KRS-One, an MC and pioneer in hip-hop music and culture, once proclaimed in his song "Hip-Hop Lives" that "Hip and hop is more than music - hip is the knowledge, hop is the movement."
The Student Hip-Hop Organization at the University wants to educate the rest of the community about this culture.
Although most members of the club learned to appreciate hip-hop during childhood, SHHO began with a midsummer trip to Richmond. Virginia Commonwealth University established its own Student Hip-Hop Organization in 2006, and its members met with some University students to discuss starting a branch on Grounds. Second-year College student Charles Zhao, third-year Architecture student Brenton Mixon and second-year College student Mike Tobin spoke with their Richmond counterparts about the need to bring together the hip-hop lovers scattered across Grounds. These three founding members - whom Tobin said were brought together by their common interest in the art form - hoped to create a community where hip-hop enthusiasts would all have a better opportunity to discuss the latest music, trends and themes.
The organization's main focus is to spread an appreciation of hip-hop in its many art forms, showing that it is more than just music and dance moves - it is a way of life. But even though SHHO tries to keep the University community updated about hip-hop news and trends, it is just in its beginning phases. Right now, it focuses on consistently maintaining up-to-date hip-hop information via social media outlets, namely tumblr and Facebook.
Moreover, SHHO is getting ready for its biggest event yet - the organization is planning a concert featuring The G.O.O.D. K.I.D.S. with Big Sean and Mac Miller, scheduled for Dec. 4 in the Student Activities Building. SHHO wants this concert to set a precedent for the future, putting it on track to bring more shows, artists, seminars and free hip-hop music to Charlottesville.
Most of the group's executive members became enthralled with hip-hop at an early age. In Zhao's case, it was his older brother, five years his elder, who introduced him to hip-hop. As he stated in an e-mail, hip-hop's "cool beats, unique way of making music, it was dope to me. From then, it just developed from an interest to a passion over the years."
And yet for some, hip-hop is more than just a passion.
"Hip-hop is one of [my] best friends, just because she's always been there for me," second-year College student Dani Makia said. "I use it as a means to satisfy any emotional voids in my life. When I'm sad, nervous, angry or stressed, I listen to hip-hop."
Hip-hop also brings with it a specific lifestyle. As second-year Engineering student Chinelo Harvey said, hip-hop "determines how I dress, what cars I like, where I spend my time, who I can relate to, what books and magazines I read and how much sleep I get during the week."
Other students agreed about how this form of music can inspire fashion choices.
"I also collected sneakers in middle school and high school," Mixon said. "I did graffiti in the day, and hip-hop inspires that kind of art."
For Zhao and Mixon, hip-hop has been particularly influential throughout their lives.
"I've been listening to hip-hop since middle school, and it defines everything I do: the music I listen to, the shoes I wear, the way I speak," Tobin said.
The makeup of hip-hop can be seen in SHHO's logo. Composed of four hexagons, the logo represents MCing, DJing, breakdancing and graffii, the four aspects of hip-hop. In addition, the symbol represents the strong bond between the members of SHHO and the larger hip-hop community.
In addition to its main goals, SHHO hopes to debunk misconceptions about hip-hop, contributing to a wider appreciation of the art form.
"People have this preconception that it's all about baggy jeans, guns and drugs, but there are as many diverse and incredible artists out there," Harvey said.
Read More
Top 10 things to do if you are not traveling over break
By Emily Barrie | 3 days agoDo not give into social pressures to travel to some crazy destination when there are so many reasons to look forward to being home.
The business of a competitive major program
By Abby Snowdon and Maddie Shaw | 3 days agoFor some students, getting into the University is just the first hurdle, as they still have to compete for a coveted spot in one of over a dozen admissions-based major programs
Diabetes Link connects condition to community
By Charley Thomas | 5 days agoAs its presence on Grounds grows, Diabetes Link hopes to connect more people to resources for the condition and provide a network of members passionate about awareness.
