-Established in 2001-
The Hip-Hop Collective
THE ELEMENTS
At the heart of the Hip Hop Collective are the 'elements' - the original art forms of hip hop culture. Most of our members actively practice and perfect their respective art within the individual groups. Each group serves as a community where students can learn the art, experience the culture and develop bonds with their hip hop family at large. All skill levels are accepted.
DJing
"The back bone of hip hop"
​
DJing, specifically turntabilism, is the art of creating music using turntables and a mixer (with additional equipment depending on the individual) by manipulating already recorded sounds. A unique sound is created by using the two turntables simultaneously and the DJ using several techniques, most notably scratching, to produce a combined sound out of two tracks.
Notable DJs include Kool Herc, Mellie Mel, Afrika Bambaataa, Jam Master Jay and Q-bert.
Gainesville DJs are a community centered around fostering an immersive and inclusive learning environment. Notable resident DJs include, Robzilla (Tablehogs) and Luminous. For more history and practice information be sure to visit the Gainesville Turntabilism group.
​
MCing
"The character, the wit"
​
MCing (emceeing/spitting) refers to rhyming lyrics accompanied with a rhythmic accompaniment - the main distinction of spitting is that is done in time to the beat. The focuses of MCing can be broken down to concepts such as flow, delivery and content. There many applications of MCing in both freestyle and written verse.
The newest generation of Collective emcees currently practice under the name "PHLEGM". Notable Collective alumni emcees include Marley "The Messenger" a hip-hop artist who continues to be active in the Gainesville area. For more information on practices and events, visit the UF "PHLEGM" group.
Beatbox
"Sounds of a DJ, straight from the lungs"
​
A form of vocal percussion, beatboxing is the art of producing drum beats and other sounds using the mouth and voice. Typically, beatboxers imitate the same sounds that result from DJing, including scratches, beat juggling and the isolation of musical instruments. Although beatboxing has been adapted for many other styles of music, it remains rooted to the music production heritage of the hip hop culture.
UF Beatbox was founded by Greg Hasegawa in 2011 as a group dedicated to building a community of beatbox artists in Gainesville. For more information, visit UF Beatbox for practices and workshops!
Poppin'
"Funk style"
​
A funk style originating in California, popping is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body. Using combinations of movements and poses, these hits are done in sync with the rhythm of the music.
​
Founded in 2010 by graduate student TK Kwon, the Gainesville Popping Department (GPD) has quickly grown to become a well known name in the Gainesville and Florida area. For more information on teaching sessions, practices and performances, check the GPD group.
Bboying
​"Breaking on the break"
Top rock, Footwork, Power and Freezes. These are the 4 main parts of the original hip hop dance that came out of New York in the 70s. Originally termed breaking, and often referred to as breakdancing, the dance and the bboy culture as a whole is now a worldwide phenomenon. Florida has gained international recognition for being the cradle of some of the best bboys, crews and brands in the world leading to the name, Flavor Florida.
As a college town, the Gainesville bboy scene continues to see influences from all over Florida from as far south as Miami, to as far west as Pensacola.
For more information on practices, travel, and jams visit the Gainesville Bboy Group
© 2012 by Christopher Montoya