Columbia Chronicle - Nov. 27, 2023 - Vol. 50, Issue 1

Hip-hop in motion Center spread, page 10

COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOV

27

2023

»PHOTO ILLUSTRATION ADDISON ANNIS & RUTH JOHNSON/CHRONICLE

I’JA MARIE WRIGHT, PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA’S HIP-HOP CLUB, DJS A SET DURING THEIR “BOILER ROOM” EVENT ON THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 2023. HOSTING BOTH STUDENT AND NON-STUDENT CHICAGO DJS, MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS GATHERED TO LISTEN TO BEATS AND SHARE THEIR LOVE FOR HIP-HOP.

Opinions, page 15 Women rappers need a space to create without being criticized

editor’s note

Editor’s Note: As classes come to a halt due to the strike, music still persists at Columbia » OLIVIA COHEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WHEN WE FINALIZED having an issue

celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in August, we had no idea we would be creating it and reporting it out in such a pivotal point for the college.

Our reporters have been scouring campus and the city for powerful stories about hip-hop to tell, while the music at Columbia has literally and figuratively stopped due to the part-time faculty union’s strike that started on Monday, Oct. 30. As of the time of publication, negotiations between the college and Columbia Faculty Union remain at a stalemate.

Out of the 12 courses running in the fall 2023 semester for the college’s HipHop Studies minor, there are six parttime instructors teaching the courses either independently or with full-time faculty members.

That means the minor’s 100-level classes, all the way to the program’s two practicum courses – AEMMP Record Label and Events Management – are hit by the strike.

Yet, these students in the program are working through it, by way of their creativity, and passion and commitment to their craft to keep hip-hop alive on campus, even if their classes, in some cases, have come to a halt.

While the Chronicle reporters have dedicated so much time and energy into reporting on the part-time faculty union’s strike, which is now one of the longest strikes in Columbia history, we were committed to not let this milestone in hip-hop pass us.

In this issue, the Chronicle looks at hip-hop through the lens of fashion and the Hip Hop Heritage Museum. We dive into the history of hip-hop and how the genre laid down its roots in Chicago 50 years ago.

We examine hip-hop as a form of poetry and through street art in the city.

Bringing it home to Columbia’s campus, we report on the revitalization of the college’s Hip-Hop Club and the hip-hop minor.

Our photographers give us insight into the members of the Columbia community who keep the heart of the college’s hip-hop presence beating.

We ask you to join us as we tell stories that highlight Columbia – and Chicago’s – dynamic hip-hop scene and move forward with celebrating it well beyond its anniversary.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Cuando decidimos publicar una edición conmemorando el 50 aniversario del hip hop, no teníamos idea que la íbamos a producir durante un momento tan álgido para la universidad.

Nuestros reporteros han recorrido el campus y la ciudad en busca de importantes historias sobre el hip hop—todo esto mientras que la música en Columbia College se había detenido, literalmente y figurativamente, por la huelga que empezó el lunes 30 de octubre. Al momento de esta publicación, las negociaciones entre la universidad y el sindicato de profesores adjuntos de Columbia siguen estancadas.

A pesar de que los reporteros han dedicado mucho de su tiempo y energía a cubrir la huelga—que se ha convertido en la más larga en la historia de Columbia—nosotros estábamos ya comprometidos a no dejar de lado este hito en la historia del hip hop.

En esta edición, La Crónica analiza al hip hop a través de la moda y del Museo de la Herencia de Hip Hop. Nos sumergimos en su historia y cómo este género musical se estableció en Chicago 50 años atrás.

Le pedimos que se una a nosotros mientras compartimos las historias que destacan la dinámica escena del hip-hop de Columbia (y Chicago) y que se quede con nosotros para celebrarla mucho más allá de su aniversario.

2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

OCOHEN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

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VOL. 50, ISSUE 1 The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students.

Please contact the Editorin-Chief to request reprint permission. All reprints must include the language “Reprinted with permission from The Columbia Chronicle” — along with a live link to the website. Content may not be reproduced, in any form, without permission from The Columbia Chronicle.

