Illustrations by Bria Gladney
Words by Zach Witness
Between 2006-2010 Dallas Boogie would infiltrate every club in the south, but before it did, the laid back southern rap tunes of Houston and the street anthems of Dallas' D.S.R. dominated street corners and airwaves alike. The majority of club music was either from Atlanta, Louisiana, or the West Coast, yet that would soon change when Dallas native Lil Joe released his club anthem “Watch Me Do This”. Add in the influence of Atlanta's "Snap" movement and Baton Rouge's "Jigga" movement and Dallas was officially on to something. Through a number of key songs, clubs, dance crews, and viral videos, Dallas Boogie would soon become a nationally recognized movement.
2006: THE BEGINNING
Between 2006-2010 Dallas Boogie would infiltrate every club in the south, but before it did, the laid back southern rap tunes of Houston and the street anthems of Dallas' D.S.R. dominated street corners and airwaves alike. The majority of club music was either from Atlanta, Louisiana, or the West Coast, yet that would soon change when Dallas native Lil Joe released his club anthem “Watch Me Do This”. Add in the influence of Atlanta's "Snap" movement and Baton Rouge's "Jigga" movement and Dallas was officially on to something. Through a number of key songs, clubs, dance crews, and viral videos, Dallas Boogie would soon become a nationally recognized movement.
GAME CHANGERS:
Lil Joe - 'Watch Me Do This'
2007: WORLDS COLLIDE
It's 2010. You're surfing Youtube and discover a viral video of a toddler doing the "Stanky Legg." You then switch on NBC to find Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres doing the "Dougie". You think to yourself, "has America finally legalized weed?!" No, in most states, you'd still be arrested for holding a joint committee meeting. What you're witnessing is the infectious energy of a Texas dance movement known as Dallas Boogie. While famous for its dances, it was essentially a lifestyle with its own music, dances, lingo, and fashion. Dallas Boogie is the classic story of an oppressed community coming together to escape everyday struggles and simply... have fun. Through the explosion of numerous dance crazes, a pivotal mixtape, and an arsenal of DJs, Boogie would infiltrate club culture across the globe. Within the pages below, we'll journey through the key aspects of Boogie culture. Sources are based on interviews (see references at bottom) and my own experiences as a DJ at the forefront of it all.
So let's get this thang started, ya digg?!
– Zach Witness (fka DJ White Chocolate)
INTRO
THE HISTORY
THE YEARS
Between 2006 - 2010 Dallas Boogie would infiltrate every club in the south, but before it did, the laid back southern rap tunes of Houston and the street anthems of Dallas' D.S.R. dominated Dallas street corners and airwaves alike. The majority of club music pre-Boogie was either from Atlanta, Louisiana, Miami, or the West Coast, yet as we'll see below, that would soon change.
2006: GENESIS
The starting point of Dallas Boogie is often traced back to Lil Joe's "Watch Dis". Though essentially a fight song, it helped popularize a dance Oak Cliff thugs would do before fighting. As it set clubs ablaze, "Watch Dis" would help initiate Dallas' transition from street anthems to dance anthems.
The influence of “Watch Dis” along with Atlanta’s Snap movement, Baton Rouge’s Jigga movement, and New Orleans' Bounce movement further added to the musical gumbo that would become Boogie. The success of Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat" particularly showed Dallasites that anyone with a catchy dance song and an internet connection could find glory. Add in the prosperity of Tum Tum's "Caprice Musik" and the city was buzzing more than a drunk bumble bee.
Key Releases:
Lil Joe - Watch Dis
2007: WORLDS COLLIDE
Key Releases:
Tum Tum - Caprice Musik
Lil Peace - Hit The Dance Floor
Dion - I Jump Judy
Teflon & T-Real - Da Boot
2008: TAKEOVER
'08 was the year groundwork would be laid for Boogie's ascension. Lil Wil’s “My Dougie” became a hit and its influence would prove so strong that dance records all over Dallas started popping up. Back door that with GS Boyz's "Stanky Legg", Fat Pimp's "Rack Daddy", B-Hamp's "Do the Ricky Bobby", along with Billboard chartings and Boogie's rise was inevitable.
Key Releases:
Lil Wil - My Dougie
GS Boyz - Stanky Legg
Lil Shine - Check Out My Lean
MVR - Hit The Bobby B
Dorrough - Walk That Walk
Big Tuck - Not A Stain
B-Hamp - Do The Ricky Bobby
2009: GOLDEN YEAR
By '09, Dallas Boogie went from being a fad to a realized movement. Everything from boogie dances to music, fashion, and lingo was in full swing. Anything was possible. And with the release of DJ White Chocolate's "Ahead of the Class" mixtape, plus the support of major label deals and big budget music videos, Boogie would infiltrate clubs and computer screens across the globe.
