2013 was the year of Twerking. This dance craze captured the attention of mainstream media and wouldn't ket go. Now it's everywhere. All over the internet, all over social media, all over the awards shows, and all over the news. But if you think it started with Miley Cyrus, you're very wrong. The Queens of Twerk, Lady Luscious and Mizz Twerksum, formed the duo Twerk Team and took the once niche southern dance move and made an empire out of it years ago. Listen to their story below.
XXL: How did Twerk Team start?
Lady Luscious:Well it was just a group of girls. It basically started from a friendship. We posted a video and got a bunch of views. We just posted the video having fun because twerking wasn't something people was doing back then. It basically got started from a video just going viral. Soulja Boyreposted for us and it got millions of views.
How old were y'all?
Mizz Twerksum: We did the video late 2007, early 2008. We were in high school. Right now I'm 21 and L is 22.
How many were in the group initially?
Lady L:When we started off, it was a bunch of us. It was like 6 or 7 of us. Then when we made the "Donk" video, it was four of us. Once we started going on the road and traveling that's when it was three main members.We started traveling late 2009. People just started demanding us in their cities and we just started doing teen events.
When did y'all think y'all can become a business?
Twerksum: We started thinking this could be a business when people started saying "we want y'all in our city." People really wasn't used to seeing a group of girls dancing. It was really something we didn't really expect to happen. I think I wanted to work at Subway and then own a Subway. And L wanted to just do fashion. So when we put up the video. People just started asking "we want y'all in our city, we're fans," it was crazy. It just took off. I dont know when we really firgure it out. When we started getting paid then we figured it out, this is serious. [Laughs]
Let's talk about your twerk workouts and practices?
Twerksum: I have to get Lady L up and at it because I'm real serious about working out and she's like twerking a lot so it just goes together. [Laughs] We just called it twerkout. We figured out twerking is really a workout just by doing shows. Girls get tired from dancing, in 30 seconds girls be out of breathe so it's really a workout. So its key moves we do like squats, I call them twerksum squats. We coming out with a workout DVD, a twerkout DVD, and a Teach Me How to Twerk DVD. We just branching off.
Where does the techniques come in? Just from practice and shows?
Lady L: We're the Twerk Queens. Every [early] video people used to see us in, we're in front of a mirror cause we started to look at our bodies. It just certain ways you have to be to get the perfect twerk.
Twerksum:We started seeing like the key moves. Like I used to see L when her butt used to go in a circle. I used to say "your butt looks like a washing machine." And when we go side to side, it looks like tic-toc. And the booty jump, it's called "left cheek right cheek." So it just started being certain moves that just started being popular and fans would be like "oh that's the Twerk Team move." Like the kick we do that Beyonce did in her video, thats one of the our moves too.
What's the typical show like?
Lady L:Our typical show is like 20 minutes long. We have a twerk contest. We pick random girls and let the crowd choose. Winner gets a cash prize and they get some Twerk Team apparel cause we have our own line also. We'll get on stage and perform after. We shut it down. All our shows be sold out and we're the main acts.
Doy'all ever get scared or nervous?
Twerksum:We used to get morenervous when we performed our music. I think twerking, people expect us to twerk, but rapping is our passion. Twerking was just demanded and thats what got us on. So I just feel like that is the bridge to allow us to do everyhting else we want to do. I think I'm more nervous when we do our music than twerking. I can close my eyes and twerk. I can cook and twerk, I can drive and twerk. [Laughs] Twerking is second nature to us now. Now we want to expand it.
What are some of the crazy things y'all experienced?
Lady L: The craziest story has to be in NYC when two girls climbed up the balcony to the VIP section and they were wasted. Girls love us. They show us more love than the dudes do. They danced on us and we gave them the title of being the twerk team for the night.
Twerksum: I was performing and my mom—she's our manager, anytime we perform or go anywhere she's there—so I was performing. I'm about halfway through my solo performance. And this guy jumps up through security and started humping my butt. I promise he got two good strokes, two good humps before my mom put him in a headlock. And he got a picture too, it's a picture of it. It was so crazy. My mom messed him up.
How many guys thirst after y'all?
Twerksum: Say on Twitter, a lot of people don't know we're sisters, so guys would hit me up and hit L up. It might be some celebrity guys too. Direct Message her and Direct Messageme, mostly celebrityguys do that. Like you just hit up my sister, hello? [laughs]
So are celebritiestreating y'all ok?
Twerksum: I feel like with that, it depends on the celebrity. Cause you meet some celebrities we don't want to work with because they not going to pay. We don't go for that. Then we meet some celebrities, like Wale and Meek Mill, they giving and real humble. They serious. Like the "Clappers" video, they already did one. He did a Twerk Team "Clappers" video, went out, he took us shopping. He did it for his fans. That didn't have to happen. He showed us love. Meek Mill, he showed us love because he put us in the video for a long time. It's people like that who really do show love and we appreciate it?
What's your thoughts on Miley Cyrus?
Lady L:Our whole thing and movement is about women empowerment. The whole thing with Miley Cyrus, when she came around, she's a white girl considering herself twerking. She referenced herself to twerking. I feel like that's new to the world because she's white. I don't feel a certain way about it. I feel like it's dope. We're fans of Miley Cyrusbut her twerking is not considered our twerking. She really open doors for us because different races know what twerking is.
Celebritycrush, and why?
Lady L: I love Justin Bieber. I love him, he's awesome.
Twerksum: I don't think I got a celebrity crush. I would say, there's one girl, and I'm straight,Lisa Rodriguez (Carla from Friday After Next). She was so fine. I don't even know how she look now but I take her out. She can have my virginity.
What is your biggest turn-ons?
Lady L: A dude that is not so thirsty.
Twerksum: I like dudes with a nice smile and a good personality. That's like everything.
What is your biggest turn-offs?
Lady L: My biggest turn off is a dude that's so thirsty. [Laughs]
Twerksum: I hate when a guy eat's nasty. Like I stop talking to dudes when he eats disgusting. I know men don't eat proper but work with me, seriously. I can't sit across the table with you chewing with your mouth open.
Where do you see Twerk Team in 5 years?
Twerksum:We doing our workout DVDs and travel to different cities and do twerkout classes. With our music we're just trying to branch out with that and basically there is going to be more music this year.
Lady L: Also we have a big thing, a reality show coming out. We can't talk about it but it is official. You will be seeing a lot of the Twerk Team.
