I.aM.mE
Encyclopedia
I.aM.mE is an American
hip hop
dance crew from Houston, Texas
. The group rose to prominence after being crowned champions in the sixth season
of America's Best Dance Crew
. The three founding members, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb, Di "Moon" Zhang and Brandon "747" Harrell, formed I.aM.mE after the disbanding of Marvelous Motion Crew, which they were all formerly a part of. Three additional members, Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales, Emilio "Millie" Dosal, and Džajna "Jaja" Vaňková, joined later after an audition.
before he met Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb and created Marvelous Motion Crew, which included Brandon "747" Harrell. As the main choreographers, they led the team to much success, winning 1st place at "The Show," a Dallas competition hosted by JabbaWockeeZ
. Taking the crew to new levels, Marvelous Motion traveled to California on their first major competition, and received 3rd place at "World of Dance: Pomona" under the direction of Moon. However, Marvelous Motion Crew was unable to audition for the fourth and fifth seasons of ABDC, since Pacman was still under contract with the fifth season
of So You Think You Can Dance
. The crew disbanded in late 2010. The trio of Pacman, Moon, and 747 then held an audition, creating a brand new crew with three new members in preparation for ABDC: Season of the Superstars
.
on June 5, 2011. They became the first mixed gender crew and also the first group from the South
to win, ending the Western dominance of previous ABDC seasons.
. Their performances pleased the crowds, and good comments from the judges. D-Trix called them "clever" and "took tutting to the next level" because the crew added some Rubik's-cube shapes and brought something new to ABDC
. Lil Mama
liked how the crew showed illusions and visual effects but mixed it with solid dance choreography. JC Chasez liked the style and was entertained, but wanted the crew to expand and dance to other parts of stage, instead of just the center.
. I.aM.mE. received the Rihanna song "S&M", and the dance move known as "The Spiderman". The crew performed a routine which met the challenge and highlighted member Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales as a major character. The judges responded by calling the routine "exceptional" and "absolutely brilliant".
, based from his documentary movie, Never Say Never
. I.aM.mE was given a challenge to perform Usher
's famous glide in the routine to the mastermix of Somebody to Love
" featuring Usher
. The crew performed with a chilling opening, featured moonwalk
, and ended with Brandon "747" Harrell jumping down after gliding and giving a rose to Lil Mama while the rest of the crew made a big heart with their arms. Lil Mama was still surprised, but she liked how the routine worked. D-Trix said that he loved the performance, just like the last week and told the crew that they were brilliant entertainers. JC still commented on "How I.aM.mE worked the routine on the middle, again", but he liked how I.aM.mE made the opening cold and chilling.
's challenge, based from her alter-egos. Nicki Minaj, who delivered the challenge to top 4 crews herself, gave a challenge that I.aM.mE had to incorporate childhood games based on Nicki's alter-ego, Cookie. After encountering cultural differences on childhood games, I.aM.mE finally decided to incorporate similar games that many people would know. Backstage, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb said that he was having dehydration before, during, and after the performance because of the hard-training routine and fatigue.
The performance featured many different childhood games, such as Limbo, Jump Rope, Whack-a-Mole, Swing Sets, Hopscotch, and Leapfrog. The routine ended as 747, Pacman, and Millie created a Swing Set, with Chachi as a girl on a swing and held by Moon and Jaja before she jumped off. They received a wild reaction from the crowd. The judges also gave positive reactions. JC told the crew that they performed a risky routine, but cleanly finished it, although he disliked it when he saw I.aM.mE look around the stage and check positions with others. D-Trix claimed that he couldn't find any bad moments on the routine, and loved how much childhood games were involved in the routine. Lil Mama liked how the crew stepped up and loved how I.aM.mE had their own moments and identity in the competition.
Backstage after the performance, Jaja, Chachi, 747, and Millie talked about their success that they made it to top three. Jaja's father never expected that they could have made it to top five, but the crew proved that he was wrong.
mastermixes and show their own versatility to perform three different classic dance styles. The challenge was handed out by fifth season's winner, Poreotix.
Before the performance videos, I.aM.mE revealed that they had no problems performing two out of the three different styles (Boogaloo and Isolations) and only had problems performing the Dougie. Moon said that he really wanted to have a good performance the eighth week because he wanted his parents come to the finale and watch him perform live for the first time. He also said that he loved the crew that he created and danced with, and he stated that he believed they could make it to the finale.
