B-Boy Spotlight · RAW9
WE PLAY FAVORITES.
And B-Boy RAW9 reminds us why.
We play favorites here at 4BQ.
We favor family. Friendship. Positivity. Love. Culture. And good vibes.
So choosing B-Boy RAW9 as our first B-Boy Spotlight is completely in line with the favorites we play.
KRS-One’s message that we embody Hip Hop—that the culture lives through who we are and how we move through the world—finds expression in young people like RAW9.
His love for breaking, his community, his elders, and the culture comes through in how he carries himself. You can see it in his respect for the people who came before him and his appreciation for the people helping him find his way.
That kind of care has people behind it: parents and mentors putting time, patience, and attention into a young person’s growth. Their work shows up in an energy that makes you want to see him succeed.
“I Am His OG, and He’s My Future.”
We first met RAW9 in 2025, at 4BQ’s first B-Boy competition.
“Yo, he walked up on me like ‘OG, OG,’ in this lil pipsqueak voice, thanking me for letting him come to the BBQ and asking me where the food was,” recalled Kool Kim, founder of Beats & Bars Barbecue.
“I’m like, ‘OG??’ Then I looked at him like… yeah… I am his OG and he’s my future.”
A thank-you. A little respect. And a very reasonable question about the food.
That introduction stayed with us.
In that moment was a relationship worth recognizing: a young person reaching toward the people who came before him, and an elder recognizing a responsibility to the person standing in front of him.
Watering the Seeds
RAW9’s place in this spotlight reaches beyond his skills, power moves, uprock, or poses.
We’re making an investment in the future of the culture—and recognizing the character, care, and relationships that help that future grow.
The B-Boys and B-Girls coming up today need places to practice, people to learn from, and a community willing to notice their effort. They also deserve encouragement for the respect, kindness, and love they bring with them.
That is part of our responsibility at 4BQ: watering those seeds and helping prepare the hands that will carry the culture forward.
RAW9 gives us a reason to feel good about what’s coming next.
Meet our first B-Boy Spotlight—in his own words and his own handwriting.
B-Boy RAW9: In His Own Hand.
We asked RAW9 a few questions. He put pen to paper. Here’s what he shared.
1. What’s it like attending Beats and Bars as a younger person?
It was really fun and I loved seeing other young artist like me get down.
2. What got you into Breakin?
So I was in a dance team called “Toxic-Elite” and I [was] the only boy there and then Juice and a Krumper and they both taught me and then I just started rolling with Juice and joined TEK.
3. Whose idea was the blonde dreads? Is that part of your signature style?
Back when I had blonde locs my dad had black and blonde locs so I wanted to be like him and do the same. ☺
4. Who are your inspirations, who do you look up to in dance?
Les Twins and my uncle Juice and Sleep dog.
Transcribed from RAW9’s handwritten answers; capitalization and punctuation lightly edited.