Olympic breaking is a testament to hip-hop's seismic influence

It began with Black youths dancing on cardboard in the Bronx; now the hip-hop-born dance is headed to the Olympics.

Logan Edra grew up learning about the four elements of hip-hop: rapping, graffiti, DJing and breakdancing. Now, she’s taking that knowledge and her love for the Bronx-born street dance style to the Paris Olympics.

“We’re part of this movement for the culture,” Edra, 21, who goes by Logistx, said in an interview. 

“It’s about peace, love, unity and having fun. There’s already cultural influence, cultural impact; the only thing this adds is attention. We’re just getting more eyes on the culture.”

Breakdancing began in the 1970s within hip-hop culture, which highlighted Black American struggles and creative expression. Fifty years later, hip-hop’s influence in music, culture, art, fashion and sport has spread throughout the world, leading to international competitions and now the debut of breaking at the Olympic Games. The sport has come a long way from the energetic B-boys and B-girls practicing gravity-defying moves on slabs of cardboard in underserved cities. 

When breakdancers Edra, Jeffrey “B-boy Jeffro” Louis, Victor “B-boy Victor” Montalvo and Sunny “B-girl Sunny” Choi take their talents to the Olympics for the first time as Team USA this summer, it will highlight the influence of hip-hop and its impact on communities far and wide. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/breaking-olympic-hip-hop-influence-paris-2024-rcna161208

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