On April 3rd, my man Wayne ´Frosty Freeze´ Frost moved on to the spiritual. As a member of the Rock Steady Crew in the ´80s, he was among the first breakers to expose the rest of the world to the artform through appearances in films like Flashdance (the first time anyone saw footwork on a theater screen), Style Wars (the first hip hop documentary), and Wildstyle (the culture´s first feature drama).
Growing up, I played at the Goat Park on 99th St. eh´ryday, and the grounds doubled as Rock Steady´s headquarters. I’d see Frosty rockin´ on the Pampers cardboard box a while before they discovered linoleum at the carpet store right by the entrance. Frosty also lived near Goddard Riverside on 92nd, which held a tournament in the early ’80s. He didn´t play ball that I know of, but he was surrounded by the culture.
Everyone who listens to rap music should say a prayer for the brother and his family. Breakin´was the first element of hip hop to go global, not rhyming.
And Frosty, you will be missed. You always showed me mad love and the respect I will always have for you is ridiculous. Mad love right back at´cha, homeboy.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Reggie MIH Peters says:
Bob:
I am so sick to my stomach right now. Frosty is one of the originals. He was my hook up to get on the guest list at the Roxy on 18th street. Most people don’t even know about Style Wars. I was on the set the day that he did his thing. Frosty was great at the floor movement, the uprock, and the pop lock. He will be missed. My prayers are with him and his family. GOD BLESS ROCK STEADY CREW. Peace to the original YOKE CITY MOBB!
Reggie MIH Peters
April 4th, 2008 at 12:20 am
the truth says:
Bob and crew,
I know this post shouldn’t make me say this because of the sensitive nature of the words, but I didn’t know about Frosty and always learn something from the bounce blog.
Much respect fellas and thanks for sharing your knowledge. Sorry about the loss.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
reggie-
i heard there will be a benefit party, i´ll post the flyer if so. yoke city mob–wow. i’m in denmark right now, and one of their best dancers has a school with 300 young breakers. he told me ken swift was just out here a month or so ago teaching. in my opinion, ken was the greatest ever. complete b-boy from footwork, originality, character, even gear. word.
the truth-
don´t worry ´bout not knowing everything, my brother. none of us do. i am still learning about our culture, and hope that i always do. for real. if you do get to see flashdance or any of the other films i mentioned above, frosty was the brother who did the ´backbreaker´ and the ´hump.´ he had mad character!
April 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Raul says:
R.I.P…Frosty Freeze…and Thank You….Raul from San Francisco
April 5th, 2008 at 12:51 am
chris says:
i can vividly remember watching wild style on VHS over and over and over when i was about 8 years old… luckily for me, i have a brother who is now 36 years old, and was in his formative years when hip hop was starting to pop off.. he was heavy into the graf, breaking and music, and me being the little kid i was, i looked up to my brother as if he was a god…
i did not know freeze personally, but being around since the “teenage years” of hip hop in the mid to late 80’s, i def knew who he was.. and he was a legend.. hip hop has come a long way from our home of NYC, and specifically, the bx, to where it is now.. in my opinion, it is beyond coming from there to here, because it is at a whole other place.. i mean its not even hip hop to me anymore.. it is a complete different genre.. there is nothing wrong with it, but what is defined as hip hop now, for the most part, is not what once was..
rip to the legend.. condolences to his family, the RSC, and to hip hop itself.. we have lost another member, way to soon..
April 5th, 2008 at 1:03 am
chris says:
not that it matters, but we cant edit here.. i mean to say that we watched style wars over and over, taped off of pbs.. although we watched wild styles just as much..
here is a tribute to frosty freeze:
rest in peace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxueAc2J1EI
April 5th, 2008 at 11:27 am
love life says:
read about his passing
yesterday..many blessings and prayers
4 his fam and 4 those that knew him or ever saw him!!
April 6th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Carlito Roc says:
Frosty Freeze Rest In Peace.
He was a kind dude, great dancer and mad funny.
Carlito Roc
Tck Krew