Chistepper.com Revealed Back
Jun 12, 2013
By Tracey Bivens
Never one to miss an opportunity to keep the masses informed and entertained, I wanted to use this time to write about someone who gave me the chance to cover 30 plus out of towner interviews and commentaries starting in 2006 on Chistepper.com. Terrance Pratt is the Founder and CEO of the website which has given exposure to some of the top steppin events around the country. In addition, it has featured music from established and aspiring artists as well as steppin apparel, event photographs and Chistepper.com videos. I wanted to take this time to speak with Terrance and provide him with a platform to help people understand how effective chistepper.com has been in the world of telecommunications.
Tracey: Terrance Pratt…my main man…my homie (laughing). I have never said this publicly before but I guess I can bite the bullet and thank you for allowing me the chance to be a freelance/contributing writing for Chistepper.com. I take great pride in knowing that the interviews and articles about the out of town steppin community provide much exposure for the likes of Drew Alexander, Jaime Graham, Keesha Anderson, Mykel (Shorty Smooth) and Deon Farr and the list goes on. Was it your intent to have these people popularized to the extent that they became household names along with the established Chicago steppin community? I know some Chicago heavy hitters gotta feel like the dance has been taken away from them because of you.
Terrance: Thanks Tracey. A lot of the content that appears on the site comes from the ideas and recommendations of the people. Sometimes I get inboxes and sometimes the writers (like yourself) have had to convince me to consider certain people. To be honest, it was never about Out-of-Towners vs. Chicago. It was really about ushering in a new generation of dancers and giving them exposure so the dance can continue to grow. I don’t always like it, but I understand that’s it necessary for us to stay relevant as well. If Soldier Boy is hot and I’m still talking about Rakim, I seem out of touch. I have to cover what’s hot right now, even when I don’t like it. It just so happens that a lot of Out-of-Town dancers appear hungrier for the dance than Chicagoans, and they’re producing more and better new talent.
As for the Chicago Heavy Hitters feelings about the dance being taken away … I straddle that same fence. I think, more than anything, they see the integrity of the dance disappearing. The style, uniqueness, and individuality that they strived for and passed down to us. They don’t mind seeing dancers like Drew, Feo, Candace, and Jamie Graham among others getting recognition because they’re respecting the integrity of the dance. I’m sure they would prefer that the best talent come from Chicago, but in the end, we’re all friends so no one really cares.
Tracey: I don’t think people really understand how important the Markie Bee’s, the Cynthia Bean’s, and the Lamont Watts’ have been in blowing the Steppin community up. I think the steppers more often than not receive all the credit … especially the WLSC winners. Isn’t it really the writers who help to exposure and formulate opinions about where steppin has been and where it’s going? (winking)
Terrance: The relationship is symbiotic if you ask me. We need each other. I need something to write about, and they need someone to chronicle their accomplishments. I make money because people come to my site to read about the Steppers, DJ’s, and Promoters. They make money by way of their popularity and accomplishments. For instance, DJ Roy Shannon called and thanked me and said that he’s been booked for more gigs since making the DJ Pound 4 Pound list. Shorty Smooth said it’s helped him as well. When Smoke and Tall Rick were entering the teaching realm, they wanted interviews or recognition. They already have the talent, but they need people to be aware of it and keep them in mind for future opportunities.
Now, what I will say is that I wish the promoters would keep us in mind more when they’re thinking about bringing talent to their event. I’m going to keep it 100 with you. I think I bring more value than a Steppin instructor. I bring a larger base to expose and brand an event, I have an advertising platform that can be worked into deals, and then we do post event coverage. For promoters who plan to be in this game for a minute, branding and exposure is important. You can bring someone in for a workshop any time. You need people to know what you’re doing and why they should come. Facebook promotion is not enough!
