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The b-boy and filmmaker has established himself as the eye of Chicago's hip-hop scene.

Monday Aug 10, 2009.     By Jeff Min

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The first time I got to know about filmmaker Konee Rok was about 13 years ago when some friends and I went over to his house to bone up on our breaking skills. I remember being somewhat intimidated to share a circle with a guy who loved hip-hop so much that he would hand out flyers at events that berated breakers who danced to house music. We practiced for a few hours, and then Konee pulled us aside to show us a short film he made when he was younger. It was a hilarious stop-and-go animation of Spiderman battling with what I believe was a Puffkin. We shared a good laugh and I was impressed by the skillful timing of his scenes, but I don't think I could have ever anticipated the level of success that he would later go on to achieve.

In a little under nine years Konee has turned Konee Rok productions into a vast database of hip-hop happenings. He's shot footage for artists like Rhymefest, Cap D, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Kanye West and he's been the lead producer for the critically acclaimed City vs. City DVD series (a nationwide b-boying competition started by fellow Chicago Tribe members Check-It and Sneeks). His current resume boasts over 30 projects, and his work has been praised by publications like Time Out Chicago, the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times to name a few. It's not a stretch to say that Konee is the eye of the Chicago hip-hop scene, so Centerstage thought it would be interesting to catch up with him and hear about his roots in the b-boy scene and how he made the transition to filmmaking.

Who gave you the nickname Konee, and what's it based off of?
One legend says I ran over a bunch of restrictive cones in Driver's Ed, and all the kids made fun of me saying 'I rocked the cones.'

When I met you you were a b-boy for Olympix and then Chicago Tribe. Can you tell me about your experiences with them?
I was in a crew called Hoodlum Posse first with my boy Paulo, then N.S.M. (North Side Movement), then Olympix Krew, then Chicago Tribe. Olympix was formed from a few former N.S.M. members. With N.S.M. we were all in high school. We had something like 20-plus members, not all breakers necessarily, and we would hold regular weekly practices-usually my basement-and head out to parties each weekend to break. I don't know how most breaking crews were run in the early '90s, but we were run by a president, Ares. He had a lot of our battles set up for us and would help strategize battle tactics and tell us what he thought we should practice. My specialty was the backspin [laughs], so I was basically told, 'If someone does a killer backspin you know what to do.' I made great friends and have awesome memories from being in N.S.M., but I ultimately left because at some point it felt like it was leaning towards the idea of a gang more so than a breaking crew. And that wasn't the direction I wanted to go in.

So, when my friend Paulo and I started Olympix, for me, it was about growing up. I was figuring out who I was and what I wanted in a crew; taking more of a leadership role, learning about and embracing hip-hop as a whole and understanding where breaking was rooted. N.S.M was like an introduction to what it meant to be in a crew, holding practices and battling other crews. Olympix, which didn't last very long, was a transition. I later met DJ Spryte (Kid Spryte), and then myself and the rest of Olympix ended up dissolving into Chicago Tribe. Chicago Tribe is now in its 15th anniversary now and has been my commitment. Thanks to the dedication of its members through the years, it has become a legacy and I'm very grateful for that. That's a special thing to help create and still be a part of.

Who makes up Tribe right now?
Man, we got a lot, 15 I think. There are new members every few years. We got the OG's, the contemporaries and the newbies. I think the older guys are about knowledge, advice and groundedness. The contemporaries are out there doing it and the newbies are trying to earn contemp status. If I had time I'd still be a contemp, [laughs].

Were you dabbling in filmmaking before you started breaking?
I was in fact making films and drawing and animating when I was twelve, about two years before I started breaking.

When did you decide to start focusing more of your efforts toward filming?
When I was 19-20 years old. The balance started shifting, and my priorities started leaning more towards film. I had an injury that helped make that happen probably faster than it would have.

Around when did you start Konee Rok Productions?
1999 officially and incorporated in 2001.

The CVC series is pretty amazing. Could you give me your synopsis of what the b-boy scene is like right now?
Thanks. We just put out the new City Vs City DVD part 5. Hope you like it. Originally for me it was all parties and battles with purpose and meaning. Then it became organized competitions and marquee events. There are tons of events these days, but the giant events that everyone from all walks of life would save up and practice for aren't as prevalent. TV shows and the Internet have softened the scene and watered it down I think. I see a lot of difficulty in moves, but I don't see as much creativity. I also see a lot of sloppiness. Also, I see a lot of breakers that look dirty and greasy. I'd like to see more cleanliness.

You've filmed a wide array of hip-hop events. Do you see any cohesion developing in the city or are things still pretty segregated?
Well, I do see many of the artists recording at the same studios when I'm filming; I think it's better, but yes, segregation is still there. It's not NYC. We have more rappers with word names then we ever did, but not a plethora. Chicago isn't on like that yet; where we have so many big names that it's commercially or politically beneficial to do songs together.

What other projects can we expect from you this year?
Just tons of music videos and some interesting documentaries. That's my focus. Thanks for the interview.