Quest vs. Beat Freaks

I’ll say this about last week, Quest had the stronger performance compared to Beat Freaks.  They were great and I had to cut them some slack because for the first time I felt like I was watching a bunch of Bboys.   If Quest is to win, it would be because of those last two performances since fans of the show are more emotional than logical.  However, the Beat Freaks has been consistently great through out the season.  Sure, there were a few performances that were too gimmicky and a bit weak for me, but overall….they were always a step above the rest.  While being the “best” on the show doesn’t really mean anything, the title  is about making more money than the rest.  So the title should go to the group that has been the best consistently and that’s the Beat Freaks.  Yup, I’m biased….in a logical way.

Team Millennia – Kollaboration 9

Damn you Boa’s shoes….made me miss this….since I helped put them on the show.  And they performed Wonder Girl’s “Tell Me”…..just to to enertain the Korean audience.

Kollaboration 9 Fan Cam Vids

It was awesome….and not because of the performers, but because the Shrine was a sold out show.  Hearing the crowd cheer like crazy was amazing, plus I got to see Playmate Grace Kim!  While most little kids were there to see Boa and couldn’t care less about artists who are both talented and self-reliant, I just want to say thanks to them for  coming out and buying the last of the tickets!  You guys rule!

And next time, just change yours shoes Boa…you made me miss Team Millennia.

Jane Lui – 1st runner up!  Boa doesn’t hold a candle to her.  She plays her own instruments, is vocally gifted, writes her own music, and doesn’t have SM get professionals to make her seem more polished.

David Choi – Youtube song

Kaba Modern - Yuri Tag was really cute up close…and Kaba Modern  dancing to Santeria was so win.

Kina Grannis

Asiance Magazine: Beat Freaks Rino Nakasone

You might know Rino Nakasone as the tall beautiful Asian girl of the group Beat Freaks on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, but did you know that Rino was also one of Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku girls? I got a chance to speak with Rino, sometimes called Rinokinawa, on her least busy day of the week, in between dance rehersals for the hit MTV show and teaching classes!

ASIANCE: Wednesday is your day off?

Rino: Today is the least busy day of the week. We always are creating stuff.

ASIANCE: You recently got married, is that correct? Congrats!

Rino:Yes. Yeah I got married last July 2007. My husband is from California, he’s from here but he’s Filipino American. His family is from the Philippines.

ASIANCE: Is your hubby very supportive, does he go to the shows?

Rino: Yes he’s always got my back! He came for the first one and now he’s in the Philippines doing business. He is full out! When he gets excited, like me, he made so much happen as far as supporters. He really believes in Beat Freaks and we are so thankful for that.

ASIANCE: You are from Okinawa but came here ten years ago?

Rino: I came to California in 1999.

ASIANCE: Will you go back to Japan after the show to visit?

Rino: Yeah I would love to see my family. I was originally going back in January but this started, so maybe after this I can go back.(more)

Half-Life 2: Escape from the City

Kollaboration 9 in 3 Days

Now that I’ve ragged on Quest a bit….as a group of great guys, they’ve been good to Kollaboration.  They performed for the show last year and in the video, you can see the other chair routine they bite…*allegedy*….off of Project Korea…but with at least their own flavor.

Buy your tickets because you wished you were dead…..HERE.

Quest Apologizes to the Bboy world

So Quest apologized for *allegedly* stealing from Project Korea but honestly feel they didn’t do it on purpose.  Quest member Dtrix went on a forum known as Bboy world to do so and I give him credit stepping up to it. However, I find it hard to believe that none of them as a TEAM didn’t know about it, especially when there’s a Korean guy in there. Of course, I can always be dead wrong since I wasn’t there when they didn’t watch it, but it’s too much of a coincidence to find two stunts performed by them to be found at the same 2002 UK Bboy event. At least with the chair flare they took *allegedly*, they added their own flavor by doing a head spin. With the upside down Bboy….it was just a complete rip. Dtrix does say “Quest will make absolutely sure to prevent it from happening again. ‘Not knowing’ is not an excuse, and we do not intend on ever using the gimmick again, out of respect to those who have done it before us.” …but when the prize is a $100,000….the moment served it’s purpose so it doesn’t really matter anymore.

I’m not a bboy but I understand the jest of things and certain principles within that culture which is specific to them. Like in life, you can learn from the best and mimic what makes them great but you need to become your own person. What’s the point of even being an artist if all you’re good at is being exactly like someone else? With bboying there is a certain standard that is to be respected and that is individuality. We as human beings may be an influence of our environments and culture, but we still need to respect moments and creations that are unique….which is why signature moves are left to those who made it and moments in history are openly credited.  While fans of ABDC may not care and only want to be entertained, if Quest wants to be respected as bboys, then they need to hold themselves to the same standards Super Crew does.  I’m sure actual bboys and bgirls still think they are…but all I see is a boy band of dancers with a good sense of humor.

I don’t hate Quest and I certainly don’t want them to fail in life. Their existence is their own and they have no effect on me. However, like a Lakers fan…I root for them to beat their cross time rival, the Clippers, whenever they play each other. Since I’m voting for Beat Freaks Crew, I’m just a harsher critic of Quest until the season ends.  So you can probably say I respect them enough to consider them a threat to Beat Freaks since they can certainly entertain.  Besides, people around me love them and for good reasons since they seem like great kids….great kids who bite Project Korea’s moment in Bboy history….*allegedly.*

Beat Freaks for the win!!!

Team Millennia at BLVD3

Team Millennia will perform at Kollaboration 9

Thanks to the Beat Freaks family for hooking that up.  Although I felt they resembled Fanny Pak a bit too much at the start, they represented themselves well and should not have been knocked off before that Freak Show group.

I’m sure they’ll bring us a high energy level performance to set our tone since they’ll be opening up for Kollaboration 9.

There’s only 1 week left…so buy your tickets now before they are all gone.

Support the freaking Beat Freaks Crew by…

Getting blitz, dance on the dance floor, and getting home safely with your designated driver so you can vote for the Beat Freaks.