Boris the Beatboxer

I think it's really important to do stuff that you don't normally do, it's fun and expands your horizons, makes you learn things and you get to meet new people, it also prevents boredom setting in whilst we wait for the asteroid to hit.

This was the spirit in which I went to a breakdance/beatbox/MC competition on Sunday. I don't really know much about that kind of music hip hop/break-beat whatever it's called, you know, the sort of genres that require DJs to do something other than just press play.
That's not to say I don't like it, I can definately appreciate it for it's artistic merit, but it intimidates me, most people who like this kind of music can actually dance - they can feel beats and rhythms, they don't just jump around when the stone roses come on, or drunkenly scream 'DEBASER' in their mates face whilst gesturing with mock emotion, nor do they invoke the spirit of Jarvis Cocker and mime as if the whole world will be impressed by the fact that you know all the words to common people.*

The competition was hosted by vaxhaull - and the prize was £1000 to 'pimp your motor' which I suppose is something you might have to do if you have the misfortune to actually drive a vauxhaull. There was also a £100 spot prize for use of the vauxhall logo in their 'bit' , the winner actually stripped off during a 'power move' to reveal 'it's the drive of your life' on his arse. Indeed !

I did have a great time and the physical prowess, rhythm and creativity displayed by the dancers was incredible, all male incidentally - and very male. Hip hop does have a sort of hyper masculinity about it that weedy indie boys obviously gave up on years ago. Which makes me wonder at it as a form of mating ritual - the machismo, the boasting - the display of perfectly toned and incredibley flexible bodies..........

But I am getting a little off topic now.... One of my favourite performers was called Boris, who was a beat boxer (to put this in non hip-hop terms, it means he can make his mouth into a ghetto-blaster) Now Boris was much too good looking to have the name of Boris, and could not have looked more public school if he had Harrow tattooed** on his forehead. He was fantastic - his voice was like some kind of computer, obviously he had the 'threads'***, and obviously he was very posh. This made me look around and wonder at the social make up of this subculture- as it strikes me that it does appeal to both the traditional 'street' audience and the middle classes. So in many ways a very diverse audience, and a forum for social mixing potentially - which is nice.

But staying with Boris - I begin to wonder how common this public school 'Hip hop' phase is, how many of the elite go through this - and does this mean that in the not too distant future we will be faced with GANGSTA TORIES ? is this potentially the direction in which the party is heading? David Cameron is already becoming pretty damned cool with environmentalism and cycling - in the future will we have Tories who discuss privitisation, the benefits of vegetarianism and carbon footprints by day, and display power moves on the rugs of their kensington flats by night? Will the next party leader astound party members at the conference by MCing the Tory manifesto - before encouraging the crowd to form a circle around the shadow cabinet 'crew' while they spin around on their heads ?

Or perhaps these hip hop kids wil join the labour party instead.......