly
communication. Another person had wrote to me confidently assuming that the dance art form of
Rocking was created in Brazil in the early 1960s. And that the real name of the dance was not called
Rocking or Break-Dance That instead, the real name
of the dance was called CAPOEIRA
However, eventhough this gentleman had this pretty kool concept as for the reason to support his
claim, this subject of Capoeiia dance was not my first time
I
was challenged with it. The "fact" is
that Capoeira is actually an Afro-Brazlhan dance lorm that incorporates "self-defense" maneuvers
that appear to look like the dance art form of "Rocking" (Break DANCE as they came to call it in
the early 1980s), which was formed in the Bronx by the Bronx Boys Rocking crew
in I975. As kids
we didn't even know about this Brazilian Martial art dance, that is hundreds and thousands of miles
far away from the Bronx. Another individual (in 2007) wrote me a letter that made me smile. The

5. individual confidently stated he truly felt, and that he still believed, that Hip-Hop was actually
created in Queens Bridge, and not in the Bronx. He strongly stated that rapper KRS ONE,'S SONG.
THE BzuDGE IS OaER had robbed Queens for the creditability of Hip-Hop history. Adding that
the rap song influenced and misleaded the people in New York City at the time. When
it
comes to
the Hip-Hop culture" you are always going to have many different beliefs and opinion. Simply
because people are always going to believe what they want to believe, no matter how many times
you place the facts in front of them. And this reality we can not change in people.
.
The lacts are that when
it
comes to the history
of Hip-Hop, DEE-JAY KOOL F{ERC.
introduced this culture to all of us in 1973 in the Bronx. As he Dee Jayed in his Bronx apaftment
building in 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Africa Bambaataa. added the energy that was needed for the
Hip-Hop culture to take off during those early years in the 1970s. Bambaataa founded the Zulu
Nation. He was always a hardcore Bronx representer" from the Bronx River section and lived in the
Bronx River houses. These two pioneers are without question the original founders of the Hip-Hop
culture.
In
1975
a group of young and talented graffiti artists and UP ROCKERS,
would
unconsciously and inadvertently transform the UP ROCK Dance into "Rocking" (Break Dance).
When a TBB grafTiti arlist and UP ROCKER by the name of Little TEE-TEE ROCK (Troy Ryant)
fell to the ground after performing a 360 degree move in the air from an IJP ROCK move. As
he
lost his balance and fel1 to the ground, he swiftly shuffled his feets along the concrete floor. The
moves looked awkward as he used his hands to prevent from falling. These physical movements
that Tee-Tee Rock was performing were not dancing moves at the time. These moves were rather
the type of moves that come from instant reflexes when we (at times) inadvertently slip or fall. The
moves appeared to look clumsy and weird, but these moves and quick reaction by Tee-Tee Rock
may have prevented a possible injury. As we fraze" Tee-Tee Rock was falling, we saw how he
managed
to perform a weird but yet fascinating move. These moves all together did not only
prevent him from getting hurt, but they were also funny and at the same time inspiring - totally
awesome!
After we notice that little Tee-Tee Rock was not hurt at all
jokingly trying to perform Tee-Tee" unfortunate fall. As
laughed and dropped
I
I threw
myself on the floor
did this all the other guys around me
to the floor in an attempt to mimic Tee-Tee Rocks fall. We all
were
performing all type of awkward moves on the floor as Tee-Tee just stood there looking at us as if

6. we were crazy, then afterw-ards said: "Ya think that shit was funny right?" then as he turned and
started to walk offhe said, "I'11 see Ya later. I'm gonna go home and eat something." We continued
to experiment moves from his fall. Ironically, Tee-Tee Rock's unintended lall would become
an
overnight sensation with the artists. The Bronx Boys would deliberately transform. the historical but
yet clumsy fall into what is known today as "Break Dance," by those that really don't know the true
name to the dance
This Rocking dance's first pioneers and founders were.
