Popping got “gangsta” in the early 80’s as Crips and Bloods in south central Los Angeles started participating in Popping and Boogaloo. Where as Locking was more showmanship and gymnastics, Popping and Boogaloo used a more structured and disciplined style as shown in the above clip of Snap, Crackle, and Pop, a group of homies from the hood performing at the Ritz Resteraunt on Crenshaw Blvd in 1982.
One of the first original streetdances created by Don 'Campbellock'
Campbell in 1969 in Los Angeles, this dance has been seen
worldwide but not truly understood. Made famous on Soul Train
in the mid 1970s, Don and a group of other dancers toured the
U.S. as the LOCKERS and have helped develop a subculture
dedicated to learning the art of the Campbellock. There was a
dance in the late 60’s called the Funky Chicken. Don Campbellock
didn`t know how to do it quite right cause every move he did,
he used to "lock" his arms. Then the people would say to him:
"Do the Lock, Campbell". He created some more moves and
patterns and called his new dance "Campbellocking" or just
"Locking". In 1973 they performed on Saturday Night Live.
Breaking, or B-boying as it is more appropriately known, has its roots in the east coast. The creators of Locking, Poppin’ and Boogaloo have their own identity and separate it from East Coast Hip-Hop. Popping, locking and boogaloo were styles that were created on the WEST COAST during the late 60’s early 70’s and adopted into Breaking in the late 70’s. Wearing a brown and white cow print vest, Don Campbellock premiered the style of Locking in 1971 on SOUL TRAIN . The Museum of West Coast Hip-Hop recognizes the FUNK ERA and the PARTY SCENE from the early 70’s through the early 80’s as the forefather of what West Coast Hip-Hop is today.
The Campbellock Dancers
aka The Lockers.
In Fresno, California, Boogaloo Sam was inspired to create his own
style of dance after seeing the original Lockers perform on TV. In
1975 he started putting together movements which later became
known as boogaloo or boog style, from the old James Brown song
"Do the Boogaloo". Boogaloo is a fluid style that uses every part of
the body using angles and incorporating fluid movements to make
everything flow together, while Popping involves snapping the
legs back, and flexing your muscles continuously to the beat to give
a jerky/snapping effect. In 1977 Sam organized the Electric Boogaloo
Lockers and by 1979 had migrated to Long Beach CA bringing the dance
style with him. Also in 79’ another dancer, Boo, brought the popping and boogalooing phenomenon
from Oakland to the Westside of L.A. exploding the styles to the Crenshaw area at a teen club called the Disco Train, and at talent shows at Dorsey High school.
Under the new name Electric Boogaloo, Sam’s crew performed on Soul Train.
Boogaloo Sam and Electric Boogaloo.
But even before the 60’s and 70’s Funk Styles there were the Jazz styles of Tap
and the Lindy Hop. The West Coast styles of Locking, Popping, and Boogaloo are
influenced heavly from both of these genres of dance. (Notice the move called
“The Backslide” which Michael Jackson will rename “The Moonwalk”).
After the release of the movie “Breakin” in 1984, Popping and
Boogaloo made it even more mainstream than when it first gained
exposure in 1979.
These dance styles became a favorite on the hit TV show “Solid Gold”.
Twenty one years later, Popping and Boogaloo is still going on strong as evident in Junior Boogaloo’s performance in West Coast rapper’s 2Mex’s music video “Minors in The Fire”.
Directed by Gregory “G.Bone” Everett.
