The Future of Hip Hop
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The Future of Evolution
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Evil SuenNam
SuenNam
What makes humans change?
What makes street dance change?
One day, we will live in space with a different gravity.
We can still dance on the floor…or not, who knows?
The first person who does a moonwalk on the moon will be a legend of dance history.
It’s always changing.
From the east to the west, from the south to the north.
Different cities, different countries.
Same generation but not the same language.
We feel the dancing.
We felt it and we did it.
This is what I call ‘Personal Style’
HipHop dance culture since the 1970s was originally inspired by New York, soul and funk culture and breaking, popping and locking in the streets. Then HipHop dance tried to get into pop culture and in the 1990s we began to see street dance on MTV. One of the superstars - Michael Jackson - mixed popping movements into his signature move. HipHop dance culture gets into the world and different places begin to develop their own street dance cultures because of technology and globalisation.
It has a lot of possibilities for the future, but it should always be based on the foundation.
Foundation is the basis of any style.
We learn it.
We use it.
We make variations on it.
OGs always say we should respect the foundation of the style .
S/O to the OGs.
The people who always give me my inspiration.
I remember that when I was a new member in the Hong Kong HipHop dance community, I learned a lot from my teachers: Yip Chan @ Asylum, Ar Ching @ SoDance, Popping Lok @ Since70s, DougLeeFunk @ Since70s and Shan.S @ DanceFusion.
They taught me the knowledge and the history of different dance styles.
They took me to the cypher and dance events.
They taught me how to freestyle and how to listen to music.
They are my OGs in Hong Kong HipHop dance history.
They spent a lot of time here and affected the culture.
They all made me into a World of HipHop Dance.
Imagine the situation. The Internet is still not universal, so they had to do research in real life. They travelled to New York, Japan and Europe to meet OGs and practiced their skills with many uncertain factors. There was not much information or whole facts about this culture, but they used their passion to build a new HipHop universe in Hong Kong. They planted the seeds and now the trees are starting to grow. Can it be a strong tree? Yes, for sure. The next gen is coming up and doing the same for the culture. Give and take. If you get something from the cypher, then bring something new to it. This is the meaning of a cypher. We share our energy, body and movement. Reading and observing what is going on and what the people wanna say in each round.
Welcome to Evil SuenNam
“Foundation is just a tool for the OGs so they can keep and benefit from the culture.
How can a pure American artist be proud when kids from Hong Kong copy their moves? Money!
It’s a bite!
It’s a war!
It’s a callout battle!
But with money, we all say yes to it.
Nothing is for the culture, only for the OGs.
Street life is tough, but if I have a chance to be a millionaire with my hobby and what I love to do. Why not?
When HipHop is in the commercial world, no one can be the pure one.
Why do we always learn from the same OGs?
Why is the title of OG so powerful? It controls our mind.
Why should we follow the OGs' creations?
Who is the person with the most influence in this culture in Hong Kong?
Is the original important or not?
Original can mean the first or earliest version.
It can also mean unique.
Which one of the originals will you choose?”
Goodbye Evil SuenNam, maybe we’ll meet in the cypher again later?
Hip Hop Freestyle
We can easily agree on whether that's locking or that’s waacking, but over the last 10 years in Hip Hop freestyle dance culture, we always have the argument, what is Hip Hop freestyle?
Hip Hop freestyle (or Hip Hop Freestyle Dance):
1) Is an improvisational form of dance rooted in Hip Hop culture, where dancers spontaneously create movements to hip hop, funk, or breakbeat music.
2) Emphasises individual expression, creativity and rhythm and dancers showcase their personal style without choreographed routines.
3) Is where dancers incorporate fluid footwork, dynamic body isolations and gestures that reflect the music’s energy and narrative.
The basics of Hip Hop freestyle are Bounce, Rock, Skeet and Roll. Not a very difficult set of movements but we have many variations to articulate our personal differences.
When Hip Hop freestyle came to Japan (the biggest reason was after Japan’s defeat in World War II, the US established military bases in Japan and so American culture and information quickly flowed into Japan) it started to mix with some Japanese anime/manga characters and Japanese culture influenced dancers’ styles worldwide. It’s the same with Europe. The taste of Hip Hop freestyle has changed there too. French dancers Les Twins have begun showing up with their skills and dancing and they have a unique dance style called “Twins Style” with crazy isolations and animation. Some people say they are not Hip Hop even though they won Juste Debut. Their style is not smooth like an old school style, but it blows my mind. I was impressed when I first saw them dance on Youtube in 2012. I was a street dance beginner and that was the first time I felt the news of HipHop dance travel.
As a Hong Kong person I am just a guest in this culture.
I was born in Hong Kong - a little city in Asia.