Key Releases:
Dorrough - Ice Cream Paint Job
Treal Lee & Prince Rick - Mr. Hit Dat Hoe
Party Boyz - Flex
Supastarr/ Hurricane Chris - Halle Berry
Paper Chaserz - Franky
K-Tee - iRobot
K-Tee - Boogie Thru The Doe
2010: MAINSTREAM
As GS Boyz' "Stanky Legg" and Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How To Dougie" became viral hits, Boogie infiltrated the consciousness of mainstream America, but while Michelle Obama and NFL players hit Boogie moves, Dallas was preparing for it's real defining moment: the NBA All-Star Game. With a flood of upper echelon out-of-towners coming to the city, it had the potential to make-or-break Dallas.
Key Releases:
Yung Nation - Club Rock
Yung Nation - Shawty Wassup
T-Wayne - South Dallas Swag
Treal Lee & Prince Rick - Throwed Off
2011+: DNA
Like any great movement, it has its peak and its plunge. By 2011, things had become formulaic and washed up. A stirring sense of pride mixed with greed and resentment set upon the scene and the misrepresentation of "the Dougie" being a Cali invention due to the popularity of "Teach Me How To Dougie" only added to the fire. It seemed the party was over for Dallas, but sometimes the best way to move forward is to burn it down and start fresh. From Boogie's ashes, styles branched off into new forms such as Skitzing and artists like Yung Nation became its new torch bearers. Boogie's DNA would in turn be passed on to a whole new generation, mutating into new styles.
Key Releases:
Bone - Homegurl
Cali Swag District - Teach Me How To Dougie
THE SCENE
Dallas Boogie is well... from Dallas, but surrounding cities like Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, along with states like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas and California would go on to adopt Boogie as their own.
Dallas-wise there were two sides to the Boogie scene: the teen scene and the 21+ scene. While both worked together, they had notable differences. The teen scene was more experimental, pioneering the bulk of new dances. Much of the terminology and styles within the teen scene were set by a collective known as Thug Boss Nation. TBN was part music collective, part street gang. They were essentially the Wu-Tang of Boogie. The Skatium was the teen scene's epicenter for new moves and music. When school was out, thousands of kids would gather on the infamous "Super Sundays" to showcase moves and get down to the sounds of DJ White Chocolate. On the 21+ side, things naturally had more infrastructure. Essentially a hit in the teen scene would create a tsunami of youtube videos, but a hit in the 21+ scene would create record sales. Club Cirque, under the direction of promoter J Roc, became the 21+ scene's epicenter, holding legendary nights on a weekly basis. Boogie mascots like 'Mr. Hit Dat' would captivate Cirque's crowds, often inspiring others to follow in step.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of both scenes along with an arsenal of DJs, DJ crews, producers, radio stations, clubs, mixtapes, publications, and record labels, Dallas created its own self-sustaining machine to bring Boogie to the masses.
Artists:
2Live Click
AB
B. Reed
B-Hamp
Beatking
Big Chief
Big Doughski G
Big Tuck
Bone
Bo Kane
Candi Redd
CSB
DJ Chose
Dorrough
Dion
Da Blockboi
Fat B
Fat Pimp
Foolie D
GC Da Prince
GS Boyz
Gutta Twins
Head B
Juci 9
Juice
JB
JT
K-Tee
Kbzo
Law
Lil Faime
Lil Joe
Lil Man
Lil Ron
Lil Ronny
Lil Spain
Lil Shine
Lil Peace
Lil Tony
Lil Trae
Lil Wil
Lil Woo
Lil Zac
M.E.
