A Night of Hip Hop

by Quanisha Clemons

To conclude the enriching time of Black History Month, Elizabeth City State University in collaboration with artist-in-residence Patrick Douthit, better known as 9th Wonder, hosted a Community Connections Performance and Lecture Series. This event titled “Beats, Rhymes and VOICE: A Hip-Hop Experience” was centered around black music culture and took place in the Mickey L. Burnim Fine Arts Center. Throughout the afternoon there was a host of mater classes where students were able to connect with members of Jamla Records and gain insight into the music industry. Vikings were given the opportunity to share their own music and receive feedback from leading influencers in the industry such as 9th Wonder, Kash, Khrysis, and E. Jones. Students also had the option of taking crash courses with the first one being a rhythm and beats class which covered beat production and education on different music software. The second master class focused on lyricism and writing, here students were able to share their lyrics and learn how to curate a flow over a beat while learning the value of expression within music.

This event was also successful with the help of students and staff who aided in hosting the event. Quanisha Clemons and Tyrell Houghton helped warm up the crowd as 9th Wonder began spinning throwback music as faculty entered filling the seats. Clemons says, “This was my first-time hosting something on a larger scale, I was super honored yet nervous because of the large crowd but an amazing experience at the same time.” Once the program started, Clemons and Houghton opened the show by welcoming all guests and participants for the night. The first opening experience started with the beat battle where participants who signed up went head-to-head in a battle over a one-minute beat. Participants were then evaluated by a panel of judges who would decide on who advance to the next round. Producer RJ Dusse ended up being the winner of the beat battle portion of the program. The next event of the night was the cypher, participants could engage in a rap battle for 1 minute each. The winner of the rap battle cypher was Pvilleju who gave an amazing performance enjoyed by all Vikings in attendance.

As the program concluded students were in for a treat as they were able to witness a live concert from Jamla Record’s own upcoming artist Ruben Vincent. Students were able to connect and learn more about Vincent’s music during his 15-minute concert that concluded the program. Clemons reminisces on this night and says, “To be able to host this program was truly an honor because of the endless opportunities that this has brought forth. Being able to be in a room with 9th Wonder and members of his record label and being able to share the projects I am currently working on was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will always cherish and be grateful for.”