The crowd gave them a standing ovation and chanted, "I.aM.mE, I.aM.mE!", leaving the judges with no criticism. JC said that the crowd's response weren't wrong and they deserved the crowd's chants. He also told the crew that they were very intelligent and unique and that they created new pictures that were unexpected and exciting. D-Trix was left speechless and said that the crew had brainbanged him. He complimented the crew on performing as themselves and that the crew had just murdered the "Isos (Isolation)" part. Lil Mama agreed with both judges that I.aM.mE were inspiring as dancers with unique styles. She noted that whatever happened, they would be a champion for somebody.
Although Phunk Phenomenon was spirited and had wowed the judges, I.aM.mE rose to the top two and battled against ICONic Boyz for the title of America's Best Dance Crew. After the mid-show elimination, I.aM.mE then had to perform their Last Chance Challenge to ask voters to keep voting them to be winner of ABDC. For their final performance before voting lines opened, the crew worked with District 78 to create their own performance. The crew created their own original songs, wardrobe, and performance, resulting in the "Ill-Emental" Performance. The performance showed all of the members' skills and talents one by one, as represented by their own elements: Emilio as Earth, Chachi as Fire, Jaja as Electricity, 747 as Wind, Moon as Machine, and Pacman as Water. The performance ended with I-M-E letters that the crew created with their bodies. I.aM.mE received a standing ovation from the audience and the judges.
The crew performed to an extended performance of "S&M". The crew was praised by judges. JC noted again that they were very unique. Lil Mama was excited as Chachi turned back into Spider-Girl and showed new way to knock her enemies. D-Trix said that the crew was getting better and better. At the end, both crews faced off and battled against each others in a three round dance battle with music provided by Swizz Beatz
.At the end both crews showed their own original sign: I.aM.mE with the thumb and ICONic Boyz with letters "I" and "B".
" by Pink
. After the performance, America's Best Dance Crew
champions JabbaWockeeZ
(season 1), Super Cr3w
(season 2), Quest Crew
(season 3), We Are Heroes
(season 4), and Poreotix
(season 5) returned to the stage to perform for the season finale.
Later that same night, I.aM.mE performed a routine to Rocketeer
- Far East Movement
ft. Ryan Tedder
for one moment before the announcement. The performance featured some flips and few choreography that shown on past episodes, but most of parts of performance is popping. The performance ended with Emilio performing a backflip and he puts his head down, Moon and 747 shows their thumb, while the music ends with the audio says "One small step for I.aM.mE, one giant leap for ABDC."
After 50 million votes were casted, I.aM.mE was declared as the winners of the America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
. The crew performed their victory dance to Written in the Stars
by Tinie Tempah
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
dance crew from Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The group rose to prominence after being crowned champions in the sixth season
America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew, also known as America's Best Dance Crew: Season of the Superstars, premiered on April 7, 2011 and concluded on June 5, 2011. Auditions were held in four cities from January 21 through February 5: Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. This season...
of America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
. The three founding members, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb, Di "Moon" Zhang and Brandon "747" Harrell, formed I.aM.mE after the disbanding of Marvelous Motion Crew, which they were all formerly a part of. Three additional members, Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales, Emilio "Millie" Dosal, and Džajna "Jaja" Vaňková, joined later after an audition.
Before ABDC
Before coming together to form I.aM.mE, the members had all achieved considerable success by themselves. Di "Moon" Zhang posted many of his tutting videos onto YoutubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
before he met Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb and created Marvelous Motion Crew, which included Brandon "747" Harrell. As the main choreographers, they led the team to much success, winning 1st place at "The Show," a Dallas competition hosted by JabbaWockeeZ
JabbaWockeeZ
Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1 of the show America's Best Dance Crew...
. Taking the crew to new levels, Marvelous Motion traveled to California on their first major competition, and received 3rd place at "World of Dance: Pomona" under the direction of Moon. However, Marvelous Motion Crew was unable to audition for the fourth and fifth seasons of ABDC, since Pacman was still under contract with the fifth season
So You Think You Can Dance (season 5)
So You Think You Can Dance is a United States television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company network. Season five premiered on May 21, 2009, with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy returning as permanent judges and Cat Deeley returning to host...
of So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
. The crew disbanded in late 2010. The trio of Pacman, Moon, and 747 then held an audition, creating a brand new crew with three new members in preparation for ABDC: Season of the Superstars
America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew, also known as America's Best Dance Crew: Season of the Superstars, premiered on April 7, 2011 and concluded on June 5, 2011. Auditions were held in four cities from January 21 through February 5: Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. This season...