MVR
Nike Nation
Party Boyz
Paper Chaserz
Ricochet
Skyhigh
T-Cash
T-Real
T-Wayne
T Willz
Teflon
Tony Montana
Treal Lee & Prince Rick
Trai D
Trapstarz
Thug Boss Nation
Tum Tum
YG's
YG Rippa
Young Black
Young T
Yung Donz
Yung Nation
Yung Thuggin
DJ Crews:
Definition DJs
Hustle Squad DJs
Go DJs
Core DJs
DJs:
Bay Bay
Big Bink
Cap
De2ce
D Money
Drama Boi
Drop
Elz
Hollywood
Hustle
K-Rock
KiKi J
Lil E
Merk
Mr. Rogers
Papa Ron
Q
Quick Mixx Rick
Teflon
White Chocolate
Clubs:
Arlington Skatium
Ché
Cirque
G G's
Club G
Karma
Level 5/ DMX
Lotus
Flow
Mist
Rhythm City
Pure
Purgatory
Teen World
Labels:
Clout
NGenius
Sko-N-Go
T-Town
Top 5 Ent
Producers:
2 Much
AB
Big E
Choco
D. Hall
DJ Black
DSS
Dangerous MCs
Hollywood
Money Boys
Mr. Rogers
Play-N-Skillz
Recka
Ryan Hitz
Q. Smith
Taz Green
Todd Hamburger
Trap On The Beat
White Chocolate
Young Black
Young Starr
THE SOUND
Boogie music is all about making your body move. Musically it's comprised of a mix of 808 drums, soaring European synth lines, tribal-esque chants, and vocals delivered in a frantic twang that can at times sound more akin to death metal than to hip hop. It’s also inevitable to hear the signature “boogie lead”, which is a synthesized sine wave that sounds like a gangster cowboy whistling on his front porch. In its prime, nowhere else did such slow paced, high energy music exist. It’s as if Dallas took the screwed tempos of Houston, the steelo of Atlanta, and the energy of New Orleans, then flipped them on their heads. Vocally and lyrically rappers often had no care to sound suave. Everything from voice cracks to even rapping ahead of the beat was fair game. As long as it made you hit the floor, it was deemed worthy.
DALLANTA
Dallas and Atlanta have always had a symbiotic relationship. Early on, much of the Dallas Boogie sound was influenced by ATL super-producers like Nitti & Zaytoven. Yet, similar to the UK’s interpretation of American blues music, Dallas would eat up Atlanta’s styles and spit them out as mutated high energy anthems.
Menace’s "Don't Blow My High" —> Lil Wil's "My Dougie”
Gorilla Zoe's "Waddle" —> K-Tee's "Boogie Thru The Doe”
Plies "Got Em Hatin" —> Kbzo's "Swag On Deck"
On the flip side, Atlanta also took cues from Dallas...
BOOGIE BIBLE
In 2009, a 16 year old named DJ White Chocolate released what became a stepping stone for Boogie in the form of "Ahead of the Class Vol. 1". For many, it was their introduction to Boogie music and as a result, it gained a mythical status becoming known as the "bible of boogie". If there was ever a definitive Dallas Boogie mixtape, A.O.T.C. is the holy grail.
PRODUCER PACK
An exclusive download for beat makers and producers containing the original sounds used in classic Boogie songs.
THE DANCE
It's said that Boogie moves had been brewing in Dallas as early as 2002, but most will tell you that the prototype came with the release of Lil Joe’s “Watch Dis”. Though essentially a fight song, it featured a dance Oak Cliff thugs would do before fighting, thus creating the foundation for all Boogie dances. Lil Spain would then coin what became known as the "Dougie”, Teflon & T-Real would introduce "dipping" with "Da Boot," and dancers like YG Rippa and Mr. Hit Dat, along with dance crews like Gig Squad would introduce complex combinations of spins and acting out lyrics, adding up to what we now call “Boogie-ing”. Dance videos were typically shot on lo-fi phone cameras then uploaded to MySpace or Youtube. Most of the time it was all about having fun, but the air of competition was undeniable. With each video uploaded, dancers and dance crews claimed their stake at holding the throne.
DANCERS:
A. Will
Bio
Boo Boo
Bydie Blast
C. Fields
C. Slide
C. Smoove
Casper
Chubb
Deuce D
D. Hawk
D. Fields
D. Moore
D. Tatum
Fat Al (RIP)
KB
Lil Ced
Lil Live
Lil Quin
Lil Spain
Lil Sparrow
Mr. Cirque
Mr. Hit Dat Hoe
Mr. Live
Nasti
Nemo
Noodles
Reggie B
Rockmore
T Jones
Sean B
Sloppy Joe
YG Rippa
YN Blast
White Boy Boogie
Bobby B
C. Smoove Kick
Da Boot
Daddy Stroke
Dougie
Durtty Booty / Booty Dew
Flex
Franky
Gig Squad Strut
Grove Side Rock
Halle Berry
Mr. Hit Dat
Nature Walk
Rack Daddy
Ricky Bobby
Skitz
Stanky Legg
South Dallas Swag
DANCES:
CREWS:
DHD
Eat Greedy Gang
Gig Squad
JSG
Money Vault Gang
Trampoline Team
WeWurkk
THE LOOK
In full drip, Boogie fashion was like a mix between the vibrance of New Jack Swing and the tall tee’s of Houston. On the teen side, LRG was king, while on the 21+ side, Coogi, Miskeen, Ed Hardy and Yums were ubiquitous. The haircuts were often formed into 80s-esque geometrical shapes with a plethora of highlighted swirls and designs carved into them. There was the infamous "Booty" shag, the "Bald Fade", the "Southside Fade", and the ever classic "Gumby" cut. The clothes were loose fitting, with pants like Red Monkey jeans starched, creased, and cuffed according to the area you were
from. G Nikes (aka Air Force 1’s), Jordans, or Adidas with crew socks were the foot embellishments of choice. And if you wanted to show out, rocking a leather baseball cap with a gold grill would have 'em choosin'.
