Skateboarding, like most other communities, has plenty of kooks; never ceasing to amaze me with their incredible stupidity and “lameness.” When mainstream ideas and standards are thrown into the mix, some people are bound to make fools of themselves. Hip-hop is one of those things that is so mainstream, there is a razor thin line between what is normal or acceptable and what is just plain ridiculous.
When incorporated into the skateboarding community, hip-hop can play an important role in characterizing personal style. For example, professional skateboarder Terry Kennedy utilized this genre to set himself apart from others. Known for his gold chains, large purchases, eccentric personality, and a beaming grin, Kennedy cashed in on what people found entertaining. Most people first found out about him through the MTV show, Viva La Bam, based on pro skateboarder and jackass Bam Margera’s antics. Seen on the show as “Compton Ass Terry,” Kennedy’s own antics created a fan base ensuring his future success. Sure enough, Kennedy soon landed major contracts with KR3W apparel and Pharrell’s Ice Cream Shoes and Billionaire Boys Club. Now Terry Kennedy is one of the most successful skateboarders in the business. Sure he annoyed some people in the process, but the sheer fact that he made money of the hip-hop industry instead of them making money off of him deserves recognition.
Unfortunately, Terry Kennedy’s story is a rarity in the skateboarding world. The opposite side of the spectrum, hip-hop using and abusing skateboarding, is much more prevalent. This week I found a link on Quartersnacks to a few music videos from the hip-hop group named “The Board Bangers.” I watched this video and immediately had something to rip on.
Why is it that just about every hip-hop video in the entire world has a mass of people in a room, jumping up and down and doing stupid hand gestures? This video has so little to do with skateboarding, its almost funny. The girl in the video, Dymond, is spending most of the video holding a skateboard, claiming that she is a skater girl. What the hell is a skater girl anyway? Is it a girl who skateboards? A girl who thinks she is a skateboard? A girl who dates a skateboarder? A girl who smokes crack at the local skatepark? (Yes, I’ve seen that one before). I think in the case of skater girl Dymond, it’s the latter. This particular video also features a couple of dudes dressed in three piece suits and fedoras opening a briefcase full of toilet paper: yet again, another thing with no skateboarding relation whatsoever. The only good thing I can say about this video is that there is nothing good I can say about this video, it sucks. Now, it would be sort of pointless to bag on the Board Bangers without having an example of what a good use of skateboarding in a rap video is. So here you go.
Alabama bred, Yelawolf, aka Catfish Billy actually skates, and actually is good at it, and actually cares about it, and actually did a skateboarding/hip-hop tour recently. His video, Kickin’, is worth watching not just because the guy has talent, but because the skateboarding featured in it is good. He might just be the first rapper to 360 flip in his own video. Another thing I like about ‘wolf is that he surrounds himself with his true friends and neighbors, rather than disproportioned models selected by the recording company. Though his gesticulations go a little over the top, he more than makes up for it by including muddy ATV’s, firefighters, and vandalized train cars in his video. Yelawolf knows what he’s doing whereas the Board Bangers don’t. Assuming that Yelawolf continues to stay true to his roots and his passion in skateboarding, he will no doubt be successful further on down the road.
Skateboarding is so amusing at times. The characters it attracts are fascinating; some in good ways and some in bad ways. Everyone from Terry Kennedy to the Board Bangers to Yelawolf, contribute something unique and interesting to the skateboarding community. I can’t really complain about who comes tries to enter our culture because they give it character. What I can do, on the other hand, is make fun of the people who fail miserably at legitimizing themselves before skateboarding’s inner circle namely, the Board Bangers.
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