.
ABDC Season 6
I.aM.mE was declared the champions of ABDC: Season of the SuperstarsAmerica's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew, also known as America's Best Dance Crew: Season of the Superstars, premiered on April 7, 2011 and concluded on June 5, 2011. Auditions were held in four cities from January 21 through February 5: Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. This season...
on June 5, 2011. They became the first mixed gender crew and also the first group from the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
to win, ending the Western dominance of previous ABDC seasons.
| Week | Challenge | Music | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1: Lil Wayne Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included... Challenge |
None | Right Above It Right Above It - Chart performance :After experiencing strong digital sales on release, the song debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated September 4, 2010, making it the highest debuting song on the chart for that week, and at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, becoming the... - Lil Wayne ft. Drake Drake (entertainer) Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.... |
Safe |
| 3: The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide... Challenge |
Must come together and create a machine | Meet Me Halfway Meet Me Halfway "Meet Me Halfway" is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. It was released as the third promotional single from their fifth studio album The E.N.D. It was later released as the album's third single... - The Black Eyed Peas |
|
| 4: Katy Perry Katy Perry Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a... Challenge |
Fan out like a peacock | Peacock Peacock (song) "Peacock" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry, taken from her third studio album, Teenage Dream . Filled with suggestive lyrics pertaining to male genitalia, Perry's record label initially went against the idea of including it on her record. Similar to what happened with another song... - Katy Perry |
|
| 5: Rihanna Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers... Challenge |
The Spiderman | S&M S&M (song) "S&M" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm and Ester Dean, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm under her... - Rihanna |
|
| 6: Justin Bieber Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager... Challenge |
Perform Usher's famous glide | Somebody to Love Somebody to Love (Justin Bieber song) "Somebody to Love" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song served as the second single from his album, My World 2.0. It was written by Bieber along with Heather Bright and The Stereotypes, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded as a demo by... - Justin Bieber ft. Usher Usher (entertainer) Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100... |
|
| 7: Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist... Challenge |
Incorporate childhood games in the routine | Moment 4 Life Moment 4 Life "Moment 4 Life" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It serves as the third single from Minaj's debut album Pink Friday . The song was produced by T-Minus and written by both artists... - Nicki Minaj ft. Drake Drake (entertainer) Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.... |
|
| 8: Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... Challenge |
The crews had to demonstrate their versatility by creating a routine that incorporated three different styles of dance. | Dougie: Gold Digger Gold Digger "Gold Digger" is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West's second album, Late Registration, "Gold Digger" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West's and Foxx's second... - Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a... Boogaloo: Touch the Sky Touch the Sky "Touch the Sky" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released in early 2006 as the fourth single from his second album, Late Registration. The song features Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco on his radio debut and was produced by Just Blaze, standing as the only song on the entire album... - Kanye West ft. Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... Isolations: Love Lockdown Love Lockdown "Love Lockdown" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 18, 2008 as the lead single of his studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Written and produced by West and musician Jeff Bhasker, it was premiered by West at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards prior to its release as a single... - Kanye West |
Bottom 2 |
| Last Chance to hook the voters using an original performance | "Ill-emental" | Safe | |
| 9: Battle of the Final Two | Firstly, the judges chose which performance the crews will reproduce, but with modifications. The two crews were then pitted against each other in a three-round dance battle, with Swizz Beatz providing the music. | S&M S&M (song) "S&M" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm and Ester Dean, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate and Sandy Wilhelm under her... - Rihanna Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers... I.aM.mE vs. Iconic Boyz - Swizz Beatz Swizz Beatz Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records... |
|
| 10: The Finale | Partner: ICONic Boyz |
Raise Your Glass Raise Your Glass "Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!... - Pink Pink (singer) Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress.... |
Champions |
| Perform for the last time before Winner of ABDC's Announcement | Rocketeer Rocketeer (song) "Rocketeer" is the second single off Far East Movement's 2010 album Free Wired. The track features Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. It was produced by Stereotypes and The Smeezingtons... - Far East Movement Far east movement Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman... ft. Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona... |
||
| Victory Dance after being announced season 6 ABDC winners | Written in the Stars Written in the Stars (Tinie Tempah song) "Written in the Stars" is the third single by English rapper Tinie Tempah, featuring American singer Eric Turner. Unlike his two prior breakthrough singles which were produced by Labrinth, the track instead features production by iSHi. It was released in September 2010 through Parlophone records,... - Tinie Tempah Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit... |
Week 1: Lil Wayne Challenge
I.aM.mE kicked off the season, performing to mastermix of Lil Wayne's Right Above ItRight Above It
- Chart performance :After experiencing strong digital sales on release, the song debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated September 4, 2010, making it the highest debuting song on the chart for that week, and at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, becoming the...
