If you’ve been paying attention to hip-hop — and particularlyKendrick Lamar’s moves the past few weeks — you may have noticed a colorful afro’d character named Tommy the Clown.

Tommy The Clown is the father of hip-hop clowning, a street dance made popular in the 1990s. Compton's Kendrick Lamar featured Tommy in the music video for "Not Like Us." Tommy is the subject of a ...