Born Hustlers Inc: Snap Star

Hate or it or love it, snap music has consumed this country. When the percussion finger-snap sounds and the bassline drops, anyone who is near the dance floor is moved to join into the crowd’s cycle of leaning, rocking, and snapping their fingers. Although this sound was born in the impoverished community of Bankhead in West Atlanta, its influence can be seen nationwide, especially in the recent production of Top 10 billboard hits. Many consider the movement of snap music to be the death of Hip-Hop, but in actuality, it rejuvenated nightclubs all over the country with one of the biggest dance floor revolutions in recent years making it okay again to go out and have a good time…Now, let AllHipHop.com introduce you to the founders of this movement: Yung J, Hard Head, Skeet and K-Rab better known as BHI (Born Husslers, Incorporated).

AllHipHop.com: Now I know it’s not really called the snap dance. That sounds more like something the media came up with. What’s the real name of the snap dance seen in videos like your own “Do It Do It” and Lil’ Jon’s “Snap Ya Fingers” ?

Yung J: The dance…is really called “doin’ it”, nahmean? Everything that’s going on [in our videos] no matter what, it’s really called is “doin’ it”. So that’s how the saying “do it, do it, do it, do it” came about. No matter if you leanin’ and rockin’, “Westside walking it” out or whatever you doing, you’re “doin’ it.”

AllHipHop.com: What’s the background on the dance called “doin’ it”?

Yung J: First off, it was originally started in Westside Atlanta, Southwest Atlanta. It was like five…six different communities at one club vibin’ all together and of course, it was at the club, you know what I’m saying, where everybody showed what they did in their own communities and presented that to the people. So it pretty much started out that way…It all happened off Bankhead, at the Pool Palace.

AllHipHop.com: So the Pool Palace is where the whole movement began?

K-Rab: Yeah, it was the Pool Palace, bruh.

Yung J: That’s where it all started. That’s where the dance started. That’s where everyone was doing the dance at. Didn’t nobody just bring the dance to the club. Everybody started it right there in the club. The Pool Palace is where all that dancing and snap music started at.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the significance of the Pool Palace to y’all and Atlanta as a whole?

K-Rab: It’s like home man. It’s like where everybody start off doin’ their shows at. It’s where everybody you used to hang out with at. It’s just like that live spot.

Yung J: You got everybody coming out from across the world from city to city like it’s Freaknic or something, nahmean. But everybody come to ATL to come to the Pool Palace. It’s crazy…Worldwide, people come to Bankhead, you know like the straight hood, to come to this one club just to see what’s it’s like and go right back home.

Hardhead: You know, coming from the N.O. to Atlanta, I had to adapt but if I can jump right into it that let’s you know what’s going on.

AllHipHop.com: How long has the Pool Palace been open?

Yung J: The Pool Palace used to be the Silver Fox still doing the same thang for the older cats. It was something that you know what I’m saying that our parents might have went [when they were young]. Generations have did it at the Pool Palace, bruh.

AllHipHop.com: Isn’t there a dance called the Pool Palace too?

Skeet: Yeah, It’s a whole lot to it. Right now, in the A, chicks really dig when the n***as do it [laughs]…

Yung J: It really just started off as a beginning to a song that BHI put out called “Do it Do it”. And the song got real big and it started spreading worldwide. And everybody so quick to point fingers and say they the creators of this and they the creators of that, but Atlanta is our city and the city created this with no point to prove. We was just doing us trying to make it. If you wanna see what’s up, come to Bankhead. Come to the Pool Palace, and we’ll let you know what it is, and you ain’t gotta ask.

AllHipHop.com: Now that snap music is catching on, do you think that Crunk music will die out?

Yung J: I know for a fact that Crunk music not gon’ die out. A lot of people say a lot of things. Crunk is not dying, it’s here to stay…forever. Crunk music ain’t goin nowhere. Everybody can do Crunk, but who can do it like [Lil’] Jon. Everybody can do snap, but who can do it like us.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever think this movement that started off at the Pool Palace in Bankhead would make it worldwide?

Yung J: Yeah, mane…If you get the opportunity for the whole world to hear it, you already know it’s gon’ do its thing. It’s just getting the opportunity. Once you get that, it’s not a surprise. It’s what people like. It’s that shine, that flavor, and that swag that people come to Atlanta for. It is what it is.

AllHipHop.com: What dances came before “doin’ it” and “doing the pool palace”?

Skeet: Eastside stompin’ and that crunk s**t…

Yung J: Really people still was “doin’ it.” It’s just getting out there. We been “doin’ it.” We been “doin’ it” since like ‘94, ‘95, ‘96. But you know we just wasn’t snapping. We was doing the same type of dancing you know and if you wanted to see it, you couldn’t go nowhere but Bankhead on the Westside [of Atlanta] and the Pool Palace. Like the motorcycle dance that Yung Joc got [in his video], it’s really a dance called “Westside walk it out,” and we started that dance too. It’s like everybody stealin’ our dances. Nobody in the music industry from ATL ain’t came to the Westside [of Atlanta] and use something that we got going on over here. That’s why we always shout out our side of town because everything jump off here from the snap to D4L to the [Dem] Franchize [Boyz]…everybody come right from the Westside [of Atlanta] and even T.I…It all started in Bankhead, in that same community. That’s just how we do.

AllHipHop.com: How does it feel to be apart of a movement that is putting Bankhead on the map?

K-Rab: It feels amazing, bruh. It’s something so bad turning into something so good. It’s turning a negative thing into a positive thing.