Ryant), Batch (myself), Papito 176, Ray-Ray,
LiL TEE-TEE ROCK
LiL Lito, Spider,
(Troy
BOSCO, Spec-2' and then
Trace-2 and Aby participated in the beginning process of this artistic and Phenomenal DANCE
ART FORM of ROCKING. lJnfortunately, The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew were left out of the
history of the Hip-Hop culture, since they had broken up in 1979. Which by this time the culture
was not lully documented or acknowledged by T.V. Producers or Media Publicity which in flact,
stafted to take place in the beginning of the 1980s and so forth. The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew had
formed approximately, about the same time, when Dee Jay Pioneer Grand Master Flash began
throwing street jams in the summer of 1975.
In fact,
Grand Master Flash knows and remembers the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew for
attending his Jams in the early 1970s. In August of 1995, as I was crossing the Grand Concourse to
get to Poe Park at 198 St.
I came across Grand Master Flash. We looked'at each other
as
I continued
to cross the Grand Concourse. Flash was trying to catch a cab to get to down town Manhattan where
I immediately recognized him and he
recognized me. I hasn't seen Flash in years back in 1995. I said "What's up Flashl" He quickly
he was Dee Jaying for
(I
believe) WBLS Radio Station.
responded saying "Batch?" We had a brief conversation and just before we parted he said "Hey
Batch, still got TBB?"
I
smile and said, "yeah, we are still Rocking." Since in my mind
Crazy Legs was still out there doing his thing with his Rock Steady Crew.
In
I knew
1995 TBB was not
around yet. Until it had resurfaced back into the scene in 1998. When my brother Aby had brought
it back to life. And since, it has come back with a mighty force of Rockers into today's Rocking
culture.
In
1977 Africa Bambaataa sent the
twin brothers the: "Nigga Twins" to inform me about a
meeting with him for a peace treaty among Zulu Nation and The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. His

7. main concern for this meeting was based on for the safety of the young kids that attended school
jam parlys etc. Africa Bambaataa wanted to make sure that Zulu and TBB come together so that we
could look out for the Bronr events. and for the safety of young people in those Dee Jay Jams that
at times gun shots use to occurred. This meeting was a historical one for the Hip-Hop culture.
Africa's concern for the well being of young people and for peace in the Bronx, had humbled me
emotionally during my meeting with Bambaataa, because I knew deep down my heart it was for an
imporlant course. Realistically speaking this meeting literally took place in the Webster Projects
back in 1977 Tod,ay TBB and Zulu Nation are present in todays culture.
Bambaataa a message and my message is an important one.
I
I recently had sent Africa
sent some of my TBB brothers
to
ask
Africa Bambaataa if he remembers the meeting he had ask for me to attend in the Webster Projects
back in 1977. Acc,ording to my understanding Bambaataa can not record this meeting of him and I
(which can be understandable since we are talking about many year back). This meeting I had with
Bambaataa
in 1977 was important since it was for a beneficial course for TBB
and
ZuIu, and the
well-beins of our kids in the hood Today we are rn 2014 and TBB and ZuluNation are present. It
is important for our people in todays society, to know that my meeting with BamBaataa is truly
factual reality in the history of our culture. My meeting with Africa Bambaataa
imporlant to us TBB and Zulu today, as it was in 1977 .
great man, when
I
a
in 1977 is still
am looking forward to meet up with this
I am finally released from this prison life style that I
am still
and
.experiencing,
have us both go back to that same very location in Webster Projects, where he had invited me to
meet him at, and take him to that "exact" entrance railin=q where he was siting on when we first met.
And word for word (I still remember like yesterday) repeat exactly the words to him that he had for
me in that 1977 meeting.
It is very important to me and for all our TBB and Zulu Nation to know
realistically, that" this historical and factor meeting still plays a very profound course among our
nations, and for the well being of al1 our youth all over our societies everlvrhere.
