Kae’Dyn, or KD, performs during The League of Clowns’ biggest show of the summer, on Saturday, July 16, 2022 in Inglewood, California.

Since Thomas “Tommy The Clown” Johnson first put on his rainbow wig in 1992, hip hop clowns have been performing at birthday parties across South Los Angeles. Around 2000, the birthday entertainment evolved into dance battles, and eventually into the more hyperkinetic “krumping,” which spread globally. Jesse “Roc’co Tha Clown” Philpott hopes clowning will provide career paths for his dancers- The League Of Clowns- and keep them safe, like it did for him. “If you're not dancing, you can be hanging out on the block,” Philpott said. “And anything can happen on the block.”

Alove Atkins (left) and D’yonnie Hargrove watch The League of clowns perform at The Savoy on Saturday, July 16, 2022 in Inglewood, California.

Members of The League throw Nyah into the air in their final rehearsals before the audience arrives at The Savoy on Saturday, July 16, 2022 in Inglewood, CA.

Members of The League paint their faces before the performance at The Savoy on Saturday, July 16, 2022 in Inglewood, California. “People wouldn’t ever know our backstory or what we’re going through and still have to jump out and bring you joy like nothing’s wrong,” said Roc’co The Clown, the group’s leader.

Roc’co The Clown packs the clown trucks after their biggest performance of the summer at The Savoy on Saturday, July 16, 2022 in Inglewood, CA. Roc’co’s mom disapproved when he chose to commit to dancing after high school in the early 2000’s. “She basically told me you go to the army or the navy or you get out of my house,” said Roc’co. But before she passed, his mom attended two of his parties and told him she was proud that he stuck to clowning for all those years. “She was able to see before she died that we touched some people,” said Roc’co.

Roc’co The Clown, Tommy’s mentee-turned-competitor, leads his crew of clowns in their routine, with just weeks until their biggest performance of the summer on Wednesday, June 29, in Los Angeles, California.

Four-year-old Bam Bam practices his battle routine with his mom, Mercedes, ahead of their biggest performance of the summer, on Monday, July 11, in Los Angeles, California. The League of Clowns have performed at all four of Bam Bam’s birthday parties. After the third his parents let him join. Now, “he tells everybody, he's a Roc’co clown,” said Scott. “He’s got like seven Roc’co hats.”

Four-year-old Bam Bam holds a necklace of his name during a clown rehearsal on Wednesday, July 6, in Los Angeles, California. “I think the older kids should all be grateful,” said Mercedes Scott, Bam Bam’s mom. “Roc’co’s saving a lot of kids with this.”

Bashful paints his face in the clown truck before The League Of Clowns performs in the Kingdom Day Parade on Monday, June 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Kids play with balloons they got from the clowns at birthday party on Monday, July 4, 2022 in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Tommy The Clown summons the next in a stream of dancers at Brooklyn Chanel’s 10th birthday party, in Inglewood, California, on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Thomas “Tommy The Clown” Johnson was the original hip hop clown. He began performing at South Los Angeles birthday parties by himself in 1992, before slowly building a team, and then a culture of hip hop clowns and krumpers in Los Angeles, and around the world.

Children dance after watching performances by The League of Clowns at Maison Jackson’s fifth birthday party on Saturday, August 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.