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Kenny Guido

Last reply Nov 15, 2007 · posted in Freestyle Dance Music Discussion

Request Johnny O @ Ktu Taj Mahal Show! Call 1-800-245-1035

Request Johnny O @ Ktu Taj Mahal Show! Call 1-800-245-1035

Lets Get This Movement Goin!

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k7ktu

Oct 17, 2007

wow

this could be a sign of the times or a call for a much needed change .
i understand what kenny is saying about lets support and try to get one of your favs to be on this event @ taj mahal

but i see where luvmesafire is going with it .like why should we make the effort .
when the station is not supporting you the listener and the fact is you have seen us [all the groups] perform countless times .
i know alot of you echo this sentment and i for one understand .
i hope that the statement is not about the caliber of johnny o's talent or performance , for as we all know johnny rides his own lane and has always tried to forge ahead with whatever he could give you the audience .
...
that statement of why??????? has been the deepest statement made on this or any freestyle when page ever.
....... again wow

Kid Heartbreak

Oct 18, 2007

k7/tka said:
wow

this could be a sign of the times or a call for a much needed change .
i understand what kenny is saying about lets support and try to get one of your favs to be on this event @ taj mahal

but i see where luvmesafire is going with it .like why should we make the effort .
when the station is not supporting you the listener and the fact is you have seen us [all the groups] perform countless times .
i know alot of you echo this sentment and i for one understand .
i hope that the statement is not about the caliber of johnny o's talent or performance , for as we all know johnny rides his own lane and has always tried to forge ahead with whatever he could give you the audience .
...
that statement of why??????? has been the deepest statement made on this or any freestyle when page ever.
....... again wow

It continues to amaze me how no one realizes the real reason why freestyle is not on pop radio anymore like back in the day. It never should have gotten spin on these stations like it did at one time. Pop radio uses the "charted hits" formula to determine their play rotation. They don't care whether a song is freestyle, rap, r&b, house, etc. All they care is if the song is a charted hit. Back in the 80s it was a different formula they were using. The CHR formula didn't become prevalent until around 1990. A good most of the freestle songs that got radio play back in the day should have never gotten that radio play because they were never Top 40 charted hits or even Hot 100 charted hits. I couldn't believe how freestyle artists scrambled to change up their music, water it down, and make it more like pop when it was never about that. All that radio cared about was whether a song was a charted hit. An artist could come out with an album, have it be 100% hardcore freestyle, and if it charts, they'll play it all day. An artist could come out with an album, have it be the perfect "cookie cutter" pop album and if it doesn't chart, radio won't even look at it. It continues to amaze me how no one realizes this, not even most of the artists.

k7ktu

Oct 19, 2007

Kid Heartbreak said:
It continues to amaze me how no one realizes the real reason why freestyle is not on pop radio anymore like back in the day. It never should have gotten spin on these stations like it did at one time. Pop radio uses the "charted hits" formula to determine their play rotation. They don't care whether a song is freestyle, rap, r&b, house, etc. All they care is if the song is a charted hit. Back in the 80s it was a different formula they were using. The CHR formula didn't become prevalent until around 1990. A good most of the freestle songs that got radio play back in the day should have never gotten that radio play because they were never Top 40 charted hits or even Hot 100 charted hits. I couldn't believe how freestyle artists scrambled to change up their music, water it down, and make it more like pop when it was never about that. All that radio cared about was whether a song was a charted hit. An artist could come out with an album, have it be 100% hardcore freestyle, and if it charts, they'll play it all day. An artist could come out with an album, have it be the perfect "cookie cutter" pop album and if it doesn't chart, radio won't even look at it. It continues to amaze me how no one realizes this, not even most of the artists.

hi my statement came from the stand point of the statement made by luvmesafire.
a couple of things first i worked both at hot 97 and ktu for over 12 years between both i know the dynamics of radio, and why we all got our radio play back in the day. in fact i understand your point of you as well since most of the groups who were not educated in the ways of radio always felt that groups like tka george lamond cynthia were radio darling and had an inside source to get our songs played when it really was that our songs were charting .
the statement from luvmesafire
left me shocked because it seemed too me like why should we bother to support [the music the artist] .
maybe this is not what luvmesafire meant by it maybe it is . but it was an open ended statement which could be taken in many ways.
you are right too this day and age many still are baffled by radio and do anything to catch the musical wave, but its the way it is. originality only get threw once in a blue .
the scramble to change has happen as well you can't blame people for wanting to survive in a fickle musical market,and the cookie cutters out there have most of the bigger hits in all music genres so in a sense we should appauled those who make it more likable.