The creditability
lor many of the old school
corroborating when the confirmation
pioneers
of the Hip-Hop culture began
of the culture's history had caught the sharp eye of
the
commercial Media. Adding to the list Hollywood producers, and music producers, mainly from the
down town area in Manhattan. Hip-Hop culture altracted producers that were forever searching for

8. those substantrated and configurations that consisted of potential success. The type of success that
establishes profound recognition in their industrial departments, the type of business management
that places a beneficial business over the top. As a result, the Hip-Hop culture would become a
global business enterprise as the years progressed into the future producing hundreds of Millions of
dollars into the economy. The Hip-Hop culture and its history was captured in the beginning of the
1980. And when the commercial Media, film producers, music producers, and many other type
of
businesses like Magazine producers had noticed that the Hip-Hop culture and its four elements were
like
a
gold mine, companies of all type went on a Hip-Hop spread, interviewing many young people
from the Bronx to get better knowledge of this Phenomenon occurrence of the culture's existence.
The Big bang of the Hip-Hop culture's recognition began. During the time when the Bronx Boys
Rocking crew had broken up. But the Hip-Hop culture really took off to the point. of no return into
the future when Africa Bambaata was probably just 23 years old at the time, when he hit the hungry
music record industry with his Soul Sonic Force song
in
1982. This
Africa Bambaata hit
song
tooktheHip.Hopcu1turebystormastheentireBronxRockedto,oo@tothePlanetRock
And although The Bronx Bovs Rockins Crew had broken up four years before the soul sonic force
song would Rock the Bronx
rn
1982"
Many of ex-Bronx Boys Rocking Crew members were still
Rocking for many years that came and went by. Gr?ndmaster Flash and the Furious Five Rocked
not just the headquarters of Hip-Hop culture-ooThe Bronx", but the entire New
York Citv
area rn
1982 when he introduced the song called THE MESSAGE. Grandmaster Flash along with Melle
Mel, Cowboy, and Raheem had accelerated the aristic power of the Hip-Hop culture into
the
public's state of mind, and fans of every walk of life began appreciating the culture much more
they walked down the streets singing oolt's like a jungle sometimes,
keep from going under, so donot push me cause
head.oo
it
as
makes me wonder how I
I'm close to the edgeo I'm trying not to lose my
This particular turning point in the rap era during 1982 helped many outsiders catch
climpse of what the raps songs and their messages were really trying
to
a
say to the world. In
Grandmasters Flash's song the Massage rn 1982, the words in the song was a true message of what
subcultural people were literally experiencing during the very beginning of the Hip-Hop culture and
beyond. This rap song was based on the painful reality of poverty and degradation of a people living
in despair and in economical pressure in a time when the Bronx was filled with Broken down,

9. Burned down buildings. When the New York City's economy was in the worstest condition ever.
In the early 1980s Hip-Hop was hitting not just the radio stations more then ever before,
with its up coming rap music, but the culture began moving up toward the T.V. and filming
production. On the B-Boying, and Rocking (Break dance) side of things, the Hip-Hop culture
gained unconstrained and dexterous extraordinary momentum when movie producers from
Hollywood had captured the Phenomenal artistic skills of Rocking (Break Dance) in disbelief as the
body twisting dance art form of Rocking had taken the streets of New York by storm. In fact, this
"Rocking dance" as it was originally named back
in 7975,
was so artificed and so brilliantly
fascinating, that even United States President Ronald Reagan had invited one of TBB ROCKING
CREW"S greatest B-Boy ever-Powerful Pexster (TONY LOPEZ) took the dance to the White
I{ouse along with his New York City Breakers Crew. Powerful Pexster was a proud TBB Rocking
Crew member in 1978. He was introduced to the TBB Rocking crew by TBB Sony 183'd when
Powerful Pexster used to hang around St. James Park where a TBB Rocking crew division was
located at during those old school days. Powerful Pexster would eventually break away from the
Bronx Boys Rocking crew when his older brother started complaining to him about the negativity
that The Bronx Boys Rocking crew was involved with during that time. Powerful Pexster's love for
the Rocking culture was in his blood, and by the early 1980s he created (or helped form) The New
York City Breakers. And in the process took the crew and the dance to down town Manhattan by
the early 1980s.
