Crip Walk
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
 An example of the "V Stepback" Crip Walk move | |
| Genre | Hip-hop dance |
|---|---|
| Year | Early 1970s |
| Origin | Compton, California, U.S. |
The earliest videos of the dance known as a ‘Crip walk’ is from Henry "Crip" Heard, a Harlem dance legend who lost an arm and a leg in a car accident. This was later adopted by The Crips, an alliance of California street gangs who are often defined by their deadly rivalry with The Bloods. Crip walking is an elaborate set of footwork which in many cases sees the dancer spelling out C-R-I-P with their feet. It was originally created by Crip members to communicate with one another but, over the years, has seeped into popular culture through rappers who are closely associated with the Crips.[1]
Overview
[edit]The dance is primarily an act of performing quick and intricate footwork. The rivalry between the Crips and the Bloods spilled over into the world of entertainment, with the adoption of the gang dance by various rappers on the West Coast of the United States, who gave it its name, the Crip Walk. This dance involves the movement of one's feet, classically to the spelling of C-R-I-P. It was used by Crips at parties to display affiliation, particularly vis-a-vis rival gang the Bloods. It was also used after killing someone to give the kill a Crip signature. MTV declined to broadcast any music videos that contained the Crip Walk.[2]
Examples
[edit]- Tennis player Serena Williams performed the walk at the 2012 Summer Olympic tennis tournament after defeating Maria Sharapova in the gold-medal match at Centre Court, Wimbledon.[3]
- The Super Bowl LVI halftime show had a synchronized Crip Walk led by Snoop Dogg.[4]
- The Super Bowl LIX halftime show headlined by Kendrick Lamar featured Serena Williams briefly doing the Crip Walk.[5]
- The earliest videos of the dance are of Harlem dance legend, Henry “Crip” Heard[6] from his performance in the 1948 movie, “Boarding House Blues”. Heard's scene in the film is referred to as, “Introducing the Axe”.
Documentary
[edit]American rapper CJ Mac released a documentary focused on the beginnings of Crip Walk and its rise in popularity entitled "Cwalk: It's a Way of Livin'". It features such rappers as Snoop Dogg, WC and Ice-T along with original members of the Crips.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "True origin behind 'Crip walk' as Serena Williams does controversial dance move during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl show". ladbible. February 10, 2025.
- ^ Michael Newton (2007). Gangsters Encyclopedia. Chrysalis Books. p. 59. ISBN 9781843404026.
- ^ "Serena Williams lets fly with volley at 'crip walk' critics at US Open". the Guardian. August 26, 2012.
- ^ "In the Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Show, the NFL Couldn't Boss Dr. Dre Around". Vanity Fair. February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Watch Kendrick Lamar Play The 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show". Stereogum. February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ "True origin behind 'Crip walk' as Serena Williams does controversial dance move during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl show". ladbible. February 10, 2025.
- ^ "C-Walk: It's a Way of Livin' (Video 2003) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
Further reading
[edit]
- Erika Hayasaki (June 4, 2002). "Some Principals Ban Dance With Gang Ties". Los Angeles Times.
- Jacob Thompson (May 15, 2007). "how to cwalk the v move". Dance Origin.
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