Why One Rocksteady Crew DJ Views The 2024 Olympics As A Springboard For Breakdancing Culture

DJ Skeme Richards understands the significance of this moment. As one of the premier DJs on the global scene, Richards heard rumblings that breakdancing would be added to the 2024 Olympic program; however, the recent announcement confirming the decision has turned anticipation into reality.

“I knew it was actually coming,” Richards said during a phone interview. “It was just a matter of time when it would be happening. Once I got wind of it when I woke up in the morning, it was just kind of like, ‘Oh, it’s really happening.’ I knew that was going to be a major moment right there when it was announced.”

With breakdancing pushed to the forefront after its certified Olympic status, Richards views the next four years as an opportunity for the greater public to appreciate the history behind the dance and its culture.

“I’m liking that the culture is being pushed forward and it’s being brought to the attention of more people,” he said. “I’m hoping the masses can actually sit back and understand the foundation and the history of the dance, versus just seeing it as like, ‘Oh, this is something cool in the Olympics.’”

While the details on how the participants will be evaluated have not been released, experts will work on norming standards. Richards said there would be a formality for assessment that is not currently present during conventional competitions.

“It’s going to be to the Olympic standards of judging,” he said. “They’re going to come up with the criteria, which I’m not really sure of the key criteria yet, but that will probably be foundation, rhythm and technicality. … It would probably be different than what we do in the streets, or what we do at jams or competitions in our world, but similar in a sense because you’re still being judged by your peers.”

Another change from traditional jams fans will notice is the music. Richards, who has gained critical acclaim for his choice selections at parties and competitions, quickly mentioned the authentic sounds of James Brown and his contemporaries will be absent due to licensing issues. Producers will be hired to compose tracks that recreate the energy of the 1970s and 1980s classics.

“I would love to just play James Brown and all the music that’s part of the culture, because that’s the feeling and the essence of this dance,” he said. “When you start creating music that sounds like now, the feeling isn’t the same as what these live funk and soul bands were playing in the seventies. … There are skilled producers that are doing things right now and hopefully the music will be on point and the dancers will bring out the best in that music.”

By adding breakdancing to the Olympics, millions will be able to witness the global spread of an artform that hip-hop culture birthed. In his international travels, the Philadelphia-based DJ has observed talent swelling continents away from where it started in the Bronx.

“Breaking has been going on in Japan since the eighties [when] hip hop first went over there to travel and go on tour,” he said. “We have chapters of Rock Steady in Japan, so it has been there [for a long time].”

As interest grows worldwide, dancers will focus their eyes on another prize, sponsorship. This move to the 2024 Olympics reflects a crucial inflection point for the breakdancing’s economic growth. While breakdancing will always have its roots on an underground level, if it is to persist commercially, sponsors will have to put money into the system. Richards says this type of financial backing is lacking in the current landscape.

“This is a really important moment, because this will define what will happen in the next 10 years,” he said. “This will define if sponsors will want to get involved and start sponsoring people, because we don’t have that right now.”

Richards will be watching intensely as the community forges its plan to Paris. With many hands potentially stirring the pot, he wants to see the decision makers preserve the culture. It is a trademark he has earned while spreading the music across the world.

“It will be interesting to see how this is going to break down and pan out,” he said. “I hope everything stays on the foundation of the dance and how it’s always been, versus trying to switch it up and look for something else that wasn’t the foundation of the culture.

“I’m still all about the culture. I think that is a concern for a lot of people because particularly for me, this is Black culture. I am hoping that it does not get watered down; there are foundations of this dance, the music and the culture. … It’s a dance first and foremost.”