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The Massive Monkees Blog

Some insight on the life of a Massive Monkee

Taste of Our Own Medicine

It seemed smaller than usual. I'm used to lines out to the street at Freestyle Session. We set-up in a corner of the venue. We forgot to register when we got there so we were the to last battle. I was in the funk room most of the time, staying fresh with locking, my legs feel good when I keep them moving. In the first battle, on the first day, of course I got all mad at this other guy because he used my move. I went a step too fast on all my runs. Five minutes after the battle, I was like what the heck is that in my ankle? If you've ever had a pinched nerve you know it starts small. And I'm like no, this isn't happening right now. I couldn't be the kind of person I wanted to be after that. It immobilized me, and made me hesitant.

When we lost I couldn't do it. I saw the moments meant for me when I could take the ball back for our Crew, the parts of the music that no one else wants. We could have won without using routines. Wasting that minute and half killed us too, because those long routines they used against us was a taste of our medicine. It just ate up all the clock. I was sitting around afterwards displaced in time. Trying not to be upset. Then we are leaving; I'm already having my bracelet cut off when the Zulu Kings battle starts. I was gonna post up. Then they tried to punk Jo Rawk. I wasn't gonna dance, and then I tried hitting stuff where my ankle just flopped around. When I tried to do elbow baby swipes I ruined it right there. The good thing is I found out I could dance on it. But I knew I would hurt myself because I didn't have that lift, that spring. It flattened out my style. I don't think I tore anything. I've had way worse ankle injuries doing graffiti... one time, jumping over fences, I landed funny and had cankles bigger than my calves. I never saw a doctor, and I was breakin on it. It helps my style to dance with an injury.

JUSEBOOGY
09/05/08

tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Battles, Juseboogy, Dance, Coping With Loss

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coosh Got Me Out My Day Job

Note: Anna did not attend freestyle session; she took the time to reflect on life as a mom:

I SLOWLY started dancing again a few months after my daughter was born. I was surprised at how much my body remembered the first time I danced again. I felt so relieved. Finding the time to dance was much more difficult. Practice sessions were few and far between. I would do shows every now and then, but it's not the same when you're doing the same thing over and over again. It was just okay, but it wasn't my time yet. From the beginning I spent (and continue to spend) most of my time with my daughter.

She is 2-years old now. She runs around and dances and mimics almost anything we say around her. She is SOOOO fun! She still wears me out, but does a good deal of entertaining herself nowadays. Enough so that at practice she is happy to play with toys for two or three hours in the corner while I really figure out my stuff. Or at home, I can work on some Massive Monkees business without putting her in front of the TV. Life is pretty cool. Being a mom and a b-girl is becoming more and more balanced. I am so grateful for the coosh sponsorship since it's enabled me to focus on both.

I took this summer off of work since money wasn't such a big issue. I got to hang out with Alaina (Terry, Alaina's Dad and one of Massive Monkees founding members, was on the Vans Warped Tour) and did more dancing stuff.

I plan on dancing and doing dance-related projects full-time now (aside from being a full-time mom.) I never did that, even before I got pregnant - I was always working a full-time at a job and danced around that. It's strange because since I have a child, it seems I should stick with sure things and just do the 9 to 5 (especially during this oncoming recession.) But I think right now is a great time for me to dance. There are so many opportunities and possibilities, especially with the crew. Not just making money, but creating and being part of big things.

I think now is my time.

ANA BANANA FREEZE
09/04/08

tags: Massive Monkees, Ana Banana Freeze, B-Girl, Family, Dance

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A Real Crew Can

I guess FSS is important because a W there would really further validate our legacy as one of the best Bboy crews ever. We want to prove that a real crew can, and should, go all the way even if we have to battle through all-star crews on our way to the top. Other than that, Freestyle Session is just THE event to win... Its our biggest event in the US and even though Massive Monkees win on the big stages all over the world we still want that title here at home in the US.

IRON MIKE BRYSEN
09/04/08

tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Battles, Iron Mike Brysen, Coping With Loss, Meditating

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Flavored Out

This weekend was crazy! First off Friday I ended up going out... got pretty smashed. Saturday was real easy like I said it would be. We just did our thing and flavored it out and performed well. We didn't do so good Sunday though because we lost!! We won the first battle against a German crew. But the second battle we just basically smoked our selves. Meaning we didn't perform to our potential because we didn't execute our choreography perfectly and we didn't have much time to do solos. We messed up on some parts and we had people fighting to get on the floor. Just didn't look like we had it in the bag. So I understand why we lost. But afterwards we got to battle Zulu Kings outside on the concrete! It started because Tim and Floor Phantom (Zulu Kings) had a battle the day before and for some reason and it wasn't finished. It started out being a Tim vs Floor Phantom and Papa Smurf (Zulu Kings) battle. But it quickly escalated to full crew ish. That was dope, and we are all on good terms afterwards. Just gotta let that out and show people how ill you really are you know? If other people think you're ill too, then you get respect. Peace to Zulu Kings and respect.

GRANITE ROK
09/03/08

tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Granite Rok, Battles, Coping With Loss

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Half an Hour on Concrete

After that battle it escalated. He didn't take it too lightly that I was telling my crew I smoked him so he confronted me about it. There was a lot of trash talking going on back and forth between us so we battled again outside. I also in all honesty thought I beat him outside too. I'm not saying he's wack or anything. He's good. I just edged him that day. The very next day with no surprise at all he brought the whole Zulu Kings with him to call us out. They actually cut us off to battle them, as we were about to leave. I'm not a bitch so there's no way I'm going to step down from a challenge. My crew Massive Monkees battled Zulu Kings for more than half an hour on the concrete. It was a very memorable battle. Both sides did dope. But you really have to see the footage. Me speaking about it wont give the battle any justice. All in all Freestyle Session weekend is something I'll remember till I'm 80... haha.

TIM THE PIT
09/02/08

tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Tim The Pit, Battles, Coping With Loss

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