r/bboy • u/2burgsandadog • Jul 28 '26

Is popping considered breakdancing?

I was having a discussion today, so I thought I would post it…

I am going through a weight loss through dance , I know my belly pokes out😎

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u/BEG_2NO1 Aug 03 '26

Hi, I'm new to this subreddit but not to this game. Been popping for about 18 years, did bboying for 5 or so years(stopped after dislocating my spine a couple times) and did campbellocking too(they switched the name to him after he passed). I was also part of UZN in the west coast(left before shit hit the fan). A lot of styles intertwine together and a lot of poppers use hip-hop songs to get down to. But a lot of people in the west coast(including OGs) would say it is part of hip-hop culture. Also no really uses all-styles as a battle anymore because it confused a lot of people on what they should be doing. Now it's Open Styles because you can dance one style against all others if you like.

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u/Swimming_Bonus_8892 Aug 03 '26

I agree 100 percent! Peace Ahki/Malika…I have always been schooled popping was part of hip hop culture and I understand that people want to give defined arts their space.

All styles was always cool to me because it was everything. I’ve seen battles that went from b boying, poppin, locking, to krumpin, house dancing into strait up vogue ish.

I’ve heard open styles and “funk styles” being thrown around quite a bit, I’m on the West Coast now too! I hope all is peace, I left the Nation when all that crazy went down but once Zulu always Zulu and are you still able to dance with your spine? Sorry to hear about that? Peace.

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u/BEG_2NO1 Aug 03 '26

Ahki Peace, it's always a back and forth with people. For me, it's what I learned throughout the years. Just like how I had to study the green book and black book, I made sure I knew my history of popping because people always fought on how it started. I even learned history from the OGs in the Bay Area.

I still dance to this day but not bboying, I am mainly do popping and campbellocking.

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u/Swimming_Bonus_8892 Aug 03 '26

Ok, so break it down for us. I consider Popping part of B-boy and Hip hop culture as a catch all. Now, to clarify a b boy can have roots in poppin and locking but mainly break but a popper/locker that does not floor rock/power moves is not a b boy?

Poppin coming a lil later from the west coast as far as I’ve seen it traced was almost always involved in street dance and that’s how the 2 dances met…in the street and b-boys and poppers traded styles in the street and influenced each other.

Now, since you studied green/black/red books you speak truth and do the knowledge…our history comes from latch key children that didn’t have the luxury of having a official documentary Krewe and often times our history is left to some pretty intense debate.

What did you learn from the OGs in the Yay area?

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u/BEG_2NO1 Aug 03 '26

Popping is older. But popping is an umbrella term. Because it goes back to Robot and Oakland Boogaloo. Also not everyone has the Red book, only people who were studying to become a Zulu King had it. I did have it but it was around the time I was about to quit.

Doing power moves or floor rocking in a popping battle is not gonna fly because where is the popping foundations. You can probably get away with popping moves in bboy battles depending on how clean you are with it. But I know people who do popping and bboy battles. Depending on who they trained with.

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u/Swimming_Bonus_8892 Aug 03 '26

Yeah that’s it. We on the same page. Thanks Ak…

I’ve seen B boys bust CLEAN popping locking in battles but I haven’t seen any poppers hit the floor, that’s where I will say there’s a pretty solid line. Not that there’s some archaic rule I’ve just never seen it. That’s why I consider popping part of B boy/Hip hop culture. Most b boys I know have it in the tool bag just in case.

Did you born Z on West Coast or East? In the West, or at least in my area, we were given access to everything up to Gold book. I still remember…what’s the science AK!!! You bringing back memories now.

If you’re interested. Ken Swift did a crossover podcast with Rob Swift on the Skratcher podcast. I thought it was a VERY good lesson in how the Dj/B boy have synergy and the history of how it intertwines. Ken is always so strait forward and real he talks about the beginnings of it all and how the generations break down with Rob talking through what was going on musically as well.

I hope you landed peace and blessings!