Good newz! There were a lot of people at the session tonight — and it was still early. The energy was especially good for two reasons as I would soon find out. First, J.Bad was back. He is a member of the Newz Family, “the first Hispanic crew to be out there like that,” Manny Fernandez, aka Lil Newz, once told me. J.Bad, aka Junior Newz, had been arrested for not being a U.S. citizen while being stopped for something else. The 818 had a fundraiser back in January to help pay for some of his legal fees. And here he was, back at the session, wanting — needing — to dance. I became very emotional seeing him there, even more so when he danced. He was back home.
I dedicate this post to the Newz Family. Bad Newz, the lead member, was there. He danced a few times. After J.Bad went away, he came to the circle two weeks in a row asking for donations. “What if they took this session away from you?” he asked, his voice cracking. “Something you loved to do … He’s like family.”
Lil Newz, aka Manny, danced. He always does — with a lot of heart. He was hit by a car in 2010, broke his leg and got a concussion. Three months later he was back at the session. In a wheelchair at first, then on crutches. People have told me he krumped with his arms while sitting, then with one leg and one arm while on crutches.
The second reason the energy was so good tonight is that Miss Prissy brought a friend from her New York trip back with her. His name is Storyboard, and I think he said his style is mutation. He was amazing. He seemed to lack a skeletal structure the way he swerved and bent, and his muscular control was impeccable as he tilted his upper half backward to the ground and slowly crept up again. Effortless. He told me that he was trying to get the vibe of krump and this circle. He had his own session in New York, but he wanted to branch out. At some point in the night, he told me he thought he was starting to understand the 818 — the emotion, the movement, the attitude. There were no rules. He just wanted to contribute.
The 818 Session 