look at hip hop now soldier boy ? really !!!! yeah i know what you are thinking but it works and is the biggest song on radio period for the past few months . lets used freestyle now cookie cutter adam marano remakes a hit in another genre but does it freestyle and bam hit.do you know how many copies there are of the tears may fall beat? some record labels made the entire career by coping that and other paramount freestyle songs and hit and moderate hit pop out over and over again.

heart break in the end your right radio wont pay attention unless it charts but if no one notices you you won't get a chance to even try to chart

i've told many to make attempts whether my voice fell on death ear i don't know but if we dont throw the dart we can't get a bulls eye not even a miss.
freestyle is not dead but we are not making the records to make enough of a difference thats why i have said its better to take what we did that works and invent something new from what we have.
our influence is out there we are not trying or listening to whats happening around us but r&b has i little of our beats [ciara etc etc] but as many will jump in too reply thats not freestyle but how many definitions does rock and roll have? how many types are there of that and hip hop & jazz .
we never want to embrace change we our to deep in the hole in what it was then what it should be .we ain't going to be the changers or resurrectors of freestyle its going to be some kid in his house on his computer with no preconsieved notions in his head that does but then we will be right there to type away and say no no no thats not freestyle again...
ride the wave enjoy what you love cause we are all gonna miss it once its gone

Kid Heartbreak

Oct 19, 2007

k7/tka said:
hi my statement came from the stand point of the statement made by luvmesafire.
a couple of things first i worked both at hot 97 and ktu for over 12 years between both i know the dynamics of radio, and why we all got our radio play back in the day. in fact i understand your point of you as well since most of the groups who were not educated in the ways of radio always felt that groups like tka george lamond cynthia were radio darling and had an inside source to get our songs played when it really was that our songs were charting .
the statement from luvmesafire
left me shocked because it seemed too me like why should we bother to support [the music the artist] .
maybe this is not what luvmesafire meant by it maybe it is . but it was an open ended statement which could be taken in many ways.
you are right too this day and age many still are baffled by radio and do anything to catch the musical wave, but its the way it is. originality only get threw once in a blue .
the scramble to change has happen as well you can't blame people for wanting to survive in a fickle musical market,and the cookie cutters out there have most of the bigger hits in all music genres so in a sense we should appauled those who make it more likable.

look at hip hop now soldier boy ? really !!!! yeah i know what you are thinking but it works and is the biggest song on radio period for the past few months . lets used freestyle now cookie cutter adam marano remakes a hit in another genre but does it freestyle and bam hit.do you know how many copies there are of the tears may fall beat? some record labels made the entire career by coping that and other paramount freestyle songs and hit and moderate hit pop out over and over again.

heart break in the end your right radio wont pay attention unless it charts but if no one notices you you won't get a chance to even try to chart

i've told many to make attempts whether my voice fell on death ear i don't know but if we dont throw the dart we can't get a bulls eye not even a miss.
freestyle is not dead but we are not making the records to make enough of a difference thats why i have said its better to take what we did that works and invent something new from what we have.
our influence is out there we are not trying or listening to whats happening around us but r&b has i little of our beats [ciara etc etc] but as many will jump in too reply thats not freestyle but how many definitions does rock and roll have? how many types are there of that and hip hop & jazz .
we never want to embrace change we our to deep in the hole in what it was then what it should be .we ain't going to be the changers or resurrectors of freestyle its going to be some kid in his house on his computer with no preconsieved notions in his head that does but then we will be right there to type away and say no no no thats not freestyle again...
ride the wave enjoy what you love cause we are all gonna miss it once its gone

