In the beginning, there was dancing. That's how the wholly American construct of hip-hop first took root in our neck of the woods in the mid-noughties. It wasn't through rapping, graffiti or DJing – the three other integral components that constitute the culture. Instead, break dancers, or B-boys, were the ones who formed the first generation of hip-hop artistes in India, pre-dating rap crews like Dopeadelicz, a recognisable name in the nascent movement much before DIVINE became a household entity. And Arif Chaudhary is one of these early pioneers, his story reflecting how the art form eventually grew into a cultural piggy bank that multiple brands now dip their hands into.

But before we move on, try and put yourself in the shoes of an 11-year-old from Jogeshwari struggling to find a purpose in life back in 2009. Chaudhary was athletic, only moderately good in studies, and had no real interest that could be labelled as a "passion". That changed when surfing the Net in a cybercafé, he came across an international B-boying competition for the first time in his life. The video left the boy so gobsmacked that he immediately started imitating what he'd seen. "A couple of friends and I would get together in my neighbourhood and practise handstands, worms and another move called coffee grinder. That's what I started with, but at that time, I had no idea about these names. I wasn't even familiar with the term 'hip-hop'," Chaudhary, now at the cusp of 22, tells us.