Yeah, Big Brown Dad used to be in a dance crew.
Maybe you heard of us?
In 1990, we were Strictly Mental, wearing polka dot rayon and serving up local locos on the regular.
Ring a bell?
No?
Damn.
Ok. Ok. Okurrrrrrrrrr.
In 1991, we flipped the name script and went with 2XDaHype?
Now you remember, right?
C’mon!
Don’t front like you didn’t see me in my airbrushed acid wash Levis at the La Mirada swapmeet copping knock-off Skidz, my G.
Well, I ultimately hung up my silver-tipped patent leather kicks, tucked away the Cavaricci’s and picked up a mic.
But I never gave up my admiration of the boogie.
& On Mommas, the dopest I’ve seen do it is the (909)’s very own, Brother Dvooa.
1. What’s your earliest hip hop memory?
Pomona: 1986, my cousin was showing me how to pop and gave me one of his spike bracelets.
2. What’s your hip hop biography?
Started B-boying in late 80’s were I thought I was Turbo and Lee from Beat Street. I battled everyone in elementary school through Junior high and used to go to Roller City on Friday nights to skate and battle rival crews.
Once that rink got bought out we all started going to skate express where I joined a crew called Junior Lynch Mob. We consider ourselves groovers at the time. This was during the reign of IE legends Roshawn and Rashad who went to Chaffey High School and had a rep for smashing cats all around with sick house routines.
In the 90’s, my B-boying developed and joined the IE legendary crew Swing Kids where we battled at raves, Knotts Scary Farm and keg parties in the deep IE. Shortly after the crew collapsed and I became a part of the Nitwits Bboy crew and started battling in more structure boy events. During this time my freestyle dance passion grew and I was able to start developing my own style at Unity, Elements and Foundation Funk Collective at the Claremont Colleges.
In the 2000’s I created a crew, Kneegrow League, were we made a name for ourselves battling and showcase our unique style. During this time, I was mastering the skills of rhyming and writing poetry and became an alumni of the world famous poetry spot “A Mic A Dim Lights.” After hitting the circuit with poetry in the early 2000’s, I put out my vinyl and full length album independently called “mental Leakage” I had the like of Diabolic aka Dibiase, Flying Lotus, Aloe Blacc, Gabe Real, Triune and Jimetta Rose featured on it.
I have been featured in multiple documentaries about freestyle dance culture in L.A (Battle of LA and Respond to Sound). I made it a point to tell tell conscious stories within the theater using HipHop elements. This was pioneered by my mentor Rickerby Hines (UCR Professor) with giving me a shot in the play “Keep Hedsz Ringin” which we did for a few weeks at CSUN. Shortly, after I wrote my own play “Then and Now” which was featured at the Hip-Hop Theater Festival at UCR in the early 2000’s. I have also been a teacher of the culture, I have taught 100’s of students the art of finding through rhythm with classic Hip-Hop Movements, b-boy basics and freestyle hip hop explorations.
3. How do you think a dancer’s perspective on hip hop is different from a DJs or emcees?
Dancers are the voiceless element of hip hop whose shine comes only by speaking through active movement. We are the ultimate consumer of the culture. We take the beat and put movement to it, we listen to the raps and put emotion within our steps and help tell the story of the emcee. We keep the DJ busy with providing a vibration and direction for an energy filled cypher.
4. Tell me about your family.
I have been married for 10 years to my beautiful Wife Delilah and have two gorgeous daughters, Lyndi and Lailah Clayborne, who are super duper creative.
5. Where did the kids’ names come from?
My initials L.A.C and they sounded pretty.
6. What songs reminds you of your family?
Mos Def “Umi Says”
7. What’s one family tradition you’ve carried on?
Eating Gumbo during the holidays.
8. Old Dirty Bastard or Big Daddy Kane?
Big Daddy Kane, he could rap and dance is ass off!
9. Where can people learn more abut what you do?
www.leeclaybang.com or @leeclaybang on Instagram and Twitter
Peep our Hip Hop Pops interviews with Apakalips, Propaganda, Judah 1, Red Cloud, Elias, Shames Worthy, Bess Kepp, Legal Alien and Triune.