Dropping the Pretense and the Flashy Suits

Thanks to the promotional efforts of Fred Brathwaite, Michael Holman, and Ruza Blue in particular, the idea that hip hop existed as a cohesive culture that melded the four elements of DJ-ing, MC-ing, breaking, and graffiti had become a reality by the time Wild Style premiered in the United States at the New Directors/New Films festival held at the Museum of Modern Art on 18 March 1983. A cameo appearance by Richard “Crazy Legs” Colón of the Rock Steady Crew in Flashdance suggested that breaking could cross over to a wider audience. Roxy owner Steve Haenel hired AM/PM’s Vito Bruno to help Ruza Blue promote her night at his roller rink before firing her in the summer. The Funhouse, meanwhile, went through a subtler transition when John “Jellybean” Benitez’s studio commitments began to multiply.