I'm not sure whether the question was sincere or aimed at "dick-riders" but I sincerely value Born as an inspirational bboy, so I'll answer this properly; each to their own, aightz?!
Born is definitely one of my favourite bboys out there but I never really considered how good he is until someone raised the question recently. All bboys and bgirls have varied preferences of course, and according to their taste and style it's what's bound to define who they consider as a "good" bboy or bgirl. If we get into the semantics of the question, that's how I would define "good".
To me, Born is not the best bboy, he's not perfect nor is he the best among all the other bboys who have style similar to his. To a new bboy or bgirl, he may not seem like an impressive show and his skills may look limited or basic next to someone who's hitting him with bigger moves. So what makes him such a huge winner to me?
Born is a dancer and he keeps bboying just that - a dance. A lot of bboys out there forget this and start wildin' out with power moves to get more props. There's nothing wrong with power moves but a bboy once said if you're doing power moves but you ain't dancing - it ain't bboying. People had dubbed Born a beat killer but in my opinion, anyone dancing can kill beats easy. Isn't that what dancing is? Moving to the beat?
Born also lives accordingly to the culture. For me, as much as bboying is a physical activity, it also transcends into the mental state, and carries a degree of philosophy. To me, "good" bboys are learned bboys; learned into the culture, the history and the art form; they are driven by their knowledge, and you can feel it and see it in their dancing. A lot of times we have very skilled bboys but the depth of their dance lack soul. There are modern bboys out there who carry the philosophy and roots of the culture, and one can sense this through their dance. For example Dyzee and Roxrite as two examples of many.
Born's philosophy, like Roxrite, lies in the emphasis of foundation. In this age where bboying has evolved exponentially through the years, we need bboys who are able to trace it back to its roots and represent it so that we don't lose it. This mentality is especially crucial in Korea, where bboying emerged and advanced at such a phenomenal space of time that it skipped the part where they learned the importance of foundation. Like the OGs say, foundation is what sets bboying apart from all the other things that bboying is incorporated with.
Born said when he travelled to the US he felt like a child. He realized the extent of hip hop was much deeper and he wanted to bring that culture back to Korea. Of course, he's not the only one. Other Korean bboys dedicated to the culture have also joined this movement. Many people say his style has changed over the years, this is probably why. Don't hate on a much wiser and more learned Born.
Born is original. He takes something so basic, that everyone can do, but he changes it to make it his own. It's refreshing. It's just as impressive as someone pulling off some difficult stunt. I think it also provides hope for some people out there who find power too difficult. I'm not saying Born can't do power, because heck he can, but for others - if you know you can't do something - develop on what you can do.
You don't have to have the best power to be a great bboy. You just need to know what you're good at, get even better at it, and change it into something new and different. A lot of bboys wild out to get props but at the end of the day, where was the dancing? Don't let it be the missing piece to a perfect set. As crazy as it may sound, only a few dance in this dance.
How Good is Bboy Born? Awesome :) I feel his dance. I can tell he puts his all and his soul into what he does and it shows.
Bboying is an art form, so create - not duplicate!
Bboying is an art form, so create - not duplicate!
Peace and Love x :)