In about the same year that Powerful Pexster and the New York City Breakers were invited
to The White House to perlorm lor president then, Ronald Reagan and his beloved wife Nancy
Reagan, another exclusive and talented B-Boy by the name of CRAZY LEGS had took over the
entire Rocking culture in the early 1980", when the Bronx Boys Rocking crew had broken up in
lg7g. And as a result, a TBB Division from 182nd and 183'd had formed Rock
However, when this Rock Steady ("New") crew started to fall apart
in
Steady crew.
1981, and its original
members had gone away, some to prison with 50 years sentences, the once young TBB Rocking
crew member CRAZY LEGS took over the Rock Steady crew and revived the dance art form of
Rocking (BREAK DANCE). Crazy Legs before becoming the President of the Rock steady crew,

10. had moved to Manhattan and somehow had joined a Rocking crew in Manhattan. But Crazy Legs
heart was set in the Bronx, so by 1980 he headed back to get with The Bronx Rocking crew. It was
in the Bronx where he would end up meeting the original Rock Steady crew Members. Jimmy Lee,
Jimmy Dee, JoJo, E-ZMtke, and Rubber all ex TBB Rocking Crew Members just like Crazy legs.
But in order for Crazy Legs to get down with this new Rock Steady Crew, Legs and his cousin
Lenny had to battle against the founders of the crew; to show their Rocking skills and to prove that
they had what it took to be down with the crew. But this wouldn't matter much to Legs, because a
year later Crazy Legs would become the Official Rock Steady Crew President. When Jimmy Lee
the original founder of the crew would wind up in prison in the winter of "1981". Once Jimmv Lee
came
to prison, the original Rock Steadv Crew fell apart and this is when Crazy Legs took over,
and gave the unconscious dance-art-form-of Rocking resuscitation. The fact is that
been saying for many years now, is that
if it wasn't for Crazy Legs
- and like I have
going around and recruiting
Rockers in the early 1980s (Break dancers), this unique and spectacular dance art form of Rocking
would have not been around these days. we all own this much to my brother "TBB", Crazy Legs
from back in the days 1977.
In
1982 The Dance Art Form of Rocking took another huge step forward toward major
league status in the Hip-Hop Culture, when New York City citizens began recognizing the artistic
dance form as a
skillful and incredible and fascinating dance. This turning point was made possible
when Rock Steady Crew and New York Citv (Breakers) featured in the movie film called: BEAT
STREET- in the early 1980s, movie producers began producing more movies of the Dance Art
Form of Rocking (BREAK DANCE). The movie Wild Style in 1983 was the movie that gave
a
factual example on how the Hip-Hop culture was formed. This Rocking artistic dance, bought in
Millions of dollars into the movie production, movie producers continued producing Rocking
movies from the beginning of the early 1980s all through the 1990s and through the 2000 era. And
still today in 2AI4 Hollywood is coming through with movies of this artistic dance art form of
"Rocking". This original name 'oRockins" of the dance was changed to BREAK DANCE in the
beginning of the 1980s. when the dance was introduced to the down town area of Manhattan. The
commercial media and movie producers help change the name of the dance. However, The Bronx
Boys Rocking crew in todays culture still call the dance by it original name Rocking. Crazy Legs,
10

11. the poster child of the dance and who has become extraordinarrly famous for taking the dance
of
Rocking to another level during the early 1980s, and he is credited as being the original Rocker of
the dance when he introduced The Rock Steady crew to the world back in the days. Crazy Legs had
this to say about the Rocking culture back in July of 2001 LEGS said in the interview. ooThe name
was based upon a dance called The Rock. Which was basically stylized Top Rocking.
It
was
kind of like Top Rock/UP Rock. It was initially going to be called The Rock Dance Crew. But
then people said Let's name it Rock Steady just to keep it going.
I actually joined Rock Steady
in 798. It was me and my cousin Lenny-Len who had to battle Jimmy D and Jimmy Lee to get
in. Jimmy D was the original president." CrMy Legs was so very close to the truth of the history
that I just had to tip my hat for him. However, Legs was not l00oh accurate about his pretty close
comments on the history, with respect to CRAZY LEGS.
