Now... this is actually super old. I wrote it about 5 years ago. I just translated the first page of a nine page report because I needed it for my portfolio of artwork. I still thought I'd post it because I know some people who might be interested in what I said about them. If I ever get the chance and you guys want me to I'll translate the full article. Let me know what you think! Thanks!
Yours, Lea.
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„Show your love... for Freiburg!“
Tommy the Clown and his Hip Hop Clowns at the ‘Zelt Musik Festival’, June 30th 2007, Freiburg
“It’s the R-O-C-C-O! Show your love fooooooooor Roc’co!!!” Red lights. He enters through a side entrance. Interminably cool, chilled, walking slowly, the hood of his bright, airbrushed sweatshirt on his head, pulled down low. He stops right at the centre of the stage, stares at the audience, pulls the hood from his head. The female part of the audience starts screaming hysterically while the present male fans just applaud and nod their heads in appreciation. Arms are raised high in the air. Their hands build the ‘roc signs’, triangles, reminding you of a big diamond. Suddenly the speakers start blasting Kayne West’s ’Golddigger’, just the beginning, the part Jamie Foxx sings: „She takes my money, well I'm in need, Yeah she's a triflin' friend indeed, Oh she's a gold digger way over town, that digs on me!“ The dancers move to the beat. Roc’co moves his lips in synchronization with Jamie’s words and suddenly he cuts loose: The beat comes in and the young black man, with the skilfully painted face starts dancing. „Yeah, you already know what time it is! This is yo boy, Roc’co tha Clown. Left side, right side, in the middle, in the back: Roc’s up! Put ya roc’s up!“ Then lightning seems to electrify his body: His chest pops up and down, arms rotate, rushing up and down the stage. „He is getting krumped“.
One day before, lunch time. My friend Charlotte and me are tired but still made it to the hotel after a six-hour train ride and a long search for our hotel crosstown Freiburg. We unpack our stuff and rest for a couple of minutes before we take a look around the city to buy some last important bits & bobs for the upcoming evening. Slowly we are getting excited. What if they are staying at our hotel? If not, in which one are they staying? Are they in the city right now? Like us? Some where in Freiburg? Are they bored? Goddamn it, what are they doing?!
Of course the question pops up why we put all that effort and time in the upcoming evening and ‘them’. Why we hopped on a train to travel half of Germany and stay in a city we don’t even know. ‘Is it worth it?’ The answer is – quite honestly – YES! ‘Well has to be something big and great then… if you are willing to do all that.’ Again: A definite YES! ‘Now, what the hell is all this?!’ people might ask.
It’s a dance, it’s a group, a movement, a lifestyle, a man, a clown, born, originated, raised and founded in Los Angeles, California. The dance is called ‘Krump’ or ‘Clowning’, the man who started the movement and heads the group, we were coming to see, calls himself Tommy the Clown. His dancers are the Hip Hop Clowns. […]
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