Breaking
Breaking
10 things you need to know about Lilou
Get to know the multiple world champ and two-time Red Bull BC One winner Lilou, and find out how he became the iconic breaker he is.
To attempt to break down everything Lilou's done as a B-Boy and the outrageous moments he's created is no easy task. In the past two decades, few B-Boys have elevated the scene as much, blown away as many audiences or been more consistent than he has.
His list of battle wins, music video appearances and multiple world titles are a testament not only to his skills on the floor, but to his character on the scene.
Lilou shows his flares in the cypher
© Alfred Jürgen Westermeyer/Red Bull Content Pool
Those lucky enough to catch Lilou tear up a battle will witness a performance they won't forget. His musical dexterity is next level, and his playfulness while taunting opponents and the creativity he applies to his battles tactics are out of this world.
He won his first title in his first year competing at the 2005 Red Bull BC One World Final in Berlin, Germany, despite being the underdog. So proud of the moment, Lilou took hold of the famous Red Bull BC One belt (normally handed over to the next winner the following year) and didn't let go. Not only did he come back, but he became the first-ever B-Boy to win the Red Bull BC One title twice.
Away from his solo achievements, Lilou clocked respect on the scene as a co-founder of French B-Boy collective Pockemon Crew. He also found fame by starring in the Chemical Brothers' video Midnight Madness, the movie StreetDance 2 and the hyped B-Boy documentary Turn It Loose, filmed at the 2007 Red Bull BC One World Finals in South Africa. He even joined Madonna's MDNA 2012 tour as dancer and choreographer, was unfazed by performing at the Super Bowl and got his own video-game character.
Check out Turn it Loose below:
13 min
Turn It Loose - The story of Lilou
Join us as we delve into the life and times of one of the world's greatest ever B-boys.
Most would be high off the clout of their success, but Lilou's quick to make it clear he's only warming up.
Continually making moves on the scene, and ahead of his stint as a judge at the Red Bull BC One E-Battle, we caught up with Lilou to find out what's been key to staying on the scene so consistently for so long and what the future holds.
1. Getting his start in hip-hop
"Hip-hop culture was around me since I was a kid," says Lilou. "I was already trying doing graffiti and throwing my name up on walls and trying to rap when I first saw breaking at 12 years old, but the breaking took it over. I liked the way I could experiment and push gravity and create my own moves as well. I was fascinated with breakers on TV who were spinning on their heads. It was absolutely crazy, and I wanted to do that. My older brother taught me the moonwalk, and I started as a B-Boy officially in 1997. From there, I co-founded Lyon's Pockemon Crew in 1999 and didn't look back."
Lilou was victorious at the 2005 Red Bull BC One World Final
© Martha Cooper/Red Bull Content Pool
2. Aiming for new goals after those Red Bull BC One wins
"I'm a competitor, so I always want to push the limits. For me, it was just a goal that I won once, so of course, I wanted to do it again. In life, you have to work like that, you have set goals and try to make them.
"But my next goal is not to collect all these titles. I did 25 years on the scene, winning battles and putting my name at the top of the breaking game. I want to keep my name there, but for now, my focus is entirely on developing my own thing. I started my own association five years ago called Street Off which brings kids to international events and hosted my own as well in Africa."
3. Breaking out of his comfort zone with The Chemical Brothers
"I had already done quite a few videos with smaller artists, but when I got called to do a video with The Chemical Brothers I was like, 'Wow!' When I saw what the scenario was going to be like for the video, I knew straight away it was going to be huge on TV. But because you couldn't see my face, I decided to choose signature moves like the way I turn my knee, so that even with a mask, everyone would recognise as mine. As soon as it dropped, people were calling me straight away in the middle of the night saying, 'Yo man, I saw you in the Chemical Brothers video.'"