My mother language is Cantonese.
I can’t feel the hardest life of Black people in Brooklyn from the 1970s.
I’ve never touched a gun.
I can’t see how chaotic it is on the street.
I can't feel the original vibe of HipHop.
I just copied the moves from my teacher - who is an Asian.
I just heard the history from YouTube.
Sometimes I get lost in the word HipHop.
Should I go to New York to find the original?
How can I be a real HipHop?
I can’t be part of “Real” Hip Hop.
Like Marcus Marzipan said in Letter to an OG, we’re always a student of the culture and we can't know all of the knowledge and history about Hip Hop. But different cities have different styles of Hip Hop.
Hong Kong should have its own style.
We don't need to follow other people.
We can create our own vision of Hip Hop.
We have a Western education system mixed with Chinese culture.
We have our political situation.
We can have our sense of ‘HipHop’ and ‘Street dance’.
We can have our own style of HipHop.
We can have our own originals.
Forget what the OGs say. Get your inspiration from your life and put it in your dance.
A lot of European dancers try to fuse krump, popping and Bboying in their HipHop dance - and that’s cool, that’s the evolution - but some people disagree, they said Hip Hop freestyle needs to stay original. “Rubix” Noel from France and Criminalz Crew created a new vision of HipHop - ‘Shibuya.’
Shibuya is a process where you decide to give a chance to life.
It's the new monster.
You want to be different.
You decide to love dance forever.
Break the laws of HipHop.
Respect the culture.
Respect and help each other.
Rubix tried to make a concept that breaks the rules of HipHop.
This is very future.
This is very freedom.
I agree with him because I respect the culture and OGs but I also want to be the different one, the special one in the circle.
What if we mix elements of Cantonese opera in the waacking style? Hong Kong style waacking! I know of many Hong Kong dancers that mix Chinese elements into their choreography like the waacking crew Luc. It's good. But is it a new style of waacking? Waacking is full of self love. I can see there are a lot of forms and elements where we can learn from Cantonese opera. The footwork, the hand movements, the playfulness of the fans and staffs. Breaking, bboys and OGs added Kung Fu moves to their dance after watching Bruce Lee and Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. Waacking has the same potential. Is this the way for us to stay original?
Switch! Round 2!
Evil SuenNam wants to show you something.
Is the original important or not?
It makes us stay in the same position.
It will not help me enter the gate of the future.
I want to live in the future.
How about I make my own original?
I put my lifestyle into my dance.
How I feel in the music, how I respond to my identity and my sense of identity.
How can I use my dance and attitude to respond to Hong Kong’s social phenomena?
What if I mix elements of Lion Dance in my style?
That’s Hong Kong style HipHop, right?
Is that the future of Hong Kong HipHop?
Forget the old school—we need a future school!
Evil SuenNam, have you finished? The cypher misses you already.
As an artist I keep searching for who I am and what I am interested in. I like to see new things that will blow my mind and I love originality. By originality, I mean taking the lessons from my life experience and turning them into my own ideas. I learn from those who came before me, but I don’t want to become them. I want to become a refined version of myself. The inspiration for original dance can be divided into two aspects: the physical and the spiritual. Physically, it’s about the body’s flexibility and adaptability. Spiritually, it’s about whether you can analyse and understand your own thoughts.
Music & The Internet
Hip Hop music is still one of the biggest trends in American pop music and the structure of Hip Hop music keeps changing: Old School, Boombap, Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap, Crunk, Trap, Drill, Emo Rap. We already have different expressions of Hip Hop music, so why don’t we have different expressions of Hip Hop Freestyle dance?
The commercial success of Rapper's Delight by The SugarHill Gang in 1979 sampled Chic's ‘Good Time’ and felt like disco. The Message by Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five in 1992 demonstrated that Hip Hop can rap about society. In the 2000s B2K’ and P. Diddy’s Bump, Bump, Bump rapped about the extravagant world of Hip Hop. In 2015 Bobby Shmurda’s Hot N*gga was full of drugs, trap house and real street life. 2018’s Lucis Dreams by Juice WRLD marked a generation of Emo Rap. Hip Hop music is always changing, so Hip Hop Freestyle Dance should keep updating its moves. As street dancers always say, music is the key, when the music changes, the dance should change too.
Hong Kong Style
The year 2000.
Street dance culture in Hong Kong has only really just begun.
We’re always inspired by Japan because we can travel to Japan easily rather than to Europe and America.
Most dancers will choose to have a trip and see something new to get their inspiration. Summer Dance Forever
Fusion Concepts Line Up Battles
Dance camps in China.
I see the style of Hong Kong dancers changing.
We have the details of movements inspired from Asian culture.
We have the open mind and dance concepts from France.
