Breaking
Breaking
B-Boy Jin: “I’m glad everyone knows the name B-Boy Jin across the country”
The B-Boy from Delhi talks about how breaking helped him steer his life in the right direction and what is his ultimate goal for his career.
B-Boy Jin (Vivek Nainwal) is one of the first generation breakers from New Delhi, having started in the dance style in 2008.
He grew up in Dakshin Puri, New Delhi, and says breaking helped him fight his way out of the evils that surrounded him. So he is very grateful to breaking and hopes to give back.
He has also been one of the most consistent faces at Red Bull BC One Cypher India, having qualified for the top-16 four times. As he prepares for it again this year, he talks about his journey from starting as a breaker to becoming one of the most recognizable names and faces in the Indian breaking community.
B-Boy Jin at Red Bull BC One
© Focus Sports
When did you start breaking? How did you discover it?
I started dancing in 2008. I used to do hip-hop and breaking, but I didn’t know it was called breaking then. In 2011, I attended Cypherholics jam in Delhi. That was the first jam I ever attended. I saw international breakers there, and very reputed Indian breakers like B-Boy Hera, B-Boy Bunny, and a lot of other first generation B-Boys from Delhi. That was the day I said to myself: “This is what I want to do in my life. I want to become a professional B-Boy.”
How would you describe your breaking journey in a few sentences?
There have been a lot of ups and downs since I started breaking. The B-Boys at the top have been changing every year, and a lot of them have stopped breaking. I’m glad I was able to create a place for myself and I’m glad everyone knows the name B-Boy Jin across the country today.
What is the story behind your B-Boy name?
As a kid, one of my favourite games was Tekken. The character Jin was one of the best fighters. Growing up in a rough neighbourhood, I used to be angry all the time and used to get into fights frequently. My childhood friend MC Heam was the one who suggested I start battling under the name B-Boy Jin because I had an aggressive style just like the fighter.
Which crew(s) do you represent currently? Have you been a part of any others?
I'm a part of TCS crew, which stands for Tribe Collision Squad. It was formed in 2015 by B-Boy Tao-Tok from Tripura. I'm also a part of the Delhi edition of Slumgods crew, founded by Tiny Drops Hip-Hop India.
Do you remember your first battle in a breaking competition? How was that experience?
My first battle was at a very small college event in New Delhi in 2012. That day, I saw dancers from Roc Fresh Crew – like B-Boy Ninja and B-Boy Abdul – Tandav Crew and D2BX crew. Basically all the first generation crews were there. I realised for the first time that there are really good B-Boys in India.
Where do you usually learn new moves? Do you invent them or look to social media for inspiration?
Earlier I used to watch videos and learned from breakers who would practice in the park. I attended a few Red Bull BC One workshops, and I particularly learned a lot from Poe One’s workshop. But those were in the beginning of my career. Now I invent my own moves because I've been training for a long time.
What is your training schedule like?
I train at the park for four-five hours a day, either alone or with other breakers.
What is the one thing you love most about breaking as an art form or culture?
The thing I love about breaking – and hip-hop in general – is the freedom to break the rules. You can learn and grow in any way that you want to. As KRS One says, “Hip-hop is awakening.” If not for breaking, I could have never broken out of all the bad things that surrounded me in my neighbourhood.
B-Boy Jin at Red Bull BC One
© Focus Sports
What has been your greatest achievement in breaking so far? And what is a goal you hope to achieve?
I feel my greatest achievement would be to make my parents feel proud of me.
My goal is to become capable enough that I will always be an inspiration to people and help those who don’t have any particular goal in life.
Which B-Boys or B-Girls do you look up to in India and internationally? And why?
My favourite is B-Boy Amir. No one knew him till 2018, and he was a power-head. Since 2019, he’s been winning all the major international battles and won the Red Bull BC One World Finals 2021. He started breaking in 2013, and that’s a tremendous growth curve.
In the Indian scene, I have great respect for B-Boys Hera, Bunny and Wasim. I love the way B-Boy Wildchild has grown over the past few years. He has really created a persona and does really good story-telling in his rounds.
How many editions of Red Bull BC One have you participated in? Share your personal best memory from the competition.
I have participated in every edition of Red Bull BC One since 2016. I qualified for the top-16 in 2017, 2019, 2021, and now in 2022. One memory I always have is from 2018, the year I didn’t get selected. Everyone was totally shocked I hadn’t qualified, and even the MC expressed disbelief.
Any other favourite memories from the history of Red Bull BC One overall?
My favourite all-time memory hasn’t been created yet. That memory will be created when I lift the trophy at Red Bull BC One World Finals, with the Indian flag fluttering right at the top!
