Jerkin' or Jerk is a street dance culture and hip hop subgenre originating in urban California in the late 2000s. It gained mainstream popularity outside of California by Inland Empire-based groups New Boyz and Audio Push,[1] and has origins in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.[2] Since breaking into the mainstream in 2009, jerkin' gained fans along the West Coast, East Coast, and in Europe, notably France and Germany, although it was heavily derided in the Southern United States.[3]
| Jerk | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 2000s; Los Angeles, California |
| Typical instruments |
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| Other topics | |
According to Oktane of Audio Push, jerkin' culture came from gang members dancing at parties, stating: "Jerking actually came from gang-banging. Like, it was a dance that gang members did. Like, the anti-dance. If you were in the party and everyone was dancing, [the gang members] would be doing the jerk."[1] The dance itself consists of moving your legs in and out called the "jerk", and doing other moves such as the "reject", "dip", and "pindrop".[4]
Music
The rap group New Boyz wrote and recorded a hit in Los Angeles entitled "You're a Jerk",[5] while Audio Push wrote and recorded "Teach Me How To Jerk". As the jerk culture continued to flourish, several new groups specializing in the Jerk style were being courted and signed by major labels. Arista had signed to the group The Rej3ctz, and the label was seriously looking into many other jerk groups that were flourishing on the Internet.[6]
Recently in the early 2020's, a new style of "Jerk Rap" has formed inspired heavily by the Cloud Rap scene with artists such as Xaviersobased, Nettspend, and Zuro.[citation needed]
Dance crews
Once Jerkin' went mainstream, new dance crews and artists began competing and performing at events in Southern California as well as in other parts of the world as its popularity spread. The Ranger$ crew not only competes in dance contests, winning numerous awards, but have recorded several songs and have been signed to a major label.[7] Other notable crews in the Southern California area include Action Figure$, U.C.L.A. Jerk Kings, and the LOL Kid$z.[6]
Fashion
People who jerk usually wear skinny jeans (varying from the unusual to the usual colors and washes), considered a rejection of the baggy pants style. Many elements of scene and the raver are used in the jerkin' movement, such as bright colored clothing, tight pants, or novelty graphic tees. Also, people who dance the jerk generally wear hightop or retro shoes, including Chuck Taylor and Nike hightop shoes. Shoes may or may not be multi-colored.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Fashion Flavor: Audio Push Discusses What Killed The Jerking Culture And Their Fashion Influence On The Mainstream". Vibe. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ Reid, Shaheem (2009-07-13). "New Boyz Say They're More Than Just Jerkin' Rappers – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". MTV. Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ Weiss, Jeff (2009-08-06). "We're Jerkin (Starring the New Boyz, J-Hawk and Pink Dollaz) – Page 1 – Music – Los Angeles". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ a b "'Skinny Jeans Movement' Bringing Jerkin' Online". tubefilter.tv. Archived from the original on 2010-05-10. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ Roberts, Steven (2009-07-29). "New Boyz Challenge Chris Brown To A Jerkin' Competition – News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". MTV. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ a b "Jerky boys and girls: New Boyz, Rej3ctz and more lead a new youth movement". L.A. Times Music Blog. June 12, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "The Ranger$". HotNewHipHop.