Tracey: I have my favorite interviews that I like to reflect back on from time to time. I really liked the Tyk Myn interviews…Mundi Griffin and the Ya hir (Bootleg Tracey) interviews. However, I regret not having had the opportunity to interview Ice Ray. Maybe it will happen one day for me. What interviews have you treasured and who would you consider to be a "dream come true” interview
Terrance: Wow. Great question. It’s been 7 years worth of interviews and I can’t remember them all. Of course Tyk Myn’s interviews were some of my favorites. I loved Herk’s interview, Maurice Turner’s interview, Feo’s interviews, and that’s all that I can think of right now. I like people who tell you how they really feel. You’d be amazed at how scripted and boring some people can be. That’s why I stopped doing interviews for a while. The people want to know about real shit, not just how long you’ve been Steppin and who taught you. They want to get in your business a little bit. If you’re uncomfortable with that, an interview is probably not for you. Tyk Myn’s interviews were the most read on the site ever, because he told you exactly how he felt, he discussed everything from dancing to his love life, and he even mentioned people’s names. I would say, "Tyk, are you sure you want to say that publicly.” He’d say, "Publish that shit T. They need to hear it man.” Feo is the exact same way.
Tracey: You and I have had our differences over the years about certain viewpoints in the presentation of my interviews and such. I preferred to showcase people in a format that emphasized the positive as best I could whereas you felt that they should have been featured as they were with no edits or "clean up.” Your forums conducted in Atlanta at the Heritage Ball and the White Parties in Detroit have been marred in controversy because it seemed as though they were designed to antagonize more than inform. More recently, you seem to have gotten away from the "Jerry Springer-ish” format. Do you still believe the forums are effective?
Terrance: I don’t want to showcase positive or negative. I want to showcase who people really are and I think we all have some good and bad in us. As for the forum, I never saw it as Jerry-Springerish. No one ever fought, no one ever got cursed out, nothing was ever thrown across the room. (Laughing) What would happen is the "so-called” Legends would preach too much and offer conflicting opinions on ideas. I think the main criticism of the forum was not that it was negative; it was that nothing was being done with all of the ideas that were being generated. I agreed with that point. Let me also say this, some of those forums resulted in positive changes for the Steppin community as well. The World’s Largest was revamped after those forums. Walking was on its death bed among New Skool Steppers until ChiStepper.com made it a public issue and addressed it in the very first forum at the Heritage Ball. The very next year there were over 100 Steppers in the Heritage Ball Walkers Workshop. I still think those forums can be great for newer Steppin communities because it helps them understand the culture of the dance.
With anything though, you have to grow and the forums were getting played out at the bigger sets. I started doing forums for the Heritage Ball and Rodney Mack’s White Party in like 2008. Those two groups have trusted me enough to create new unique experiences at their events and both the All Star Game and the Music Master’s concepts have been big hits. When those play out, we’ll create something new. That’s what I do. (Laughing)
Tracey: With the onslaught of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I feel that our core community of readers have been forced to choose which medium they want to receive their steppin information from. Do you see Chistepper.com as still being an effective form of communication in comparison to six years ago?
Terrance: That’s a great question Tracey. I absolutely feel that ChiStepper is as effective, but for a different reason. Six years ago people had to wait on me to publish an event, put up a picture, or get a person’s opinion. Now, they can do those things immediately. For instance, I was actually looking at pictures from Rodney Mack’s White Party weekend while I was still on my way driving there. I can’t match that.
On the flipside, when there is a lot of clutter and too many voices in the room, people search for familiarity. They look for something or somebody that they can trust. The people know that I’m a trusted resource in the community, that I won’t be co-opted, and that I’m going to do my best to get them answers and make positives changes to the extent of my reach and power. Look, I’m still trying to get people paid from the World’s Largest last year. I have pretty long tentacles in the Steppin community, so I have a lot of access that the general community doesn’t always have. When you think about it, it’s like asking if Facebook can take the place of the New York Times. I don’t think so.
Tracey: I believe that over time, things get kind of repetitive and don’t provide as much anticipation and joy as they once did. What changes would you like to see in the mega weekend events?
Terrance: I know this might sound crazy, but I LOVE these mega weekends. I wouldn’t change anything. I just want more and more people to come. I love seeing people from all over, dancing ‘till 4am, eating out, everything. I think the promoters have to remember to keep these events affordable, but other than that, I wouldn’t change anything.
Tracey: Same question…only focus on the World’s Largest Steppin Contest.
