Jesse “Smiley” Rutland, Co-Creator Of The Harlem Shake Murdered
Co-Creator Of The Harlem Shake Murdered
Source: Mario Tama / Getty
The Harlem Shake is a popular dance that went viral years ago. According to VIBE, the co-creator of the dance, Jesse “Smiley” Rutland was murdered. He was shot in his Brooklyn home and his children were in the apartment during this incident.
Rutland was apart of the Crazy Boyz Dance Crew that helped put life behind the famous dance again in the early 2000’s. Fans of the dance watched it in music videos for Chris Brown, Eve and Diddy. To many that love The Harlem Shake, they say, “It’s not a dance, it’s a movement.”
Rutland made a statement about the dance in 2013 saying, “We’re just using whatever recognition we have to reach the youth so they can feel bigger than themselves and think, ‘I am somebody.” The group made an announcement about Rutland and mentioned his 6-year-old son tried to revive him. Police arrested the suspect, Kumar Reid. He was charged with second-degree murder as well as weapons possession.
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