I guess what I had said was more out of frustration over certain things in the music game that are so obvious to me but no one else seems to realize or pay attention to. I've been involved in the freestyle game doing mixtapes/CDs here in Chicago for the last 12 years, ever since I was only a teenager. When I first started was when freestyle had just began its slow painful death (not only on radio but on the streets as well). It was all about rap back then. My entire stilo was all Queensbridge gangsta rap (Mobb Deep, Cormega, CNN, Nas, etc.) and Freestyle. I didn't know a whole lot about the history of freestyle or musically what it really was, but I did have an idea that it was related to hip hop in some way. As I got more involved in the music game, I discovered that my initial perception was even more correct than I had ever imagined. Freestyle was Latin Hip Hop on the streets of New York. Freestyle was more closely related to rap than any other genre of music out there. Freestyle is rap's first born, at a time when rap was a lot realer than it is today. All that is really saying something and I became rather dissappointed and very confused as I watched freestyle artists water their music down to make it sound more pop and soft. Freestyle in ultimate reality being a lost aspect of true hip hop had a responsibilty to keep it real to the streets and it failed miserably. In its hopeless scramble to please radio, freestyle lost the streets. Had it kept it real to itself, it would have at least held on to more of its core fan base than it did. That's the reason why freestyle is dead, plain and simple. No one sees it like that except me, but I know I'm right. In no way am I saying that the music can't be diverse, but it has to be done in a certain way. A lot of rap club bangers that came out in the last 4 years are straight up freestyle. Songs like LL Cool J f/ J.Lo, Lloyd "Hit it Shawty", P.Diddy f/ Keysha Cole, Timbaland f/ J.T., Akon f/ Eminem, and the list goes on and on. As far as I'm concerned freestyle did make a comeback and in the illest way, through rap. But no one noticed at least not on any of these freestyle message boards. It seems to me like its more about that "click" stuff (talking about the same old school artists over and over again regardless of whether they're even doing freestyle any more or not). I've met and gotten to hang out with almost every freestyle legend out there except for K7, the one who I probably wanted to talk with the most because I wanted to run some of these ideas by you (one of the creators of this genre), but it never happened. It almost happened at the Freestyle Extravaganza here in Chicago last year, but in between hollaring at girls and playing "male groupie" with the other artists, I wasn't able to catch up with you. I got to speak to the rest of TKA, but not yourself and that was the closest I ever got. I wanted to ask you about the "Forever" album. Please don't take this the wrong way, but at the time it shattered my image of Freestyle music. I didn't grow up in Spanish Harlem back in the 80s. I was a teenager in Chicago during the 90s. I didn't get to live freestyle and witness it the way that you did, so a lot of my perceptions of freestyle are based more on hearsay, historical research, and the actual sound of the music itself. I always wanted to hear it first hand from yourself. What is freestyle? Is it really a lost aspect of true hip hop or is it just some very old pop music? Some times in life you have to understand what was and is before you can truly move forward. If you have the time, check me out at www.myspace.com/kidheartbreakmusic

damultieditjunke

Oct 19, 2007

man both k7 and kidheartbrake got deep on this...both you guys made excellent points....

heres my take on it.....both freestyle and hip hop started in the same neighborhoods here in nyc around the same time (although hip hop in its true begining was rhymen over 70s disco/funk/dance beats)late70s and freestyle (although not called freestyle at the time began in the late 70s/early 80s)...both have very similiar and different elements...
But have you ever wondered.....why hip hop has gone so much further then freestyle since they both began?.......Now mind you both began to get popular in the mid to late 80s....at the time freestyle and hip hop was true to its roots which of course were the the streets...and this was an absoulte INCREDIBLE time for both music forms...so much talent and creativity came out but never realy got the true credit it deserverd....now the blacks created hip hop...and the puerto ricans created freestyle.....

Now even during this time mid/late 80s.....when freestyle had ALOT of hits....
we never knew how the artist looked liked? I always wondered back then how all these groups i loved looked like...corina, solid, tonasia, &more, souve,facination, judy torres,tka...etc etc.....since they had no music videos ...Now hip hop at least had video music box a show here in nyc that would play 1 hour a day everyday from 3pm to 4pm and play hip hop videos from boogie down productions/cool g rap/mc shan/big daddy kane/etc etc...

At the time MTV would not play anything from black or latino artist...it was against there policy...all these cd dance complications that were coming out at the time...most of them never had any freestyle on it...now why is that?
I mean freestyle had so many hits in the late 80s early 90s so why wasnt any of these cd dance complications putting a freestyle song on them? why did none of these artist videos every get any tv play?

why? because they were hispanic plain and simple....it was a racist situation then ....and still is a racist situation today...

Now the blacks were having the same problem when it came to hip hop...but they had guys like Russel Simmons step up to the plate and make there voice heard...
Freestyle had no one to step up to the plate and make there voice heard...and thats very unfortnate....
even pop artist of the time...janet jackson, jody watley, taylor dayne..etc..got there music style from freestyle...freestyle was the hotness at that time....and all these pop artist were copying freestyle beats, rhythems, etc etc.....but freestyle was getting little to no credit for all it did at the time and continued doing....why? because they were just looked at as a bunch of puerto ricans....
who never steped up to the plate and made there voice heard and get the credit they deserve when it came to freestyle....or even just music in general....
the music they created was basicaly taken from them...and they were never creadited for it.....sad but true

Look at radio today is completly dominated by Rap and R&B....black stations like hot 97 will never or rarely ever play a artist that is white or latino
yet white stations like 103.5 all they play for the most part is black artist...
why? because blacks realy stuck together and made there voice heard when it came to music..some thing the hispanics did not do when it came to freestyle....