. Their performances pleased the crowds, and good comments from the judges. D-Trix called them "clever" and "took tutting to the next level" because the crew added some Rubik's-cube shapes and brought something new to ABDC
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
. Lil Mama
Lil Mama
Niatia Jessica Kirkland professionally known as Lil Mama, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, and dancer.-Early life:...
liked how the crew showed illusions and visual effects but mixed it with solid dance choreography. JC Chasez liked the style and was entertained, but wanted the crew to expand and dance to other parts of stage, instead of just the center.
Week 3: Black Eyed Peas Challenge
I.aM.mE's challenge in the third week was to create a futuristic machine, while performing to a mastermix of the Black Eyed Peas' song Meet Me Halfway. They achieved this three times in their routine, but most notably at the end, when the whole crew came together to form a robot. The judges were pleased with the crew's performance, but JC still was not satisfied with how they used the stage, and asked them to spread out more. Lil Mama however, said that they were the most improved and D-Trix said they executed their challenge "greatly".Week 4: Katy Perry Challenge
In the fourth week, I.aM.mE. received the Katy Perry song Peacock and the challenge to fan out like a peacock onstage. Although some of the members had never seen a peacock, and they had difficulty using the whole stage, the crew performed admirably, crafting a routine which satisfied all three of the judges, D-Trix stating how they had authentic dancing and they covered the entire stage.Week 5: Rihanna Challenge
In the fifth week all the crews were given the challenge of incorporating the dance style known as Dance Hall, while performing to songs by the artist RihannaRihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
. I.aM.mE. received the Rihanna song "S&M", and the dance move known as "The Spiderman". The crew performed a routine which met the challenge and highlighted member Olivia "Chachi" Gonzales as a major character. The judges responded by calling the routine "exceptional" and "absolutely brilliant".
Week 6: Justin Bieber Challenge
In week 6, all five remaining crews were given a challenge by Justin BieberJustin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, based from his documentary movie, Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is a 2011 3-D documentary/concert film centering on singer Justin Bieber. It was released in the United States and Canada on February 11, 2011.-Plot:...
. I.aM.mE was given a challenge to perform Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
's famous glide in the routine to the mastermix of Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Justin Bieber song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song served as the second single from his album, My World 2.0. It was written by Bieber along with Heather Bright and The Stereotypes, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded as a demo by...
" featuring Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
. The crew performed with a chilling opening, featured moonwalk
Moonwalk (dance)
The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to walk forward. A popping move, it became most popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed the dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25:...
, and ended with Brandon "747" Harrell jumping down after gliding and giving a rose to Lil Mama while the rest of the crew made a big heart with their arms. Lil Mama was still surprised, but she liked how the routine worked. D-Trix said that he loved the performance, just like the last week and told the crew that they were brilliant entertainers. JC still commented on "How I.aM.mE worked the routine on the middle, again", but he liked how I.aM.mE made the opening cold and chilling.
Week 7: Nicki Minaj Challenge
All top 4 crews blasted the seventh week with a routine performed with Nicki MinajNicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
's challenge, based from her alter-egos. Nicki Minaj, who delivered the challenge to top 4 crews herself, gave a challenge that I.aM.mE had to incorporate childhood games based on Nicki's alter-ego, Cookie. After encountering cultural differences on childhood games, I.aM.mE finally decided to incorporate similar games that many people would know. Backstage, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb said that he was having dehydration before, during, and after the performance because of the hard-training routine and fatigue.