The truth to our history of this Rocking culture, is that in 1979
I
had no choice but to break
up The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. In the process of TBB Rocking crew breaking up Jimmv Lee,
Jimmv
Dee,n
Jo'[g, E-Z Mike, (Roney) RUBBER BAND formed Rock Steady Crew from TBB
Rocking crew Division from 183Rd and 182nd . These young men at the time were members of The
Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. Jimmy Lee was the original president of the "New" Rock Steady
Crew. And what Jimmy Lee said, "went" I had Broken up TBB Rocking crew in June 15, 1979.In
June 16, 1979 rrght the next day Jimmy took that whole 183 rd TBB Rocking Crew Division and
turn all of them to The "New" Rock Steady crew. As
I
approached 184 th Street on that sunny day
in June 16, 1979. where Jimmy Lee and the rest of the guys were hanging out by Junior High
School 115 (where Aby went to ) onthe corner of the block. As
I got closer I noticed that these
TBB Rocking crew members now had on Rock Steady Crew Shirts with white letters. The minute
Jimmy Lee saw me he went berserk and excitingly almost jumping up and down and said, "Yo
Batch - check out our new crew." As he turned around and showed me the new name of his crew.
The back of his brown sweat shirt read.
ROCK STEADY CREW , with TBB on the bottom. I then
said to him, (feeling almost empty and wordless), "But Jimmy, why Rock Steady Crew?" Jimmy
bounced around like a ball of pure energy and exploded enthusiastically and said "Batchl Don't you
get it." Because The Bronx Boys
for
a
ROCIilNG CREW we always Rockine Steady!" He
stood there
few second concentrating on my silent look, then he just busted out in a loud laughter that was

12. filled with some type of crazy happiness. 3 year letter in 1981 after he had Battled Crazy Legs and
Lenny Len to have them Rocked in, Jimmy Lee would end up getting arrested along with some ex
TBB Rocking Crew Members. Jimmy Lee blew Trail for something he DID NOT DO. And was
sentence
to 52
and a
half year to Life in a State Penitentiary along with some ex TBB Rocking Crew
Members. Once this unfortunate incident occurred Jimmy Dee disappeared, and for many years
magazines had
it that Jimmy Dee couldn't be found and that no one knew where he was. JoJo who
was also TBB but had to lie for what he thought was for a good course, would end up giving Crazy
in
1982
or 1983. I was up north
# number was 8343136.
I will
always remember this
Legs the copy rights of The Rock Steady Crew some where around
at the time serving 6 years, my state
ID
number.
The dance art form of Rocking started to die off in the beginning
of
1981. Many people
stopped performing it. However Crazy Legs came to the rescue and relived the dying Dance art
form of Rocking and agatn, as I have already mentioned,
I
strongly believe that if it wasn't for Legs
going around and recruiting new Rock Steady members, the dance would have be history and gone
with the wind. Just like The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew had vanished from the Hip-Hop culture
back in 7979, when the Hip-Hop culture was still not fully appreciated nor recognized throughout
New York City. However, The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew would come back from the grave in
1998 when Aby would step up and relived Frankenstein: TFIE BRONX BOYS/ BRONX GIRLS
ROCKING CREW the founders of this, indigenous Dance Art form of Rocking, that was created in
the mean streets of the burned down, Broken down, Boogie down Bronx --
in
1975. The Bronx
Boys Rocking history is by any mean in a class of its own. Though you have a couple of individuals
that don't believe in the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's history, there is substantial evidence that TBB
Rocking crew is loyal to its historical events. Some say that the Bronx Boys Rocking crew formed
in
1977 .