I mean i was just looking at the nu image my space web page...
and i see all these great freestyle artist and producers...mkg, pompeo, mickey garcia, cynthia, dave mendez....etc

yet it seems like nothing is going on the freestyle world...no new music....no new cd singles ...with great accapellas, 8 minute club mixes, bonus beats, dubs
they way they use to back in the 12inch vinyl days....

No new freestyle being created .....radio like KTU is boring repetive and stale....
Seems like everyone says yea i got this coming out i got that coming out...i am working on this that and the other...but theres realy no freestyle out there....nothing realy happening regardless of what these people are saying there doing..at the end nothing comes out......all you hear is yea this project is in the works but in the end the project never materlizes into anything...

At least the house community, trance community has a voice....even though they dont get any radio air play either like freestyle.....at least new house, trance music continues to be made and released on the under ground level.
Freestyle for the most part has nothing......

Melissa

Oct 19, 2007

omg you guys write to much I'd expect that out of us ladies to get a point across aye..lol.

cArLiToS WaY

Oct 19, 2007

Forever House!

Kid Heartbreak

Nov 15, 2007

Does anyone really pay attention to this stuff anymore?

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Laava

Jun 10, 2026 · posted in Where Can I Find This Freestyle Dance Music Song?

Jeannie's full-length CD

Hello, does anyone have Jeannie's CD? She was a freestyle artist from San Antonio, TX in the late '90s. She's best known for the classic "Runaway" but had other nice songs too. Thanks.

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Two Without Hats – The Breeze

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Jun 10, 2026 · posted in Freestyle Hits of 1989

Two Without Hats - Try Yazz

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Jun 10, 2026 · posted in Freestyle Hits of 1991

Two Without Hats - B.V.D. Countdown

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Jun 10, 2026 · posted in Freestyle Hits of 1991

Two Without Hats - 3 On The Mic

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Jun 10, 2026 · posted in Freestyle Hits of 1987

C-Bank - Perfect

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Jun 5, 2026 · posted in Freestyle Dance Music Discussion

The Heartbeat of the Streets: How Freestyle Dance Music Changed Everything

If you grew up in the late 80s and early 90s, you already know the vibe. You can practically hear the Roland TR 808 drum machine firing up the second I mention the word freestyle. We're talking about a genre that didn't just climb the Billboard charts - it defined an entire era of youth culture. From the streets of New York City and Miami to roller rinks across the country, freestyle dance music was the ultimate soundtrack for a generation. It wasn't just music. It was the clothes, the big hair, the attitude, and the unbridled emotion of teenage heartbreak packed into a heavy bass line.

Today, we're taking a deep dive into the undisputed royalty of freestyle. They're the artists who built the foundation, impacted millions of people, and paved the way for modern dance pop. And the craziest part? They're still selling out arenas today. Let's get into it.

Shannon: The Architect
You can't talk about freestyle without bowing down to Shannon. When "Let the Music Play" dropped, it completely shattered the mold. It gave us that heavily syncopated, hard hitting drum beat that became the blueprint for everything that followed. Shannon showed the world that dance music didn't have to be mindless - it could have soul, and it could make you feel something. Fans connected with her instantly. Today, Shannon's still gracing the stage, proving that her legendary voice hasn't lost a single step. If you catch a freestyle festival this year, there's a good chance you'll see her bringing the house down.

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam: The Crossover Legends
Lisa Lisa took the underground freestyle sound and forced the mainstream pop world to pay attention. "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and "Can You Feel the Beat" were absolute monsters on the radio. She had this incredibly unique, fierce delivery that made every young girl want to be her. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam broke down barriers for Latino artists on mainstream radio. Their impact's immeasurable. Where's she now? Lisa Lisa's practically the reigning queen of the current Freestyle Explosion tours, packing massive venues in 2026 and showing a whole new generation exactly how it's done.

Stevie B: The Undisputed King
If there's a King of Freestyle, it's Stevie B. The man just couldn't miss. From party anthems like "Spring Love" and "Party Your Body" to the ultimate number one ballad "Because I Love You", Stevie B knew exactly what his fans wanted. His music was the backdrop to countless first dates, high school dances, and summer nights. He gave the genre a commercial viability that nobody expected. And guess what? He's still headlining enormous tours. If you look at the 2026 tour posters, Stevie B's name's right there at the top, delivering those classic hits to tens of thousands of screaming fans.