We learn information directly because English is one of our official languages.
We try to find the spirit and roots of Hip Hop from America.
Hong Kong has the resources and connections to connect worldwide.
We mix all of the elements from different countries, but somehow, we keep losing our roots.
YouTube, TikTok and Instagram make people change their lifestyle.
People are dancing in front of the camera.
The Internet changes how we perform.
We add more elements, play with the camera angle, edit the speed and post it online.
This is noise.
We can be international dancers.
Posting something which references another user is a version of a social dance.
A cypher exchanging with people worldwide.
You can watch any dance battle on your phone and learn from the world.
But it means we share the same dance system.
Street dance globalisation makes us lose part of our own style within the culture.
We didn't have the Internet before the 1990's.
We learned from each other, face to face or with VCR.
I’m lucky I had the Internet when I started dancing.
The speed of information dissemination was relatively slow.
The older generation had time to research.
The older generation had time to exchange with friends, family and crewmates.
This made the culture or ‘style’ small - made only for the people around them who would witness it.
With globalisation and the Internet, this boundary is blurred.
We share our ideas on the Internet and everyone can watch it.
As some OGs like Brian Green and Loose Joint have said “Hong Kong dancers should add some Kung Fu elements in our dance”, yes, Chinese culture is our root, but it is also a stereotype and we’ve already forgotten some parts of our roots. Our mother language is Chinese, but we can't feel the rhyme.
A Hong Kong person talking about roots is a long story.
The history between China and the UK.
Hong Kong was a British colony (1842–1997) - the original OG.
Hong Kong is now a Chinese Special Administrative Region (with some autonomy until 2047).
China’s influence is growing.
The UK left a legacy of law, business and Western culture.
Hong Kong culture mixes Chinese traditions (Cantonese, festivals) with Western elements (English, global vibe) shaping its identity.
Hong Kongers have a unique identity - mixing Chinese roots with British influences like English and democracy.
Many, especially the young, see themselves as “Hongkongers” rather than Chinese, resisting China’s growing control to keep their distinct culture and freedoms.
As times change and information spreads globally, regional dance styles are becoming less distinct. However, deep-rooted traits like ethnic identity and heritage still shape our hearts. For example, Japan’s samurai spirit, Eastern Europe’s tough image, America’s confidence, and Korea’s strong national pride continue to influence dance styles worldwide. Hong Kong’s dance style reflects its fast-paced lifestyle, shortcuts to achieve goals, and clever adaptability.
Due to the British colonial influence, Hong Kong people generally speak good English, allowing us to access international trends quickly. Although Hong Kong lacks the advantage of US military bases like Japan did for the early HipHop and street dance development, its strong economy and role as a stopover for international dancers in Asia or China make it appealing. Since the 2000s, dance studios in Hong Kong have invited international dancers like Brian Green, Shan.S, Henry Link, Buddha Stretch and Tony Gogo to teach. Though the local street dance community was small back then, Hong Kong quietly absorbed global influences and spread them locally. This kept Hong Kong dancers at the forefront of trends. However, since the 2010s, the rise of the Internet has weakened this edge, as people worldwide can now learn dance styles from anywhere online.
Because of this history, in the 2020s, Hong Kong dancers have started to shine on the global stage. Big respect to them all! As younger dancers become mid-generation dancers over time, gaining influence in the community, they can more powerfully inspire and encourage others.
What is the evolution of Hip Hop Dance?
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What is the future of Hong Kong Street dance?
As artists we always find a new vision of the art form.
We try something new and controversial.
What if we do street dance in a studio or theatre?
What if we do the lock with soft energy?
What if we do the style without the foundation?
Evolution means it has to be based on something and then we build up from there. We might mix ballet and jazz in waacking, we might mix AI and robots in animation.
What drives evolution?
The global situation.
Technology.
Knowledge.
Our culture is changing and HipHop dance is always inspired from our life.
If our life changes we can use it in our dance.
Hip Hop music is always changing - Trap, Drill, Garage and Jersey Club.
Different music = different feelings.
Different feelings = different movements.
However, commercial battle events deaden creativity. We saw this with Breaking at the Olympics in 2024. As a sport, it has to have rules and there has to be a winner. Sport is a very direct way for an athlete to get their body trained in an extreme way. As an artist I don’t always want to be extreme. In the Olympics breakers could do what they wanted, but they needed to follow the rules to get the points for the medals. I’m not rejecting Breaking at the Olympics, but as an artist, we need to take risks and find different ways to present our ideas. Competition makes humans grow and allows us to improve our skills. Everyone wants to be the one. We want to be special. I want to be the special one. We make our own choices and put our thoughts into our body. We stay original and try to find new ways to present original ideas. This is what HipHop and street dance means.