The performance featured many different childhood games, such as Limbo, Jump Rope, Whack-a-Mole, Swing Sets, Hopscotch, and Leapfrog. The routine ended as 747, Pacman, and Millie created a Swing Set, with Chachi as a girl on a swing and held by Moon and Jaja before she jumped off. They received a wild reaction from the crowd. The judges also gave positive reactions. JC told the crew that they performed a risky routine, but cleanly finished it, although he disliked it when he saw I.aM.mE look around the stage and check positions with others. D-Trix claimed that he couldn't find any bad moments on the routine, and loved how much childhood games were involved in the routine. Lil Mama liked how the crew stepped up and loved how I.aM.mE had their own moments and identity in the competition.
Backstage after the performance, Jaja, Chachi, 747, and Millie talked about their success that they made it to top three. Jaja's father never expected that they could have made it to top five, but the crew proved that he was wrong.
Week 8: Kanye West Challenge and Last Chance Challenge
As three crews were still standing for the championships, I.aM.mE faced their first time in the bottom two and had to face off against Phunk Phenomenon for a spot in the finals, as ICONic Boyz had proceeded to the finale already. The crews were given a task to perform with Kanye West'sKanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
mastermixes and show their own versatility to perform three different classic dance styles. The challenge was handed out by fifth season's winner, Poreotix.
Before the performance videos, I.aM.mE revealed that they had no problems performing two out of the three different styles (Boogaloo and Isolations) and only had problems performing the Dougie. Moon said that he really wanted to have a good performance the eighth week because he wanted his parents come to the finale and watch him perform live for the first time. He also said that he loved the crew that he created and danced with, and he stated that he believed they could make it to the finale.
The crowd gave them a standing ovation and chanted, "I.aM.mE, I.aM.mE!", leaving the judges with no criticism. JC said that the crowd's response weren't wrong and they deserved the crowd's chants. He also told the crew that they were very intelligent and unique and that they created new pictures that were unexpected and exciting. D-Trix was left speechless and said that the crew had brainbanged him. He complimented the crew on performing as themselves and that the crew had just murdered the "Isos (Isolation)" part. Lil Mama agreed with both judges that I.aM.mE were inspiring as dancers with unique styles. She noted that whatever happened, they would be a champion for somebody.
Although Phunk Phenomenon was spirited and had wowed the judges, I.aM.mE rose to the top two and battled against ICONic Boyz for the title of America's Best Dance Crew. After the mid-show elimination, I.aM.mE then had to perform their Last Chance Challenge to ask voters to keep voting them to be winner of ABDC. For their final performance before voting lines opened, the crew worked with District 78 to create their own performance. The crew created their own original songs, wardrobe, and performance, resulting in the "Ill-Emental" Performance. The performance showed all of the members' skills and talents one by one, as represented by their own elements: Emilio as Earth, Chachi as Fire, Jaja as Electricity, 747 as Wind, Moon as Machine, and Pacman as Water. The performance ended with I-M-E letters that the crew created with their bodies. I.aM.mE received a standing ovation from the audience and the judges.
Week 9: Battle of Final Two/The Ultimate Battle
The top two crews at the ninth week, I.aM.mE and ICONic Boyz, were given the task to extend the choreography from one of their previous performances picked by judges and to perform it, just before the ultimate battle that consisted of three-round dance battle.The crew performed to an extended performance of "S&M". The crew was praised by judges. JC noted again that they were very unique. Lil Mama was excited as Chachi turned back into Spider-Girl and showed new way to knock her enemies. D-Trix said that the crew was getting better and better. At the end, both crews faced off and battled against each others in a three round dance battle with music provided by Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
.At the end both crews showed their own original sign: I.aM.mE with the thumb and ICONic Boyz with letters "I" and "B".
Week 10: The Finale
The finale opened with I.aM.mE and ICONic Boyz performing in a dance collaboration to "Raise Your GlassRaise Your Glass
"Raise Your Glass" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Pink, released as the lead single of her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!...
" by Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. After the performance, America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
champions JabbaWockeeZ
JabbaWockeeZ
Jabbawockeez is a Bay-Area-based Urban dance group formed initially by members Kevin " KB" Brewer, Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, & Joe "Punkee" Larot under the name "3 Muskee". They were the winners of season 1 of the show America's Best Dance Crew...
(season 1), Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w
Super Cr3w is a breakdance crew from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2nd season of America's Best Dance Crew.-Early history:Before their popularity on ABDC, Super Cr3w was formed from three different b-boy dance crews and formed a "Super Crew" of their own.-Connection with...