TKA: The High Energy Powerhouse
When TKA stepped onto a stage, you knew you were in for a masterclass in performance. K7 and the guys brought a raw, street level hip hop energy to freestyle. "One Way Love", "Maria", and "Tears May Fall" remain absolute anthems. They didn't just sing - they danced their hearts out and gave fans a visually stunning show. TKA became the best selling Latin freestyle group in history, and they heavily influenced boy bands and dance groups that came later. They're still performing as TKA, and their live shows today still pack the exact same electric punch as they did back in the day.

The Cover Girls: Glamour Meets the Beat
With tracks like "Show Me" and "Wishing on a Star", The Cover Girls brought a touch of glamour and pop polish to the freestyle world. They were fashion icons. Every girl wanted to dress like them, and every guy fell in love with them. They harmonized beautifully over those classic pounding beats, proving that freestyle could be both edgy and incredibly beautiful. The original lineup's seen some changes over the years, but The Cover Girls name still carries immense weight, and they're still out there touring the country.

Judy Torres: The Queen of Hearts
If you ever needed a shoulder to cry on after a bad breakup, Judy Torres was there for you. Songs like "No Reason to Cry" and "Come Into My Arms" still hit incredibly hard. Judy didn't just sing the lyrics - she bled them. Her fans feel an incredibly deep personal connection to her because her music's so relentlessly honest. Beyond music, Judy became an iconic radio personality in New York City, connecting with her fans on a daily basis. She's still a massively requested performer and a beloved figure in the freestyle community.

Sa-Fire: The Vocal Dynamo
Sa-Fire brought serious vocal chops to the table. "Boy I've Been Told" and "Love Is On Her Mind" showed an incredible range and a fierce independence. She wasn't just a singer - she was a writer and a creator who demanded respect in a very competitive music industry. Sa-Fire inspired countless young women to stand up for themselves. While she doesn't tour as relentlessly as some of the others today, her impact remains a foundational pillar of the genre.

George Lamond: The Voice
When "Bad of the Heart" hit the airwaves, it was game over. George Lamond possessed a voice that could rival the biggest pop stars on the planet. His vocal runs, his undeniable swagger, and his ability to convey deep emotion made him an instant superstar. He brought a sophisticated, incredibly polished sound to freestyle. Today, George's still out there crushing it on stage alongside his peers, and his voice sounds just as pristine as it did the day he recorded those classic tracks.

Cynthia & Johnny O: The Ultimate Duo
I've got to group Cynthia and Johnny O together, even though they had massive solo careers. Cynthia gave us huge hits like "Change on Me", and Johnny O gave us "Fantasy Girl". But when they teamed up for "Dreamboy/Dreamgirl", they created what's arguably the greatest freestyle duet of all time. It's the ultimate tale of star crossed lovers set to a frantic, irresistible beat. They gave a voice to every teenager who felt hopelessly in love. Both Cynthia and Johnny O still draw huge crowds on the live circuit, frequently performing together to the absolute delight of their lifelong fans.

Debbie Deb: The Weekend Warrior
If you ever stepped foot in a roller rink on a Friday night, you know Debbie Deb. "When I Hear Music" and "Lookout Weekend" remain the ultimate party starters. Her music was heavily electro influenced, with those bouncy, infectious beats that made it impossible to sit still. Hip hop and EDM artists today still heavily sample Debbie Deb's tracks, proving just how forward thinking her sound really was. She remains a beloved figure, occasionally popping up at retro shows to remind everyone who started the party.

How They Changed the Game
Freestyle dance music wasn't just a passing fad - it was a cultural revolution. Before freestyle, mainstream radio was incredibly segregated. These artists, many of them incredibly talented kids from Puerto Rican and Italian neighborhoods, forced the door open. They created a hybrid sound that blended the energy of hip hop, the melodies of pop, and the relentless pulse of electronic dance music. They laid the groundwork for the massive EDM festivals we see today.

But their real impact was on the people. For the fans, this music's a time machine. It takes them right back to their first car, their first kiss, their first heartbreak. The freestyle community's like a massive family. When you go to a Freestyle Explosion concert today, you aren't just watching a retro act - you're experiencing a beautiful, chaotic reunion. The fans know every single lyric, the artists still give it everything they've got, and the energy in the room's purely electric.

These artists proved that you don't need a massive corporate machine to make a lasting impact. You just need a heavy beat, a synthesizer, and a whole lot of heart. And that's why, all these years later, the music still plays on.

Who are your favorite freestyle artists - and what are your favorite freestyle songs?

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