Keep changing.
Keep researching.
Keep original.
The battle between “be you style” and “stay original” drives Hip Hop forward. Originality fuels creativity, but evolution keeps the culture alive. I always choose ‘be you style’ and I respect the culture and the people before. Thank you for your efforts and for making the dance culture more colourful. Can I be a part of this culture and make it bigger or more possible? You can be old school or you can add a cultural icon to the style. It’s like a battle, someone wins, someone loses, but if you’re here for the artistic way, then no one loses.
As Marcus Marzipan says, we are deeply grateful for everything that the OGs have done over the decades. At first, we tried to emulate you, aspiring to be like you. Through your stories, we learned about history, gained knowledge, and discovered a culture from the other side of the world. We followed your guidance. But as we learned more, we heard about the controversies and realised that not everything is beautiful. The street dance world is filled with politics and when “love, peace, unity, and having fun” becomes just a hollow slogan, a new revolution will emerge. The end of an era isn’t negative—it signifies progress. Just as history shows, the advancement of civilisation is inevitable. Hip-hop culture will evolve, grow, or even decline in this historical moment. One day, the OGs will step off the stage, and the YGs will drive the next wave. When seeds are scattered to different places, let them grow freely—whether in forests, deserts, Southeast Asia, or even in junkyards, life will take its own form. But at its core, it remains a seed you planted. The landscape may not be remembered in history, but it represents the progress of this dance culture. We don’t only need OGs who chase profit and fame.
I don't know what the future of street dance and Hip Hop culture will be like in Hong Kong, but I need to stay original, keep pushing the next generation and encourage them to create their own style and respect the culture. One thing I do know though, I will be one of the OGs in 2050.
Evil SuenNam returns with his predictions for Hip Hop dance culture in 2050
Street dance will be the main artistic activity and entertainment for young people.
Hip-hop freestyle dance will split into two directions: one pushing physical limits, letting dancers’ bodies freely express their imagination, almost like pure freestyle; the other focusing on rhythm and the vibe of past generations. The former may even be proposed as a new style.
Popping will continue to evolve with new styles, like AI style, but some dancers will return to basics, chasing that funky human feel. A viral online battle will emerge: real AI robots pretending to be humans versus humans pretending to be AI robots.
Locking will fade and become a social dance for older generations.
Waacking will grow as gender identity becomes more open, attracting more people, especially in Asia, where it will become a popular style.
House will become more technical. Beyond electronic music trends, house music BPM will get faster, and dancers will adapt to this pace.
Breaking - Bboy and Bgirl as gender-sensitive terms will be used less. Young kids will start learning an air flare as it becomes the first foundational move they learn.
Krump style will evolve closer to a new style Hip Hop freestyle and it will continue to be a dance that praises God.
The first dancer to reach space will begin developing a new form of space dance.
The Red Bull Dance Your Style final will be held at a space station in the universe.
Technology enables us to connect and dance with others online.
Hong Kong dancers will develop increasingly mature and unique styles, continuing to gain recognition on the international stage.
SuenNam will be one of the OG in HongKong dance culture and keep challenging the YG.
Ink Cypher Round 30 launches.
PS: Marcus, please tell me in 2050 whether these prophecies have come true. Send a letter to Evil SuenNam @ 852, Hong Kong.
Buy a copy of Ink Cypher - In Print, an exquisitely designed, limited edition, Hip Hop dance newspaper featuring all of the texts from Ink Cypher Round 1-3 here.
This text was conceived during the Hip Hop Dance Writing Laboratory in Hong Kong in April 2025. It is part of Ink Cypher Round 4, published November 2025.
A response to Letter to an OG by Marcus Marzipan.
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SuenNam
SuenNam is a graduate of Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity and School of Music & Creative Media of Hong Kong Design Institute, and a member of the dance teams FlowRulerz and Pentaverse. With years of experience participating in various dance, theatre, and music performances, his unique style blends street dance training with hip-hop culture.
SuenNam has performed in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series of Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2019 & 2021, as a choreographer & dancer in Home X, a project of British Council and Chinese Arts Now in 2023, as a participating dancer in “КІНЕЦЬ СВІТУ” & “Backtrack-ing” of Hong Kong Dance Exchange H.D.X. 2022 and has contributed to many other choreographic works like The Box 2.0, New Force In Motion 2023, Choreographer and Composer Lab 2022. He also engages as a DJ and Beat Maker, actively promoting street dance and arts culture in Hong Kong and Macau.
This text is part of Ink Cypher Round 4 and is published in English and Chinese.
中文翻譯按此 - Chinese version, click here
Original translation: ChatGPT
Additional translation and edited: Catherine Yau
SuenNam