THE WORDS
Ah Yuh = yes
Agg Town = Arlington, TX (a satellite city of Dallas/ Fort Worth)
Awready = short for “You already know”; an indication of approval
Blast = to the fullest (ie. "statman blast”)
Bro = refers to a male or female
Boogie = 1) a genre of Dallas music 2) the dance performed to Dallas Boogie music
Body Rock = to dance
DDD/ Triple D = Dirty Dirty Dallas
D-Town = Dallas, TX
Dip = a boogie move where you dip down to the floor and bounce back up, similar to squats
Dougie = a Dallas dance originally created by Lil Spain based on moves done by Doug E. Fresh
Eatin' = synonymous with "gettin it"; used to indicated a dance well performed (ie. "he on the floor eatin!”)
Fall = 1) to attend 2) to be deemed acceptable (ie. “fall through tonight” or “you don’t fall at all”)
Feelin’ Like A Million = feeling great
Foolin' = 1) fooling around 2) impressive (ie. "we foolin', or "her booty foolin”)
Funky Town = Fort Worth, TX
G Nikes = Air Force 1's
Geeked = 1) high on marijuana 2) stylish (ie. “we geeked” or “geeked from head to toe”)
Geekmanship = the skill of smoking marijuana (ie. "they say that I'm a trip, I earned my geekmanship")
Get It Go = to dance (ie. "watch me get it get it go”)
Gig = boogie
Giggin' = to boogie
Giganometry = the sequence in which moves are performed while giggin'
Got Damn Me = do you understand me
Groovy = 1) a beat that makes you want to move 2) stylish clothes (ie. “that hoe groovy”)
Ham = synonymous with "crunk"; used to describe an exciting event (ie. "we bout to go ham")
Head Azz = 1) a stupid person 2) to indicate a joke (ie. "he a head azz for wearing his pants inside out" or "I just smoked a blunt thru my nose… head azz”)
Hellyamean = what do you mean
Hoe = a person, place, or thing (ie. "light dat hoe up", "dat hoe bad" or "dat hoe was live")
iYess = yes
Jiggin' = to boogie
Let Ya Stats Show = to showcase your skills
Loaded = high on ecstasy
Meat Rolling = when a girl grinds upon a guy's crotch (ie "bruh, i'm tryna get my meat rolled!" – coined by C Lott)
Muthaf*ckin Me = a variation of motherf*cking; used for emphasis (ie. "today I turned into a muthaf**kin me mummy")
Nupid = stupid; dope; crazy
Skitzing = a dance derived from Boogie-ing that focuses entirely on acting out lyrics, thus making a skit
Stats = 1) stature 2) statistics (ie. “stat-ed up, fool girl stats, or real stats”)
Stat Blast = of the highest stature
Statman = a person of stature
Statmanship = the skill of attaining stature
Strut = a dipping movement done while boogie-ing
Talmbout = talking about (ie. "what they talmbout?!")
The Cliff = short for Oak Cliff (an area of Dallas, TX)
The Grove/ Grove Side/ PG = short for Pleasant Grove (an East Dallas neighborhood)
Underdigg = combination of "understand" and "ya digg"
Wahdddeah = what it is (popularized by rapper K-Tee, often pronounced with a rolled “d” sound)
Wired = pronounced “wide”; synonymous with “lit”; maximum energy (“the club was wired to the t!”)
Wurk = dance
Ya Digg = do you understand
OUTRO
Boogie was and still is a hidden gem. It’s to Dallas what Hyphy is to the Bay, Footwork is to Chicago, Bounce is to New Orleans, and so on. It’s Dallas’ form of raw, black dance music. Before artists like Migos or Young Thug existed, Boogie was essentially the weird party side of trap music. It continues to appear in pop culture (ie. "Watch Me Whip", Ayo & Tao, Meechi, Leon Bridges), yet like a hidden star constellation, only those who recognize it will notice its presence. It’s my hope that after reading this, you too will be able to point out it’s influences within today’s world and maybe, just maybe even hit a couple moves yourself. Now gone'n let ya stats show!
– Zach Witness