NEWS
Dr. Dre has called out the Olympics over this year’s breakdancing competition, taking issue with the performance of one athlete in particular.
2024 was the first year that breakdancing, one of the foundational elements of Hip Hop culture, was featured in the Olympics. And the dazzling athleticism of b-boys and b-girls from around the world was on display, the contest was somewhat overshadowed by the bizarre antics of Australia’s Rachael “Raygun” Gunn.”
Reacting to the inaugural Olympics breakdancing competition in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Dre said: “I did not like that. It’s so many great breakdancers that I don’t know why they had this particular person doing that.
“It was funny, I got some laughs out of it, but what the fuck? […] There are incredible breakdancers out right now; I don’t know how that happened.”
Earlier this week, Raygun spoke out after going viral for her widely ridiculed performance at the Paris Olympics, which saw her fail to perform any traditional breakdancing moves and instead flop and roll around the floor.
The Australian athlete failed to score a single point during the competition but defended her performance from online mockery.
“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative — that’s my strength, my creativity,” she said to ESPN.
She also seemingly acknowledged her lack of talent in the sport, saying: “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?”
There were plenty of viral videos made of Gunn’s performance, with one dubbing commentary from Peter Griffin in Family Guy over the footage.
Another viewer compared one move she did to the Grinch creeping around.
Even Pete Rock chimed in on her moves, joking on social media: “Ooohhh sh%# [shocked emoji] Wait, that bunny hop kangaroo sh%# she was doing took me way down to floor [laughing emoji] this is so messed up.”
Others echoed Dr. Dre’s disapproval, with R&B singer India.Arie writing on Instagram: “sigh … an art created by young black and brown people in the bronx is NOW an Olympic sport and this POORLY EXECUTED EXCUSE FOR THE ART ~ is being praised. this is yet another insult to artists And artists of color. this is why we’re exhausted.”
Raygun, who possesses a PhD in dance, lost all three of her one-on-one contests by a total margin of 54-0.
Japan’s Ami Yuasa took home the gold medal in women’s breakdancing, while Canadian b-boy Philip “Phil Wizard” Kim emerged victorious in the men’s.
Last Summer, Hot97 had a shake-up at the radio station, which led to the dismissal of names like Ebro, Peter Rosenberg, Laura Stylez, and even DJ Enuff. At the time, there were fears that Funk Flex would be let go as well, although that turned out not to be the case.
Not long after he departed from the radio station, DJ Enuff told TMZ that he believed Flex had a hand in getting him fired. This led to widespread debate, with Peter Rosenberg claiming that Funk Flex had nothing to do with it. Furthermore, Rosenberg suggested that the corporate branch of the station wanted everyone to turn on each other.
Now, almost a year later, Funk Flex is leveling a response against DJ Enuff. In fact, he is accusing the long-time DJ of taking payola. For those who may not know, payola is the act of taking money and then playing specific songs or albums on the radio in return. Effectively, it is a bribe.
"DJ ENUFF / HEAVYHITTERS I GOT U FIRED?," Funk Flex asked. "DID FRENCH MONTANA PAY U 25k FOR THE HEAVYHITTER CONFERENCE CALL? DID MAINO PAY YOU 40k FOR THE MIXSHOW LIST ADDS? WAS NORE OFFERED A “DISCOUNT” OF $2,500 FOR A MONTH OF SPINS? DID MYLES BRANDO PAY U 10K TO PERFORM AT MIXSHOW MEETING AND GET ADDED TO MIXSHOW LIST? WAS DJ WAVY ASKED TO PAY $2,500 TO SPIN ON SUMMER MIX WEEKEND?"
These are serious allegations, especially when you consider how payola is a crime that can come with grave penalties. For instance, if someone were to be convicted of the act, they could face five-figure fines and even jail time.
At press time,DJ Enuff has yet to respond to the allegations.
