OPINION: Finding a club that fills a cultural gap
Anyone who listens to rap, hip-hop or R&B knows that it can be hard to find quality music of this genre in Utah. Logan is particularly difficult — only one radio station blares a hideous mix of 12-year-old love songs with terrible rhyme schemes and not-quite-techno music that abuses the ear. For those who find the aforementioned genres of music relatable, this is frustrating and disappointing. When you’re a poor college student and don’t have the resources to afford cable, Sirius or incessant iTunes downloads, where do you turn for quality music?
I’m glad to say I have an answer. The USU Hip-Hop Club is chock full of people who value underground music and have extensive knowledge of bigger artists who still aren’t mainstream. By fraternizing with individuals in the HHC, I’ve become acquainted with rappers such as Chali Tuna, Immortal Technique and Atmosphere and started to know and love their music. In addition, I’ve met some incredibly talented local artists as well, such as the dub-step group The Beat Slum and Street Definition, which contains a veritable cornucopia of hip-hop heads from every facet of the music’s lifestyle.
What is the hip-hop lifestyle, you may ask? The five main elements of hip-hop include emcees (rap artists), B-boys (break dancers), deejays with turntables, graffiti artists and beat boxers. Together, these elements combine to create a culture and lifestyle that embodies “street” art — art that’s all designed to help individuals express themselves through different media that are accessible without higher education. The emphasis is based on the expression of the individual and their particular talent and houses a special appreciation of a kind of creativity that is often looked down on.
Mowefa Eastmond, the president of the HHC, has been doing hip-hop ever since he was in junior high. He says hip-hop has been an undeniable source of respite for him.
“Hip-hop has helped me start my own company — make money,” Eastmond said. “I’m staying out of trouble by putting my graffiti designs on clothes, instead of walls. When my sister died, it was my only outlet to express myself and allowed me to do so in a productive way. It’s made me confident, and I know who I am and where I’m going because of my involvement with this lifestyle.”
For the most part, the best local and national underground artists I know do not have college degrees, and many of them never will. Some of them make it big; most don’t. However, I haven’t seen many people more satisfied with their lives who love their hobby so much. It is a hobby for these people that supersedes getting a degree and settling for a cookie-cutter job. They may not make great money, but they are content. My admiration is hindered only by my jealousy that they are not burdened by student loans.
The USU Hip-Hop Club is going to be a fantastic asset to Logan. Already, they’ve organized a charity event and participated in the Global Picnic. They are involved with fantastic events such as Poetry and a Beverage, where community members can come together and share poetry, music, rap and any other kind of creative material. They plan on doing continuous shows that will bring together the community and encourage people of all ages to hone their creativity. Their ultimate goal is to bring a well-known underground performer to USU, to lecture and give shows, thereby allowing potentially successful artists to find out what they need to do to succeed in such a competitive industry.