A B-boy (break-boy) is a term for a person (most often male) who is a devoted fan of the hip-hop culture. The term refers specifically to a male who practices breakdance. A B-boy is an individual who has the ability to express their feelings through rythmic and acrobatic body movements. These stylized movements are commonly known as breaking or breakdancing. B-boys are often known as breakdancers.

DJ Kool Herc apparently coined the term b-boy in 1969 in New York City. During performances where Herc was DJing, he would yell out "b-boys go down!" which cued the dancers to begin breakdancing. ^{[citation needed]} 1969 was also the year that James Brown recorded "Get on the Good Foot," a song that promoted high-energy, acrobatic dancing and that Afrika Bambaataa (founder of the Zulu Nation) claims led to breakdancing (Toop, 1991). ^{[citation needed]} Many oldschool breakdancers prefer to be referred to as b-boys. "B-boy" was the original term for urban style dancers, though "breakdancer" is now better-known because it has been used more commonly by the media.

The "b" in b-boy stands for "break", not "bronx", "boogie," or "boogaloo." Boogaloo was a dance style developed in the West Coast by Sammy Solomon. ^{[citation needed]} The "break" meant the "break" in the drum beats in the songs they danced to.

A b-girl (break-girl) is a term for a person (most often female) who is a devoted fan of the hip-hop culture. This term refers specifically to a female who practices this dance style. The term has been used since hip hop's inception during the 1970s. Notable b-girls include the late Bunny Lee (the first female member of The Rock Steady Crew), Baby Love, Roc-a-fella (not the record label) and Asia-One (the event organizer of the legendary B-Boy Summit in California).^{[citation needed]}

Actress Debi Mazar started out her career as a b-girl in New York City before turning to acting.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1940s, b-girl was used as a slang word for bar girl, a woman hired by a bar to encourage men to drink more.

Red Bull BC ONE: November 25, 2006

Battle of the Year (BOTY): October 21, 2006

• David Toop (1991). Rap Attack 2: African Rap To Global Hip Hop, p.113-115. New York. New York: Serpent's Tail. ISBN 1-85242-243-2.

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