But if this was the case then why would the Lesendarv and Poster Child of the Rockine
Culture "CRAZY LEGS", would state this statement: " In the summer of 1977 is when I got my
own personal dance thing ono the whole Hip IIop game. My cousin Lennie Len introduced me
to it. The first crew that I got into was The Bronx Boys, my man BATCH was the first person
who ever. . . basically took me under his wing as an up and coming b-boy he saw something in

13. This offrcial and original Legend of the. Hip-Hop culture CRAZY LEGS. WAS NOT
PRE,SENT WHEN I HAD FORMED The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. So
some say") that
I
if it was to be true ("like
had formed The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew rn"1977", then this also goes to say
that CRAZY LEGS was one of the original Bronx Boys Rocking crew members that was "Present"
when
l
formed The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew. The True to the matter is the factthatby 1977 The
Bronx Boys Rocking Crew was so large that it caught the eye of the mighty, "Africa Bambaataa"
(Zulu Nation) rn 1977. He was so impressed and concerned by the Bronx Boys Rocking crew's
immensity, that he had sent the Nieea twins to give me his message for our meeting in the Webster
projects. This, my brothers and sisters, is a true story.
The Bronx Boys Rocking and the ZuIu nation supported every Dee Jay Jams that was
popping off in the burned down, Broken down, Boogie down Bronx. Where ever Dee Jays like
KOOL HERC, GRAND MAST'ER FLASII, one of my beloved Favorite DEE JAY (Cold
Crush) Charlie Chase, KOOL DJ AJ, LUV BUG STARSKI, my boy 183 rd Grand Master
Caz, who appeared in the Bronx Boys Rocking Crew anniversary with Aby
Legend himself Grand
in20l2, can't forget the
Iilizard Theodore, Dannv dan Beatman, DJ Crome, DJ LAY-LAY from
FunCityCrew,DJCiscofromBurnside,W,Dr.Dred,{CMmainman)'Where
ever (Just to mention a few of these exclusive old school Dee Jays) these Dee Javs were Jamming
and Rocking the spot, TFm, BRONX BOYS ROCKING CREW was there, Rocking to the battle of
the Dee Jays. My big brother Butter
LAB is one of the old school pioneer that in the early 1980s
lived and breathed Hip Hop. Unfortunately over 25 years ago he was sent up north to serve his
sentence. This brother was not just a true lover of the Hip Hop culture, but he also grew and hanged
around with Legendary Dee Jays like Red
Alert and others. Within the
State Prison Populations
there, we have many old school pioneers that have been trapped behind the great wall of prison life
These pioneers through their years of hard core times in prison, have proudly seen the entire Hip
Hop culture transform its self into what
magazine and photos they have come
they was once a substantial parl
of
it
has become
in today's culture. Through T.V.
and
to observe the spectacular transformation of this culture that
many
- many years ago. This sad reality brings some happy
and
proud smiles to these missing in action old school pioneers behind the walls of prison life and its
desnairness that comes with the sentencins.

14. As for this legendary Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's legacy and its early extinction of the Hip-Hop's
"young culture" back in 1979, for most part the Bronx Boys Rocking crew did not get to achieve its
rightful recognition in the Hip-Hop culture years later. Since it had fallen apart in a time when the
culture was still not fully recognized for its true artistic and gifted qualities back in 1979. However,
those individuals that were devoted TBB Rocking crew members after the Break Up of the nation
many of these individuals continued
to live life as B-Boys and spent many of their years
participating in the artistic Hip-Hop culture. The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew for most parts was
a
gifted nation in its own world. It was indeed a nation within the Broken and burned down Boogie
down Bronx.
It
consisted and contained many young and problematic kids that were hooked on
ANGEL DUST but yet they were amazingly talented when it came to Rocking and graffiti.
Unfortunately" they were also a significant part of criminal activity. Most of them were
DANCING WITH GUNS by their waist line. They were known for being stick up kids and drug
dealers. This unlortunate reality was another perfect reason for others in the culture to keep The
Bronx Boys Rocking Crew hidden from the true history of the Hip-Hop culture. Away from their
extraordinary role in the history of the DANCE ART FORM OF ROCKING. Moreover, away from
the public's knowledge. Especially when the history of Hip-Hop culture began being "officially
documented" into the books of history, when the culture first started to blossom and many wealthy
movie and music producers - along with (the forever there) "Commercial Media", and reporters,
started interviewing people from the Hip-Hop community. Many of the people whom were "first
interviewed" for the culture's historical events thathad formed in the Bronx. These first individuals
wanted to paint a positive and pretty picture of the culture's fundamental roots and its history.