Lilou teaches breakers some attitude at the Red Bull BC One Camp Mumbai
© Ali Bharmal/Red Bull Content Pool
4. Kicking off his tour with Madonna at the Super Bowl
"Breaking on Madonna's MDNA tour for 10 months was crazy, and I learned a lot of stuff. Performing with her at the Super Bowl was mad for a lot of reasons. Firstly it's live, but second, it was the first time I ever performed with her. We just jumped on stage together. I always try not to have a big head and play things down, so when I got the call, for me, it was like, 'Cool, OK, I'm going to dance at the Super Bowl.' I didn't understand the magnitude of what I was doing or how big of an event and show it is until I was on that stage.
"The Super Bowl was crazy, but my favourite stage that we performed on was not that one, it was Paris's Stade de France. I love football so to be able to dance on there, plus being French and with that type of artist as big as Madonna that was really special for me."
Lilou announces Gid-Nasty as the winner after judging in Lagos
© 1207 Studios/Red Bull Content Pool
5. Sitting on the judging panel
"It's cool for me that I can use my own experience and be a judge now, but sometimes it's hard to sit on the chair as a B-Boy too. If you have two great dancers, it's up to you to choose. One will win and one will lose. When it comes down to what I'm looking for, I look at battle tactics, but the first thing and most important is always their character and charisma. I look at how they move on stage and on the beat, I look at how they use their creativity to play with their opponents. Mostly because that's one of my skills I'm known for one the scene."
6. Getting a black belt in Kung Fu at the age of 16
"I owe a lot to Kung Fu and the art form for how much it helped me with breaking. In the art of fighting, you have to understand that if your opponent is good with his fists, you work with your foot. The mentality is the same in breaking. The way you train, repeat and perfect each move is the same. You need to learn new combinations and develop your style all the time if you want to be a winner. Just like in Kung Fu, you have to anticipate all your opponent's moves on the dancefloor, and then you'd better have an answer to that."
Lilou and Menno prior to the Red Bull BC One World Final in Zurich
© Jean-Christophe Dupasquier/Red Bull Content Pool
7. Battling his own video-game character in B-Boy the Game
"This was a different type of achievement because, as a kid, you are always playing video games. At 21, when I found out that I was going to have my own character in a video game, it was not a competitor's dream it was a kid's dream! And by the way, when I play, I don't play with my own character in the game, I always want to beat myself."
Breaking has taken Lilou to many places
© Najib Zouein/Red Bull Content Pool
8. Travelling to hone his talents
"I've been most places in the world. But out of all the places I've battled, my favourite ones are always Brazil, Africa and developing nations. When I go to these kinds of countries, the vibe is so real and raw. The energy from the people and the dancers there is unlike anything. I have a lot of really good memories, and as soon as I can, I'll make a lot more."
Lilou with his fellow judges of the Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2018
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
9. Using his platform to have influence beyond the dancefloor
"I'm always trying to deliver a message. Rappers use their voice, as dancers, we use our bodies to express ourselves. In the past, I wore a T-Shirt that read 'I'm a Muslim, Don't Panic' when I battled to express solidarity for my brothers and sisters who were facing adversity. When I first did this, it was a few years after 9/11 in New York. All the media and press were saying so many negative things about my religion and I wanted to use my platform for something more positive. For that same reason when I went to Africa for BC One I wore a T-shirt that read 'Africa is the Future.'
I want people to know when I dance that I stand for something
10. Locking down two decades as a B-Boy
"You can always find someone better than you when it comes to tricks. But in my head, if we talk about my strategy, my mentality, my delivery, no one can be better than me. This is how I think and how I win.
"My advice for the next generation of B-Boys and B-Girls behind me is to take their time. Learn the basics and don't try to get to the top too fast. I've seen a lot of B-Boys and B-Girls who start by watching YouTube. They want to reach the international stage in three years, but it doesn't work like that. Sure, you can find fame, you can become someone if your video goes viral or whatever, but when it comes to staying at the top, if you don't have the training to back it up, you'll last maybe a year. Take the time to find out what you want and then go and get it, no matter what! That way, when you're in a battle, you're there to win, not to play."
Lilou is judging the 2020 Red Bull BC One E-Battle. Sign up and take a shot at the Red Bull BC One World Final.
