Urban Force

By Beat 1
AL 43 February 2000

Mi find it difficult to write a ‘neutral’ intro for Urban Force. In fact, I cannot hide the fact that they are in Italy the group I mention when I talk about ‘real Hip Hop heads’, b-boys with a great dedication to the culture of the double H in its totality and friends. The crew consists of three elements: Tim, Naish and Serio. I was not able to meet the latter, to whom I plan to dedicate an interview soon.

>Aiming for professionalism?

UF: “From our side we always try to present ourselves in the best way, everything is carefully studied so that whatever we have to do, from printing a t-shirt to preparing a choreography, is innovative and at a higher level. Then you see, although it remains primarily a fun, a passion, dealing with a reality like the Rome Zoo, with its live concerts, forces us to be professional; you take a show on the road: you have to give people a show. That quickly pushes you to take responsibility, to have an artist's mentality. Of course you can also dance for a friend, it will always be a pleasure, but you always know how much you are worth if you are called for the realization of projects such as videos, movies or gigs; it's a question of mentality, it's time to give dignity and proper recognition to breakin’ and b-boys.”

>You often go to parties abroad: why is it important to move around and go to jams?

TIM: “Because I think it is essential to compare with other people, even those outside Hip Hop, exchanging ideas and experiences only adds to one's cultural background. Although culture is one, there are different ways of interpreting and expressing it. By coming into contact with others, one can be enriched. Even unknowingly you may find yourself at a party (or anywhere) where you think everyone is inferior to you or at a scrappy party; but in reality those events will stay with you and serve you sooner or later--perhaps as a negative example, but it is still an example. At the same time you can give something to people with whom you share this passion and lifestyle, but who live in different cities and countries. By moving around you can broaden your horizons, hang out with artists who are not only specifically related to breaking, but who express themselves through other forms other than dancing.”

NAISH: “Because you see the level around, you compare yourself with others, you gain experience, you meet other people, you become aware of different styles, if there are new avenues to go down, what to focus on to stand out. There may be 1,000 reasons to go to jams, there may be only one economic reason not to go.”

>What should be the spirit of the true b-boy?

UF: “We don't think there has to be a particular spirit that distinguishes the true b-boy. Everyone has the right spirit within them that will reflect their personality and state of mind. It is up to the b-boy to bring it out without pretense, believing in what he does, without hiding behind masks trying to be that or the other, but remaining himself and making his own contribution.”

Do you prefer a technically clean move or a more aggressive though dirtier move?

NAISH: “As long as when you dance you communicate something, you give emotions.”

>The Roman breaking and Hip Hop scene in general?

NAISH: “It has to be said that as far as breaking is concerned in the last couple of years the scene has grown a lot in quantity, there are some people coming up well, quite a few kids are training every day, dancing at parties, starting to spin, you still see very little dancing, but it's not bad and there are people who are getting the right mentality. The only thing I see negatively is this air of dickishness that many times I've noticed when training; maybe for them who are 15-17 years old it's okay, but to me it's not that I'm really up for listening to the teasing of those who are starting now by someone who is there maybe just watching. It may be that when I started there were 7-8 of us and all believing, now maybe out of 50 you always find those 10-20 who have nothing to do with it.”

>Hip Hop and community centers: is there a connection?

NAISH: “Definitely the community center was a starting point to start organizing jams, parties and to find a space to practice. In short, it helped the growth of something that then also came out of the community center reaching another target group of people. So I think there was a connection; the center gave us a space and we made it become an event, a b-boying class or just a meeting place from time to time.”

>You were among the Crash Kid's greatest friends. I've seen a lot of people these past two years proclaiming two minutes of silence for Maximus, then 1, then 30 seconds...now nothing, oblivion. Personally, I know Maximus had enemies, but all of a sudden everyone had become his great friends who remembered him. What do you think?

NAISH: “Just after Massimo's death there was, at least here in Rome, a rush to proclaim: ‘I was CRASH's friend,’ ‘I spent the last six months together with him,’ ‘I understood him,’ all that kind of stuff, all bullshit; the real friends were silent. If they spoke, they did so in the right tones as the situation demanded. Many felt like standing up as great friends, judging, saying. What we felt for Massimo is the same now as it was two years ago. Now that the uproar has passed it seems that many have already forgotten all about it, which is why we are only now planning to create an event to remember his message.”

>Few b-boys dance to new school rap. Some think rap's bpm are not suitable for breaking speeds, others think old school has exasperated us. How do you see it?

NAISH: “The speed of breaking, it seems like everyone has to splash around, make fast movements. I dance, I try to follow the music, it's not like this is supposed to get you pumped up. Dancing to only one type of music can be a very respectable choice, but frankly it's quite limiting, with all the new music coming out and the funky and soul music to be rediscovered. And then you want to put the inspiration you get from hearing an unreleased track with some new sounds...”

>A must-ask question. What does it mean to be from the Rome Zoo? 

TIM: “Before I explain why I am part of Rome Zoo, let me explain a couple of things about it. First there is to say that the Rome Zoo was born from the will of some people who have been there for several years on the scene and bring forward in Rome and in Italy Hip Hop at a professional level. Among them are the best mc's in Rome and beyond Colle Der Fomento (Masito, Danno, Ice One and Baro), Rome Zoo All Stars (Cina, Sparo and Gufo) and the Desert Monkeys (Misho and Featz), the turntablism freaks (Dj Stile and Dj Baro), the fiercest writers (MT2, TRV and ZTK) and us Urban Force (Tim, Serio and Naish). What do we do? Simple, we are dedicated at 100% (24/7) to what made us grow and what we have always enjoyed: Hip Hop. I will not add that it has united us because that is our peculiarity. What unites us is friendship regardless of anything else. In fact we all grew up together and taking for granted that rap was the favorite music of all of us, so a passion that inevitably brought us together. I feel like saying that sometimes Hip Hop decimated us. We started out (I remember the Flaminio days...) that we were a huge crew, but with the passage of time those who did not make this philosophy of life their own or those who deviated for other reasons, went off the tracks that start in Rome and arrive at Rome Zoo. That's why I find myself part of the Rome Zoo, partly out of friendship, partly because selected by the force of nature, the most capable and the most stubborn find themselves composing the current core of the lineup and supporting true Hip Hop.’

>A message to AL readers?

UF: “If you want to get in touch with us please write to us urban-force@jumpy.it”

>What does URBAN FORCE mean?

TIM: “Style.”

>Are there any things you regret?

NAISH: “From my side the fact that plans were being made to build something important together with Maximus (Crash Kid), but fate interrupted this reality.”