Yes, Yes Y'all -- B Boys

My high school AP US History teacher always said that if they say the title of a movie in the movie, it's a good movie. If that applies to books, then Yes Yes Y'all is a good book because on page 120, Kevie Kev tells how he rapped at one of DJ Theodore's parties, saying, "Yes yes y'all and you don't stop".

So this chapter is about how crews formed. It tells about how an aspiring DJ would just set up his stuff and start playing at a party in an effort to gain some recognition, about how an aspiring MC would grab the mic and rap and try ro prove he was good enough to be the MC of a crew. Then how once they had all the members they needed, the crews went to each other's homes to practice their routines, bought identical jackets or made T-shirts, and looked out for each other.

I was amazed to read that Mean Gene "had a house with 12 rooms" at a time when most people were struggling to make it, lived in the projects, and could barely afford to buy new needles or records. (pg 123). I am also surprised that the police didn't bother or harass the Hip Hoppers as they partied in the parks. On page 124, Busy Bee says they would drive by to tell the boys to turn it down or close up for the night and that was it. I guess COPS were ok with things they could relate to and understand, like throwing a party. But when it comes to things that are unfamiliar, like graffiti, break dancing, and wearing "colors", they probably got scared or felt uneasy about the new phenomenoms so they turned against it-agressively.

In addition, I can't believe how much money they spent on these sound systems when there were other things that they could have used the money for, like helping pay rent or buy groceries. Now, I know that as a kid you don't think about or care about things like that, but it seems wild that their parents allowed them to spend so much.
I guess it's a Capitalist investment. You spend a whole lot of money upfront and hope to make it all back and then some in the future. Plus, I'm sure with all the stress and depression of living in those conditions, their parents either couldn't pay that much attention to the hobbies of their children, or encouraged them as a way to uplift their spirits.

It's pretty funny that the Grandmaster Caz & DJ Disco Wiz thought they blew out the whole street because their systems were so powerful and they had plugged into the lamppost, and it turned out to be the blackout of 1977. It's funny because it gives the reader a sense of how loud those speakers must have been for the DJ's to think they had enough power to put out an entire city block. It helps me envision what it must have been like to be a one of those parties, with the bass making your body vibrate, and the trebles making your ears ring. That's definately enough to get a crowd of people dancing and going wild.