A new chapter was written in the birthplace of hip hop, New York City on November 19th. Red Bull BC One shook iconic music venue, Hammerstein ballroom, to its core. Sixteen b-boys from eleven countries battled with pride in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 1600 enthusiastic fans. French b-boy Lilou took home the honor of being “The One” for the second time, a first in Red Bull BC One’s six year history. “Now I’m really part of Breakdance history. No one has ever achieved what I did tonight. It’s an incredible feeling” he said. He defeated USA’s Cloud, who had a comeback after a four-year break touring with Madonna, in a three-round intense finals face-off. In the end, Lilou’s character, style and confidence prevailed.
Although the b-boy battles were the highlight of an exciting night, tonight’s talent also brought the crowd to its feet. KRS One literally shined as the night’s emcee, but his bright shirt did not distract from the hype he gave to the crowd throughout the show. Hip hop legend Talib Kweli, joined by partner Hi-Tek, rocked the house with his beats, both new and old. One of the most well known b-boy crews, The Rock Steady Crew, gave a dramatic performance that reflected the evolution of b-boying and hip hop in NYC.
TRACE covered the event. Stay tunned… Exclusive interviews and videos will be posted pretty soon.
