by Jeff Dalton
Daily Lobo
A hip-hop gathering on Saturday will provide Albuquerque with an alternative to Spring Crawl.
The event takes place at Out ch'Yonda and will include a one-on-one B-boy grudge breakdancing contest. There will be live mural painting, music by DJ Shakedown and capoeira. An MC battle will conclude the evening.
Cyrus Gould, the coordinator, said the purpose of the event is to give people insight about the hip-hop community's roots. He said he also wants to "provide an alternative event for kids of all ages."
To help with his vision of an educational experience, Gould added the Brazilian art of capoeira to his agenda.
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Cody Heath, who is organizing the session, describes capoeira as "fight-like dancing, choreographed with martial arts."
Heath said he sees similarities between hip-hop and capoeira.
"Breakdancing and capoeira share many movements," he said. "Hip-hop actually borrowed a lot of elements from capoeira."
He said the movements aren't the only similarities.
"It is such an empowering thing for people who don't always have a voice," he said.
Adding to the realm of nonverbal expression will be the B-boy grudge, called "Who Can Roast The Most?" Breakdancers will go head-to-head and will be judged by each other and the audience.
Shane Montoya is the coordinator for the breakdancing competition.
"It's something different to shine on," he said. "We do it to feed our dancing to other people."
Montoya will not compete in the dance-off because reaching out to the community is his main concern, and he said he will do this by creating this opportunity for others.
He said hosting the spectacle is his way of sharing what he has gained from places such as the Cesar Chavez Community Center, where he and other breakers practice.
"They show us mad love, so we like to show it back," he said.
After the breakdancing showdown, the MC battle will begin.
Gould said they will attract competitors by offering a cash prize to the winner and allowing anyone who wants to compete. He said the battle will be uncensored, raw rap, where the performers advance to the next round by out-dissing their opponents. He said they not only have to impress the audience but they must also face the critique of an established battle-rapper named Durt-E-Spoonz.
Gould said the rapper has earned his credibility.
"Durt-E-Spoonz wins a lot of battles, so he'll be a good judge," he said.
The judge will narrow the field to two finalists, who will then face off for the cash.
Montoya said the event isn't just about competition.
"It really gets people together with positive energy," he said.
Gould said the event provides an alternative for people who can't get into Spring Crawl.
"It's on the same night as this huge event, and there's absolutely no alcohol," he said. "But it's going to be so much more fun."
MC Battle
Out ch'Yonda, 929 4th street
Saturday, 7 to 11:30 p.m.
$5
