Poets, rappers, instrumentalists welcome new RSO

Students interested in Underground Arts can reach the group at (618) 536-0456.

Students interested in hip-hop culture have a new outlet for expression with Underground Arts, a new Registered Student Organization devoted to the underground hip-hop scene. Brandon Moore, the group's president, said his organization is interested in promoting self-expression in a unique way. The group was formed to give its members' art more venues as well as to involve others in what they do. "We started out wanting a hip-hop cultural expression on campus," Moore said. "At this point in time, it would be to use hip-hop to educate, entertain and expose people to something new."

Every other Thursday at 7 p.m., Café Latte becomes Bring Your Own Spit, an uncensored event the group sponsors in which students can express themselves however they want. Moore said on a good night 60 people come to watch poets, rappers and instrumentalists.

"Basically you could say, 'I hate you all,' and that would be respected," said vice president Rashod Holmes, a senior from Chicago studying information systems technology.

In addition to the biweekly Bring Your Own Spit sessions, the group plans to have a "battle barbecue" in April. A battle barbecue combines the hip-hop tradition of two rappers trying to outperform each other and cooking large amounts of food in an outdoor setting. Moore said students will be able to come and rap or just eat free food.

Joining the group requires a desire to do two things: Members must work to expand the organization as well as expand themselves, Moore said. The group had an off-campus event Saturday during which members rapped and read poetry. At a meeting Tuesday, members spent half an hour on constructive criticism, and Moore spoke on overcoming stage fright. "If you look at my lip when I'm on stage, it's jiggling like J-E-L-L-O," Moore said. "But I still do it."

Meetings are conducted casually. Before each meeting begins, the group's members take time to talk about childhood, classes and romantic situations. Moore said members start as friends. "We don't do anything formal," Holmes said. "Life's too short to be formal all the time."

The group became an RSO in November 2004, but it existed before that, Moore said. Its members rapped at parties, wrote poetry and worked on improving their art whenever they had the chance. Moore said impromptu rap battles took place outside Mae Smith and Schneider halls.

The group's founding members are Moore; Holmes; Gregory Screen, a sophomore from Chicago studying education; and Steve Rahman, a sophomore from Chicago studying electrical engineering. The foursome decided to form an official group to help bring in more members. They are now up to 12 members.

"It's a phenomenon, it truly is," Moore said. "We started with us four." However, the group still faces financial difficulties and a lack of exposure. Moore said it's been difficult to get funding from the Undergraduate Student Government because Underground Arts is a new group. Members pay for fliers and events out of their own pockets.

"Our organization is very guerrilla," Moore said. Holmes said the group also needs more talented musicians. "We need instrumentalists bad," Holmes said. "Violinists, drummers or whatever, we need them."