Solo Pro 2010

Photos by George Rabe

Solo Pro is a breakdancing battle which has 16 of the country’s top breakdancers compete for the cash prize of R15 000. Breakdancers from all over the country make it out to this event and this year was no different. To make this battle even “badder”, Wreckage Production, in association with Red Bull, brought down two legendary b-boys Roxrite and Lilou. This could easily have been the highlight of 2010 for the South African breakdancing scene.

Before the battle started I caught up with these legends of break to find out a little more about them.
 

Age and location?
Lilou: I’m 26 years old and I’m from France but represent Algeria.
Roxrite: I’m 28 and grew up in California, USA.

 
Drop 5 words that describe you best?
Lilou: Funny, original, real, crazy and strange.
Roxrite: Loyalty, friendship, happiness, ambitious, livin’!

 
How long have you been breaking and what got you started?
Lilou: I’ve been dancing since 1997 and started after I saw some b-boys dancing on TV.
Roxrite: I’ve been breaking for 15 years now, started in ’95 and I got inspired by some guys who came and did a show at my school when I was 12.

 
Favourite move?
Lilou: I don’t have a favourite but I say you should always create your own moves.
Roxrite: Back spin head spin.

 
What do you think of South Africa and how has your trip been so far?
Lilou: It’s my second time here, I was here in 2007 for BC1 and I love this country.
Roxrite: I really like it; it’s been good so far.

 
What is your opinion on the b-boy scene in S.A. compared to the rest of the world?
Lilou: The guys here are very original, they have a distinct South African style but they need to compete more, South Africa doesn’t have enough battles to grow the scene properly.
Roxrite: You have a lot of well-rounded b-boys; there are also a couple of guys that bring their own unique approach to it. From what I’ve seen so far the level of b-boying is good, I just think that the guys here need to get out more, get onto the international scene and just battle at different places.

 
Which b-boy do you look up to and why?|
Lilou: Brahim who is one of the guys from my crew. He is a well-rounded b-boy, he can do freezes, footwork, he’s very original, and he makes everything look so easy.
Roxrite: Ken Swift from New York, he’s like the Michael Jordan of b-boys.

 
Are you living your dreams right now and what are the downfalls?
Lilou: Yes, but this is more than what I could ever dream of. The negative side is that you miss your crew and your family because you are always travelling and I used to have so many friends but it’s hard to stay in contact with them.
Roxrite: I never really imagined I would be doing this so it’s a really crazy dream, and I can’t really complain about the downfalls ‘cos the people that aren’t in my shoes wanna be in my shoes, but yes there are times when you go through dry months where you have to be smart ‘cos cash in this industry isn’t consistent. And the other downfall is that you are always gone from home, so you miss a lot of the holidays.

 
What is your greatest b-boy memory?
Lilou: The first time when my whole crew (Pokémon crew) went to Japan; it was really crazy.
Roxrite: The first time I won a b-boy comp outside of California.

 
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
Lilou: Simple guy who danced his heart out!
Roxrite: To be able to inspire kids to do what I do and to pave the way for making a living off of dance.

 
Shout outs:
Lilou: Shout-out to EVERYBODY!
Roxrite: The Red Bull BC1 All Stars, Biggest and Baddest, Squadron, Renegades, Break Disciples and Ford Fanatics.

Event:
I must say it’s rather hard trying to watch the b-boys while you are making sure the photos are coming out as planned, but in my opinion this battle showcased such incredible strength and consistency. It  was awesome to see so many b-boys from around S.A. battling one another, guys who you are not used to seeing, watching all the different types of styles and dancing personalities. There was a great crowd.  A lot of people travelled from all corners of the country to be at this event; they supported the dancers to the max and I’m sure the dancers were feeding off of their energy too.

 
The b-boys I enjoyed watching were b-boy Jed who had his purple out-fit on, but more than that his dancing was really fresh; when everyone else seemed tired he was still doing power moves as if it was the first round. B-boy Flame had this groove attitude which really got you into the dance mood. Gift and Benny also had a good battle, but it was The Curse who came out king, he took the win due to his style, consistency and originality - we saw lots of acrobatics, head slides and quick thinking ‘battle back’ moves. The Beatbangaz were the DJ’s for the evening and they played a really sick set, with technical scratching and an awesome stage presence.  These guys really added that extra flavour to the event; definitely a must-see if you ever get the opportunity.

Some words from the b-boys themselves:

Shorty Blitz: “Solo Pro was tight; the b-boys were on point as usual. The Curse came through as always, respect, he deserved to win. It was a good competition”

 
Roxrite: “There were a lot of guys that stood out to me, the defending champion Gift danced well in the first round and he was the most creative b-boy in my opinion. Jed also did well, and The Curse was a great ‘complete’ b-boy - he battled his components and beat them clean!” I think Benny did well but he didn’t do his best, maybe he was saving his best for last, but when he battled his opponent that guy was bringing all his guns out and Benny didn’t quite match up.”

 
Jed: “Big ups to the judges Lilou and Roxrite for coming all the way to South Africa, and thanks to Solo Pro for this great event, which is growing every year. My favourite b-boy of the evening was Gift from PE, his tricks were tight, he had high energy, and his b-boy foundation is tops.”

 
DJ Switch: “We wanted a diverse crowed which is what we got. Hip hop doesn’t have a colour or a face, it is what it is; we live it, we breathe it, we mixed commercial and underground together.  Some people have never seen some of these artists like DJ Ready D, DJ E20, DJ Azuhl, DJ Naves or even the breakdancers, so we gave people an experience at the end of the day. Solo Pro is an event created by b-boys for b-boys; from the MC to the DJ’s to the organizers (Vouks Nojokes and Mr M), we are all b-boys. Big ups to all the b-boys around the country who dance every day and to the rookies who got thrown into the mix such as b-boy Misfit, Wezo, Sto-ik etc. And of course, big ups to The Curse for taking it for the first time and Gift for defending his title. Thanks to My Culture for covering this event as well as all the sponsors; Eastpak, Sport Scene, Puma, Red Bull, Vuzu and Channel O.”