Scene: New Orleans, 1994 – A hip-hop pioneer in the realm of bounce music jumps on a track and becomes widely known as the first person to ever have the word “twerk” in the title of a song. The artist, Angela “Cheeky Blakk” Woods; the song “Twerk Something.”
Twerking had already been a popular local dance in the Crescent City and there were music performers in clubs mentioning the body movement and demonstrating it themselves. Woods began her career as a backup dancer for bounce artist Edgar “Pimp Daddy” Givens, with whom she had become romantically involved. Later, the two worked as rhyming partners that would draw crowds to see them utilize their relationship to trade diss records in battle performances.
As a rapper, Woods grew from battle rhyming to leaning on her dance experience to craft lyrics. While everyone may have been in the club tooting it up twerk-style, no one had yet made it a catchy hook and mantra. While she is hailed in Louisiana as a twerk innovator and has watched the dance grow in popularity, Woods told Blavity that she never thought twerking would become the cultural phenomenon it is today.
Twerk Culture
Twerking is believed to derive from the West African Mapouka, a centuries-old dance that has similar body movements. The New Orleans version verifiably dates back to the late 1980s and early ’90s and was likely first referenced by bounce artist Jerome “DJ Jubilee” Temple on his 1994 song, “Do the Jubilee All,” a chant style record that calls out dance moves. By the 2010s, bounce artist and former backup dancer Freddie “Big Freedia” Ross Jr. had become one of the most recognized for twerking, so much so that in 2013 Ross set a Guinness World Record for Most People Twerking Simultaneously. But, it was likely the viral video of Miley Cyrus twerking at a Juicy J concert and again at MTV’s 2013 VMAs that put the dance on America’s radar.
Cyrus became known for twerking, but that didn’t bother Woods at all.
“I love it because it took Miley to truly expose twerking to the rest of the world!” Woods told Blavity.
Twerking Belongs to Everybody
Woods contends that she does not feel disrespected by the dance’s mainstream popularity, which may or may not include her name.
“I’m respected and rich in spirit,” she said. “I will not allow the world to dictate who I am or where I go.”
And, while she says that she has the best twerk in the game, no one owns the dance.
“It belongs to anybody that wants to feel free, release and have a good time!” Woods said.
And she does mean anyone, including her fond memory of a 92-year-old woman twerking at one of her shows.
“I never thought it would become so mainstream, but I’m happy to see how big it is now!” she said.
The Twerk Doesn’t Stop
These days, Woods remains busy with music and is creating her seventh project. She’s also working on video content, shows, a movie and a clothing line.
She has no plans to slow down anytime soon, but when everything is all said and done for her, she said she wants people to remember her for her authenticity.
“I’m a true New Orleans girl!” she told Blavity.
