Crip Walk
The Crip Walk, also known as the C-Walk, is a dance move that was created in the 1970s by first generation Crip member Robert "Sugar Bear" Jackson, and has since spread worldwide.[1]
Genre | Hip-hop dance |
---|---|
Inventor | Crips |
Year | Early 1970s |
Origin | Compton, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Overview
The dance is primarily an act of performing quick and intricate footwork. The rivalry between the Crips and the Bloods spilled over into the world of entertainment, with the adoption of the gang dance by various rappers on the West Coast of the United States, who gave it its name, the Crip Walk. This dance involves the movement of one's feet, classically to the spelling of C-R-I-P (refer C Walk). It was used by Crips at parties to display affiliation, particularly vis-a-vis rival gang the Bloods. It was also used after killing someone to give the kill a Crip signature. MTV declined to broadcast any music videos that contained the Crip Walk.[2]
Examples
- Tennis player Serena Williams performed the walk at the 2012 Summer Olympic tennis tournament after defeating Maria Sharapova in the gold-medal match at Centre Court, Wimbledon.[3]
- The Super Bowl LVI halftime show had a synchronized Crip Walk led by Snoop Dogg.[4]
Variations
There are many variations of the standard Crip Walk,[5] including the Modern Crip Walk,[6] Clown Walk[7] Killwaukee Walk[8] and Crown Walk.[9] The chief differences are in the way moves are executed, from elements such as speed, energy, flow, variations, arm control, and bounce.
Documentaries
- American rapper CJ Mac released a documentary focused on the beginnings of Crip Walk and its rise in popularity entitled "Cwalk: It's a Way of Livin'". It features such rappers as Snoop Dogg, WC and Ice-T along with original members of the Crips.[10]
See also
References
- Richard Thomas. A new dialogue (PDF). 2006 European Workshop on Design & Semantics of Form & Movement on October 26, 2006 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Beal Institute for Strategic Creativity. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 8, 2009.
- Michael Newton (2007). Gangsters Encyclopedia. Chrysalis Books. p. 59. ISBN 9781843404026.
- "Serena Williams lets fly with volley at 'crip walk' critics at US Open". the Guardian. August 26, 2012.
- "In the Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Show, the NFL Couldn't Boss Dr. Dre Around". Vanity Fair. February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- "C walk "ghost". Free ghost - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- "Kyren vs. Iko Crip Battle - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- "KyEatsPie *SA Snippet* - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- "..:. West Coast Life Roleplay Forum .:.. - Portal". west-life.forummo.com.
- "[HoodElements.Com] Spook - Hate In Your Eyes - YouTube". youtube.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
- "C-Walk: It's a Way of Livin' (Video 2003) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
Further reading
- Erika Hayasaki (June 4, 2002). "Some Principals Ban Dance With Gang Ties". Los Angeles Times.
- Jacob Thompson (May 15, 2007). "how to cwalk the v move". Dance Origin.