However, CRAZY LEGS, the poster child of this entire "Rocking culture" (or Break dance)
had a different shade of the culture's history. Since after all, realistically speaking, the culture's
history also contained a "BAD BOY" side in the beginning of
it all in the early
1970s. In 2001
Crazy Legs was interview-ed by reporter DA{EY-D who in some parts of the interview simply
asked Legs:
oo
was Rock Steady primarily a dance crew or were you guys like other Hip Hop
crews in New York where you were doing a little bit of everything?" Crazy Legs then gave it

15. to Davey-D raw in response said:
oowell
you know when crews were first set up back then,
there really wasn't a term called to label the culture. So what you had was just a crew. lVithin
a crew you had brothers who liked to rock the mikeo while other b-boyed or deejayed. The
first crew that I ever got down with was The Bronx Boys. There was an affiliation with Rock
Steady at that time. The Bronx Boys had a lot of different things . . . Stick up kids you name ito
they had it.'o Kudos to Crazy Legs, for his honorary statement, and for refusing to yield to superior
strength of overpowering appeal in these subjects of ourHip-Hop culture. As much as I would like
to deny these facts about The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew's history, I have to admit that our HipHop culture as a "whole'", has a little dirty dark secret that came along with those Burned down,
Broken down buildings that surrounded the poverty and despair that was present in The Boogie
down. tore down, Bronx in the 1960 through the 1970 and 1980s. This my friend is fact not fiction
with all due respect to the true pioneers of the Hip Hop Culture.
The Bronx for many years" even going back as far as the 1930s and 1940s, had suffered
tremendously lrom depravation, immorality, from impropriety and unethical double-dealings from
crooked city officials, construction agencies, housing agencies; and from other corrupted r.ulturines
that for centuries preyed on the poor and on the helpless. Corruption in the early 1950 all through
the
1980s on
to the 1990s. This was the norm in the everyday life style in the Burned down,
Broken down, Boogie down Bronx during those darker days. Housing agencies and their housing
development projects were the ultimate type
of business for many wealthy company owners.
Landlaws were hired by these housing agencies, their jobs required for these landlaws to encourage
occupancy and establish habitation in those neighborhoods throughout the Bronx, especially in the
south part. Most of those residents that occupied these housing agencies - the building in which they
moved into most majority of these people were immigrants with low budget status and were being
supporled by the city's welfare deparlrnent. The more often a landlaw would
fill
his entire housing
building with poor tenant that were being financially supported by the welfare, the higher his pay
check. However, a building that easily contained over 200 or more tenants with rents that went up to
400 dollars a month, per each tenant, was not a "financial comparison" with a Burned down- or
Broken down housing building. In fact a Burned down and Broken down building was worth way
15

16. much more then a housing building that was active with all its tenants in their apartment and paying
the monthly rents. The true to the matter is that a tore down building, not active at all, contained a
pricey tag. A Landlaw's paycheck amazingly increase whenever his housing building would go "up
in smoke" like Cheech and Chong. Except, that in the Bronx's
case,
WEED wasn't the exemplary
element of the smoke in the Bronx's air. What was legally and peculiarly distinctively strange, was
the fact that the insurance of each of these housing buildings were remarkably worth so much more
burned and broken down. These burned down and broken down building benefited the city officials,
construction agencies, and the housing building companies. These companies and city offtcials were
making millions of dollars annually, which was funded by government funds that came from citizen
taxes. These insurance's of abandon buildings were so beneficial to Landlaws that many use to
allow outlaws or gang members to simply take over their building in order to discourage its tenants.
