I spoke with Ya hir again a couple of days after he had the opportunity to digest the feedback from the first article. Despite what many think, he was not angry nor was he loud. He was very reserved and calm in expressing his point-of-view with ChiStepper.

Tracey: Okay Ya hir I thought you said everything that was on your mind when we last spoke. What has got you all fired up now?

Ya hir: Me and Steve Breeze had a talk in the DJ booth a couple of nights ago. In 1970 or 71, Tommy T and the guys in that era came up with the double hits on the side instead of the regular two back, two up and side to side stuff that everybody is doing today. Tommy was from the era and company of the people from my generation of dancing. Dancin’ or steppin’ evolved and changed at that point. Hear me well now. I said 1970 and 71. The people that’s talking all this garbage saying that I don’t know what I’m talkin’ about are the 1990 - 1991 World’s Largest Steppers Contest people that V-103 people damn near hand picked. That’s a 20 year difference in skill level.

Tracey: So you’re saying that all of the older people that are coming out the woodworks saying you couldn’t possibly be old enough to know what you’re talking about are confused?

Ya hir: Naw they ain’t confused … they lyin’ about their skill and the dance they were doing. Terrance sells the 1990-91 DVDs of the World’s Largest. All anybody got to do that’s confused is look at that garbage that people was doing around that time. People be buying that DVD and think that they gonna see a show and are real disappointed with the people they see. V-103 wasn’t letting anybody with any skill in that contest except Alfred and Jannice. The people couldn’t keep up with them and that’s when all this category stuff came about like original, freestyle, old school, best dressed, all that dumb stuff!

Tracey: Okay let me get this straight. The people that are speaking out against what you’re saying now are lying? But they were around steppin’, wouldn’t they know?

Ya hir: They were BOPPING they were not doing what WE were doing! That bopping stuff consisted of a lot of shoulder hunching and moving the feet real fast in no specific pattern. There wasn’t any finesse to that stuff they were doing. At that time people wanted to learn this dance because of what people saw when they came to the East of the Ryan which was a hang out for the hustlers. True steppers didn’t start winning until Steppin’ Greg won and I was judging that contest. I had to sit back and watch people like Claudell, Tony Dow and Donnie get eliminated all the time because the people that were judging were friends with the people that were bopping. They couldn’t understand the nature of the dance. Again people … the DVD won’t lie.

Tracey: The interview that Terrance posted a couple of days ago with Calvin Barnes and Graelin Woodley added some credibility to your interview didn’t it?

Ya hir: I have seen Calvin before and I have nothing against the brother. Graelin is my man and he knows the truth just like I do. A lot of great dancers did not enter the World’s Largest back then because they wouldn’t lower themselves. I’m just saying that people are trying to compare night and day. If you were going to the 50 Yard Line back them, then you wouldn’t know what I was talking about because the REAL dancers didn’t go there in 1990-91. They just didn’t go there.

Tracey: Do you still think that the “new jack instructors” caused problems with the dance?

Ya hir: Let me say this. When Tyk, Ken, Billy, Ken, Dre, Maurice, Royce, Tyrone and nem came on the scene in 1994 they added to what was already there because they learned by watching us. They had a foundation! Tyk was always at East of the Ryan lookin’ at us. Now if all the 1990-91 people and 1980’s people were so hot, how come their skill doesn’t reflect it? We weren’t teaching class. If 90% of men were messed up like Calvin says, that means they were messed up because they listened to or watched people that didn’t know what they were doing. People need to be honest with themselves. People coming on here (forum) writin’ mess about, “Ya hir too young to know what he talkin’ about.” I’m old enough to know my skill level has remained consistent since I was 14. When I’m 50 I’m still going to have my handwork and footwork baby. It ain’t changing.

Tracey: Have any of the women said anything to you since you’ve been out?

Ya hir: No they haven’t other than “Good interview, we loved it. Thanks for telling the truth.”

Tracey: Anything else?

Ya hir: Again, if anybody got something to say to me, come up to me personally in my face and say what you’ve got to say. I have been out 10 times since this first interview was posted and all I have received has been “dap” and handshakes from both men and women. It’s really easy to be brave behind this keyboard ain’t it SmoothMike and BoneyJack? Name calling ain’t necessary. I’m out everyday. Bring your money and your instructors with you … idiots! You don’t see me hiding behind no alias name. My name is Ya hir and I answer to it every day. If these people suppose to be from this old school stepping period, they’ll bring their money because they’ll know that’s how we solved dance disputes back then right? Now I realize a lot of people are not speaking out because they still want people to come to their classes and their sets and I have to respect that but I’m telling you … the truth is the truth and the skills don’t lie … ever!

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