Listen up ladies out there -

B-girling is a way of life. What is hip hop to you? If you're reading this chances are you know about the true history of hip hop and where it came from. What you see out there in the main stream media doesn't portray the true essense of women in hip hop.

I always loved dancing and good beats. Dancing is what keeps me going all day, knowing that it's my escape from anything and everything that bogs me down physically and emotionally. It was my love for Breaking that saved me from polluting my body, my mind with negative factors in the environment. I honestly think I would be lost, I would be a different person if it wasn't for me falling in love with breaking, and finding a nitch in the hip hop community.

I went to school in New York to find my individuality, and start my life on my own. I frequented night clubs to just blow off some steam from daily stresses and got caught up doing club drugs. New York was a infested with bboys and bgirls when I first started breaking. When I found how intense breaking was on my body, I decided to eliminate any toxic substances from my body so that I could be the best bgirl I could be. I knew I needed to be on point in my mind and my body to break. All I wanted to do was optimize my health so that when I practiced, I could use everything I had to learn top rocks, footworks, stick my freezes, and have a flow in my throw downs.

This feeling of wanting to be clean, natural, pure and strong has carried through to the present. Learning to break was challenging. It was physically hard to learn the moves, and emotionally challenging to get to the point to feel comfortable busting in a cipher.

With practice and dedication, breaking becomes fun in training, as well as vibing with other b-girls and bboys at jams. Sometimes it was hard to learn from bboys who were built differently than I was. Having T & A is a whole different story when you're learning to defy the laws of gravity or learn how to not let your love handles slam the ground doing windmills. Everything takes time and practice. I had to figure out what worked with my own body to be able to pull off moves. Looking to other b-girls for knowledge helped. The girls that had been doing it longer than I had were good sources of technic and foundation for me.

I will always look up to b-girls who have been rocking longer than I have and who still are, like Lady Jules, Honey Rockwell, Rockafella, and Asia One. There's nothing more enpowering than the feeling of throwing down in a cipher , feeling the groove, riding the beat, letting the music guide my body through my freestyle top rocks, and taking me down to the ground. Every muscle in my body is engaged to execute the footwork, freezes, flow, and style that I strive for in my practices.

When I get props for a nasty set I throw down, it's way better than some guy hooting at me if I wore daisy dukes with a thong sticking out . I'd go for props any day for my skills rather than the fact I was a chick and was flaunting myself aimlessly. I get down in a cipher when I'm feelign the music, and when I'm feeling a vibe.

I break for for the love of the dance and the ecstasy that I feel after a couple of throw downs. It's a feeling better than any drug or any boyfriend could make me feel. I choose this high over any other type of attention.

Breaking is still my escape. Breaking is my passion. Breaking gives me strength to stand up for what I believe in and the courage to face anything that I want in life. Breaking reflects the free spirit in me and allows me to express myself through a sacred art form. There are no limits to expression in this dance.

I find a special comfort in knowing that the break life is always there, even when the rest of my life seems like a catastrophe.

When I don't feel loved , breaking will always love me.

Peace , Good Luck, and Stay Up.

BGIRL PEPPA