Landlaws would also fail to attend to tenant's apartment for things that needed to be fixed. They
would create unsafe conditions by turning the building's boiler off when it was cold out side. Under
these conditions many tenants would eventually move out. And when the building contained a hand
full of tenants that had no other place to go to. The landlaw would then pay
some one
to burn the
building down so he could collect some of the insurance funds. These incidents continued to occur
for many years in the Bronx. From the 1960s all through the 1980s and early 1990s. In
1985
President Ronald Reagan visited the South Bronx for his very first time. And when he witnessed
the battle looking field in the South Bronx and it disgraceful conditions, The President of the United
States couldn't believe his own eyes as he stared at long roads
of streets filled with abandon
buildings and debris everywhere. He then demanded that the Federal Government step in and
clean up the mess in the Brom. But before President Ronald Reagan visited the South Bronx in
1985, President Jimmv Carter visited that same exact location in the south Bronx in (or around)
1977 and demanded the same eract order to the Federal Government. During the early 1990s
Federal Government finally stepped in to investigation the city's housing budget, and city officials
fundings that the government supply them with.
In the summer of 1977 all the lights in NYC City went off. And for the Bronx this historical
event, became a celebration as hundreds of Bronx residents pour into the pitch black night with

17. crow bars, trucks with heavy duty chains, and all type of handy equipment all for one thing, to
break into stores. People were tearing store gates right off by attaching chains to the back of cars
and trucks, then they would hook these chains onto the store gates and simply hit the gas peddle in
the truck or car. And as these vehicles drove forward the store gates, many of them, would fly right
off onto the sidewalk The Bronx Boys Rocking Crew were going crazy hke packs of
hyenas,
racking up on electronics and jewelry and even cash! It was really a celebration! Everyone and their
mothers were racking up like hell.
There were young people, old people grandpa,- grandma,
cops joined in the night fest.
-
and even a couple of crooked
I saw an old lady about 80 years old trying to climb.up through the
broken glass window of a store flront. As she was trying to make out with her stolen goods in her
hand, I just had to run over to her, before a big piece of glass from the broken window drop on her.
give her a hand" and carefully helped her out from the busy scene. When
I
simply asked her. "Lady
what are you doing out here so late?" She tried to push me out the way as she said, what the
you think
I am doing" now get out my way!" I just couldn't believe it
see
fl**
as I jumped into the crowded
stored to get mines. There were lots of flash lights every where, so even though
light I could still
I
I didn't
have a flash
what I was racking up.
By day light the entire Tremont section was destroyed. There was heavy twisted metal every
where. Broken glass glidered from a mile away as
swept thrbugh. Twisted metal and debris of
if
a powerful tropical thunderous tornado had
all sough accumulated the streets. Many residents were
walking around with expensive clothes and jewelry. Many others walked around with big JVC
Boom Box Cassette radios on their shoulders, and fancy sunglasses on their faces. Others had on
big bright smiles on their laces with T-shirts thatread'. KISS ME I'M FROM TI{E BRONX.
The blackout of 1977 literally played a substantial role in the Hip-Hop Culture,
It displayed
a sentimental and sad reality of those poor and problematic young Bronx people that, through their
own struggling imaginations, had the artistic abilities to create a culture that would years later help
change the world in many positive and colorful ways. The Power
of
diversilv in our
societies
around the globe these days is the gratifying out come of the brillianness of what the Hip-Hop

18. Culture in general have placed around the world for all of us to fully appreciate and unite one
another with. It has been said that good things can indeed come out of bad situations. Well,
I
have
to sincerely agree with that unique statement. Simply because I have personally witness it.
In closing this information
I
send my homage and respects
fathers of the Hip-Hop Culture. DEE JAY,
Peace and love
KooL I{ERC
with much love to the founding
and AFRICA
to all our Boogie Down Original Pioneers. I
BAMBAATAA
represent the Bronx to the
fu11est.
Respectfully, I am:
*BATCH *
The Founding Father of the Bronx BoysBronx Girls
Rocking Crew.
The Founding Father of TBBTBG FAHRENHEIT-7S
THE GOD FATHER OF NEW YORI( CITY BREAKERS
AND OF ROCK STEADY CREW.