Krumping – DanceJam

Krumping comes from the acronym, KRUMP which stands for; Kingdom of Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise. It is a social dance movement exhibiting high intensity and radical acts of self-expression to rise above socioeconomic hardships such as poverty, crime, and violence. KRUMP originated among a group of youths on the west coast of which its pioneers are attributed to Tight Eyez a.k.a Ceasare Willis and Lil C.

KRUMP is often performed to slow hip hop beats and is contrasted with fast, aggressive movements that run the gamut from foot stomps to chest pops and arm swings. These fast movements can be interpreted as a release of anger, inner turmoil, and an expression of rage or even frustration. It is often confrontational in nature and to an untrained eye, krumping may appear erratic however there are essential elements to this dance form. Some of these elements include: Sync Moves, Power Moves, Taunts, Puzzles, Chest Pops, Bangs, Stomps, and Arm Swings.

Additionally, there are three levels to krumping that are generally characterized by the krumper’s ability to express their energy through the energy of the music. Each level is illustrated by the krumper’s change in energy and movement and often readily acknowledged by the reception from those observing.
These three levels in order of ability are:

1. Krump
2. Buck
3. Amped

Krumpers are structured in groups known as families. Each family consists of a Big Homie, who is considered the leader of the group. The Big Homie is also known to carry the responsibility of being a mentor and teacher. Family members usually hone their skills by apprenticing with their Big Homie. A new recruit or novice to krumping is called a New Bootie. Much of the social hierarchy in Krumping communities is determined through competition since krumpers face off against each other in battle scenarios.

Krumping is also often confused for another type of dance called Clowning which offers dance moves from a similar range of movement like Krumping. Clowning is however distinguished by its lighthearted approach as opposed to Krump’s aggressive and angry stylings. The execution of the dance moves in Krumping is also known to be much faster than Clowning.

As seen with the names of the three levels, there are also many terms in krumping that come out of everyday slang such as; “Labbin’” which means practicing for a battle; “Gett Off” meaning to get started or getting a battle started; and “Kill-Off” which means to end a battle.

Krumping became popularized by David LaChapelle’s documentary, Rize and can also be seen in many mainstream music videos and films.

genre: Hip Hop

tags: Arm Swings, Bangs, Chest Pops, Get Off, Kill Off, Kingdom of Radically Uplifted Mighty Priase, Krump, Krumper, Krumping, Labbin', Power Moves, Puzzles, Stomps, Sync Moves, Taunts

originator: Tight Eyez, Lil C, Big Mijo, Slayer

region of origin: Los Angeles

made popular by: RIZE, SHAKE CITY, Tight Eyez, Miss Prissy, Big Mijo, Lil C, Slayer, Tommy The Clown, La Niña, Wild Boi, Lil' Mama, Larry The Clown, Baby Tight Eyez, Daisy

similar dances: Clowning, Wu Tang, Turf Dancing

influenced by: Breakdance, Clowning

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