Cam’ron & New York’s Subway B-Boys Dazzle in a Video That Redefines Creativity (Video)
Perhaps the only thing more ubiquitous in New York City than the subways are the subway performers who use the time between station stops to amaze the crowd – or at least attempt to – with music, poetry, speeches, or dance. There has developed a microcosm in the subway dance community that is so well known, it has even garnered a shoutout in the subway regulation announcements that are plastered throughout each car. It’s called “Showtime,” the name coming from the common way breakdancers announce the beginning of their shows, and whether the crowd grumbles or applauds in response, the performances usually are pretty remarkable. In essence, it’s breakdancing except on a moving subway, where gravity and the moving bodies of passengers fight for control in the same cramped space as the incredible dancers who manage to contort their bodies and defy physics in subterranean gymnastics likely not found elsewhere. Crews known for these stunts have become hometown heroes, and in many ways foster inspiration in other artists, including Funk, Disco, and House duo the Knocks, who have fashioned their latest video with help from Cam’ron. The subject matter? Well, let’s just say it’s showtime.
The Knocks – aka James “Mr. JPatt” Patterson and Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner – are providers of what’s been called a “mobile party”; an always roaming yet repeatedly consistent nightlife event which has brought their unique blend of sounds to venues around the world. Now, they’re getting ready to unleash a debut full-length project titled 55, and the two are not shy when it comes to experimenting with genres. Sporting a roster of guests as varied as Carly Rae Jepsen and Fetty Wap, they’ve kept it close to home with “New York City,” a song that is in many ways more of a poem than a cut-and-dry song, which makes the Cam’ron feature really inspiring. The Harlem native beautifully speaks the lyrics as slowed-down sequences featuring the iconic subway breakdancers in mid-motion, an artistic feat that required such a forward-thinking vision, it’s hard to believe it was shot entirely in an iPhone 6.
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