(season 2), Quest Crew
Quest Crew
Quest Crew is an American hip-hop dance crew from Los Angeles, California who were declared winners of the third season of America's Best Dance Crew...
(season 3), We Are Heroes
We Are Heroes
We Are Heroes is an all female popping dance crew best known for being the first all-female crew to win America's Best Dance Crew with their title in Season 4. The winning prize amount was $100,000 in cash as well as ABDC's Golden B-Boy Trophy...
(season 4), and Poreotix
Poreotics
Poreotics, also known as Poreotix, is an American all-male dance crew from Westminster, California. The crew was formed in 2007 by "Dumbo" Nguyen and specializes in popping, choreography and robotics, hence the name Po-reo-tics...
(season 5) returned to the stage to perform for the season finale.
Later that same night, I.aM.mE performed a routine to Rocketeer
Rocketeer (song)
"Rocketeer" is the second single off Far East Movement's 2010 album Free Wired. The track features Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic. It was produced by Stereotypes and The Smeezingtons...
- Far East Movement
Far east movement
Far East Movement is an Asian American electro hop quartet based in Los Angeles. The group formed in 2003 and consists of Kev Nish , Prohgress , J-Splif , and DJ Virman...
ft. Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
for one moment before the announcement. The performance featured some flips and few choreography that shown on past episodes, but most of parts of performance is popping. The performance ended with Emilio performing a backflip and he puts his head down, Moon and 747 shows their thumb, while the music ends with the audio says "One small step for I.aM.mE, one giant leap for ABDC."
After 50 million votes were casted, I.aM.mE was declared as the winners of the America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
America's Best Dance Crew (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Best Dance Crew, also known as America's Best Dance Crew: Season of the Superstars, premiered on April 7, 2011 and concluded on June 5, 2011. Auditions were held in four cities from January 21 through February 5: Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles. This season...
. The crew performed their victory dance to Written in the Stars
Written in the Stars (Tinie Tempah song)
"Written in the Stars" is the third single by English rapper Tinie Tempah, featuring American singer Eric Turner. Unlike his two prior breakthrough singles which were produced by Labrinth, the track instead features production by iSHi. It was released in September 2010 through Parlophone records,...
by Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
.
Television
- Chachi was one of the backup dancers for the Tribute to Britney Spears in the 2011 MTV Video Music Award
- Emilio and 747 performed as backup dancers for LMFAO'sLMFAO (group)LMFAO is an American electro pop duo consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu . The group formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Redfoo is SkyBlu's uncle. Redfoo is also the son of music mogul Berry Gordy, SkyBlu a grandson...
performance of Party Rock AnthemParty Rock Anthem"Party Rock Anthem" is a song performed by American electro recording duo LMFAO , featuring English singer Lauren Bennett and GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album Sorry for Party Rocking in 2011. It interpolates lyrics from Rick Ross' song "Hustlin"...
and Sexy and I Know ItSexy and I Know It"Sexy and I Know It" is a song by American electro-pop duo LMFAO from their second studio album, Sorry for Party Rocking. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Noah Pintar, Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock, Erin Beck, G.M. Robertson and...
on the American Music Awards 2011American Music Awards of 2011The 39th American Music Awards was held on November 20, 2011 , at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles . The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 2011. Nominees were announced on October 11, 2011. The awards ceremony was host-free...
.
Miscellaneous Events
- The crew taught workshops at the Urban Dance Camp 2011 and performed at the Urban Dance Showcase 2011
- The crew performed at the International Secret Agents 2011 Seattle, San Fransisco, and Los Angeles Festival. Jaja did not perform with the crew in Seattle. Chachi and Moon did not perform with the crew in San Fransisco. Pacman did not perform with the crew in Los Angeles.
- The crew performed at the Kinematix I.aM. PHUNK'tion event at Northeastern University on November 4th, 2011.
Youtube
- Pacman and Moon made a cameo for NigahigaNigahigaNigahiga is a popular YouTube channel created by Japanese-American Ryan Higa . Since relocating to Las Vegas to study filmmaking at UNLV, Higa's videos are either solo efforts or videos with other people such as KevJumba. They are known for their YouTube comedy videos, which have been viewed over...
, a popular video maker on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... - Each member of the crew stars in Shawn S. Welling's AXI (Avengers of Extreme Illusions).