Terrance: I’m a perfectionist but here’s the challenge …. We want to keep things affordable, so our weekend is the least expensive of any major weekend in the nation. If I could change something, I would like for it to be hosted downtown again, but we take in to consideration peoples parking, hotel costs, etc. I probably shouldn’t say this, but the Tinley Park Convention Center doesn’t give us nearly the type of access or amenities that I see a lot of other groups getting across the nation, but we put up with it for the people’s sake.
As for the contest, I want to see the contestants all get paid ON TIME. I think it’s good for business and the morale of the dancers. Like everyone else, I want to see eliminations come back. But working with Pete Frazier from the inside, I also know why these things don’t happen as we wish they would. It all boils down to money at the end of the day. So to that end, I’d like to see major sponsorship come back as well.
Tracey: Sister2Sister magazine has been your meat and potatoes for quite some time now. The magazine has done its share of covering, sponsoring and participating in steppin events. What can the "John Q Public” do to get the mainstream media to take steppin more seriously?
Terrance: People don’t understand national media. Steppin has a niche audience. It really doesn’t have the elements to attract national media. To attract national media you need celebrities or the ability to draw a major audience into an issue. People everywhere have to care about something for a national outlet to want to cover it. Magazines in particular make money because the masses of people are interested in their content and want to purchase it. ChiStepper.com, ClubSteppin.com, Oh So Smooth Radio, ILoveSteppin.com, SteppersUSA.com, and Cynthia Bean are Steppins’ national media because we all reach a national audience and we know and care about the characters that are involved.
Tracey: Okay. Here are some quickies. 8 count… 6 count. Relevant or not?
Terrance: 8 count. I don't know the 8 count but I think it's good for the dance because most of the people learning today know it and it creates uniformity in the dance.
Tracey: Most entertaining stepper ever. Andre Blackwell or Tyk Myn?
Terrance: Andre Blackwell hands down. I think Tyk Myn is the best and most complete dancer ever, but nobody is more entertaining than Dre. Westside Mike is the second most entertaining, and Drew Alexander is 3rd in my opinion.
Tracey: As you see it, name the biggest tragedy in Chicago steppin.
Terrance: I can’t think of any major tragedies. The only thing I can think of is Tyk Myn spending so much time locked up. Tyk Myn is so important and iconic for the dance that he needs to be out here creating and inspiring people. He is the only Stepper period who I feel has mastered every area and every era of the dance, and he has the ability to translate it to future generations. Drew and Feo wouldn’t be as exciting as they are today without Tyk’s ingenuity.
To that end, that’s why I want to Drew to take his health more seriously. He is just as important as Tyk Myn to me because he is the only person in the entire dance that I see right now who can carry Tyk’s torch. He has everything and he needs to be around to pass it on.
Tracey: Three adjectives each that describes your controversial side and your "do gooder side” in the steppin community.
Terrance: I knew you were going to ask me at least one weird ass question. (Laughing) I’d have to go to Google to answer that and my self diagnosed ADHD is not in agreement with that. If it helps, I’m a trained fighter and psychotherapist, so I like to attack people and help them with their problems too. How’s that? (Laughing)
Tracey: Having just come off on DJ Rockin Rodney Mack’s 10th Anniversary celebration, will Chistepper.com make it to see its 15 year anniversary? If so…can you share a little bit of your vision?
Terrance: I think so. Rodney Mack is a very loyal dude. He’s had the same photographer for like 30 years. I love Rodney Mack for all that he brings to the community and I think that we’ll continue to build together. The 15 year anniversary is only 5 years away and I’ve already been rocking with him for 5 years. If he can keep the momentum going, which I think he can, I’m confident I’ll be around. As for the vision, I’m not sure yet but you can bet your last dollar that it will be some hot shit. I love to create hot shit! If you see my name on it, you should just know it’s going to be dope. (Laughing)
Tracey: Thanks for everything Terrance. It’s been an experience that I will always treasure.
Terrance: Thank you Tracey. Everyone has ups and downs but I appreciate all that you contributed to the site. You were great and I’m happy to see that you’re still doing your thing. I’ll always wish you the best!
