A big, hoarse voice recognizable among thousands, and gimmicks – “hin hin” – chanted rhythmically. When Vicelow begins to speak, immediately resonates, in the background, the Caribbean vibes ofAngela and “too much fuss, too much eh eh” from the ex-Saïan Supa Crew.
An essential figure in the hip-hop scene over the last twenty years, the best-known “black guy with glasses” in France (we’re hardly exaggerating) converted, around ten years ago, into an MC or “ master of ceremonies », to put on a show and manage the smooth running of the breaking battles, new disciplines of the 2024 Olympic Games. “For the Olympic Games, they decided to call it ‘breaking’. Before, we used to say “breakdancing” or “bboying”. It changes all the time! », he laughs.
While on Saturday, the Red Bull BC One final, international breaking championship, at the Roland-Garros stadium (without clay) in Paris, the rapper remains very doubtful when he talks about breaking and the Olympic Games: “it will benefit someone, that’s for sure. But to whom? To the dancers? Honestly, I’m not sure.”
The MC, a true conductor
Passionate of standing dance (locking, popping, new style, does that mean something to you?), the ex-Saïan created his own competition called “ I love this dance », in 2010. While officiating, in parallel, as MC, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs, in breaking battles, from the most intimate to the most popular.
“It came naturally. I was used to the stage, and I’m a hip-hop lover, so it was the logical next step after my rap group,” he recalls. Because, to be an MC, you have to love the sometimes harsh light of performance halls, and know how to put on a show in front of an audience of connoisseurs and neophytes alike. “The MC is the link between the public, the jury and the dancers. And you also have to know how to set the mood so that the bboys and bgirls who then appear on stage feel supported by the audience,” he analyzes.
A central role in a battle, the MC is therefore a real conductor, capable of thinking “about lots of things at the same time while remaining connected to the audience,” explains Vicelow. Even if, sometimes, his wand can jam. “I’ve already had trouble happen to me,” says the man who presents himself as someone who is very spontaneous and very respectful.
“I twisted. I put the microphone on the ground”
A few years ago, while he was presiding over a breaking competition as master of ceremonies, dancers started getting confused on stage. Taken to task, Vicelow ended up breaking down. “I twisted. I put the microphone on the floor. I shouldn’t have, it was clearly professional misconduct,” he admits today. An excessive reaction that he attributes to fatigue and the pressure that an event can generate for an MC. “You have to manage to keep your nerves. Don’t forget that we are on stage. But sometimes it’s not easy. Being the MC of a breaking battle can be super stressful.”
Today stage coach for several artists including Niska, Tiakola, So La Lune and SDM, Vicelow will not be MC at the 2024 Olympic Games, and has never had the ambition to do so. If he regrets one thing about the arrival of breaking on the scene, it is the absence of this notion of art which he considers inseparable from the sporting discipline. “Breaking is an element of hip-hop culture, and we must not separate the sporting aspect from all the artistic essence and the message it carries,” concludes the rapper.
Do you feel like an MC? In the video at the top of this article, ex-Saïan, Vicelow, gives you some tips for successfully entering the competition.