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»TODOS LOS ARTÍCULOS ESTÁN ACOMPAÑADOS CON RESÚMENES EN ESPAÑOL ESCRITAS POR MIRANDA BUCIO, ANDRES GUERRA, LIZETH MEDINA, CITLALLI MAGALI SOTELO Y KIMBERLY VÁZQUEZ

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campus » PATIENCE HURSTON COPY CHIEF

IN 2017, A group of instructors from various

hip-hop backgrounds came together to celebrate and educate students on hip-hop.

The goal was to strengthen the connections students had to the genre before practicing it.

Six years later, the minor’s popularity has only grown, drawing students and practitioners from across the country to Columbia.

Amina Norman-Hawkins, instructor of Hip-Hop: A Sonic History and a founding faculty member of the minor, said there was a lot of communication between students, alumni and community practitioners about what the program would look like.

“We were very intentional in making sure the program mirrored hip-hop culture, along with it being rooted in community, which is what hip-hop is,” Norman-Hawkins said.

The Hip-Hop Studies minor, which is the only minor the Music Department offers, is interdisciplinary — reflecting the nature of hip-hop itself. The 20-credit minor is said to explore, “hip-hop history, aesthetics, ethics, pedagogy, music, dance, fashion, poetry, visual art and language,” and roots itself and its students in community engagement through studentled, practice-based learning.

The hip-hop community at Columbia spans decades, far longer than the minor has existed, and has pulled generational talent to the school since its inception.

Junior dance major Malika “Myka” Okot said despite there being little physical presence of hip-hop in her hometown of Portland, Maine, she feels a personal connection to it through her family — her parents meeting during hiphop’s first commercial boom period in the ‘90s.

“Sometimes I like to say I was born hiphop because I feel like without it, there would be no other reason for them to get together,” Okot said. “I wouldn’t be here if hip-hop didn’t exist.”

She said the minor was the sole reason she applied to Columbia and that it was harder to find dance schools that offered classes outside of ballet or modern-style dancing.

Hip-hop has only recently become more accepted into the dance community, Okot said.

“I saw that [Columbia] had a Hip-Hop Studies minor and I was like, ‘That’s exactly what I want to do,’” Okot said. “I just want to focus on hip-hop.”

Another student with a longtime hip-hop history, senior music business major Jaeya Bayani, left a well-known hip-hop hub on the West Coast to study at Columbia.

Bayani grew up in California’s Bay Area and took inspiration from her dad, worldrenowned popper, Jonathan “Bionic” Bayani, who helped her grow her passion.

“I grew up going a lot to cyphers. I had a lot of uncles and aunts that were both b-boys and b-girls, so I really grew up in that culture,” Bayani said.

The rapper and dancer said the hip-hop minor is a “great way to build community” and helps students try new things.

Hip-hop is “so prevalent today because it brings people together and it gets people watching,” Bayani said. “It started in cyphers, whether we were DJ cyphers, dancers, rappers , we continued building off each other’s skills. I think that’s really what we have to come back to.”

One form of community collectiveness is the way artists find their names.

Kelsa Reiger-Haywood, associate professor of instruction in the Dance Department, goes by “K-Soul” in the street dance community.

“A lot of times, it will happen when people show up for their first battle and they’re like, ‘Oh shit, I have to sign a name.’

So sometimes people are thinking of their own names or like turning to their crew if they’re part of a crew,” Reiger-Haywood said. “A lot of it is like a rite of passage from elders where you’re dancing around who will sort of put a name upon you.”

Many use their aliases as a form of empowerment.

Reiger-Haywood said while learning is happening in the studio, the real challenges take place in the community itself, and if someone isn’t engaging ethically with the practice, it’s also a space that will “hold you accountable.”

Columbia’s Hip-Hop Studies minor is one of few college programs in the country dedicated to hip-hop, with other colleges like Ohio State University adding hip-

»ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE

Hip-Hop Studies minor educates students on culture, history of the genre

hop studies to its catalog ahead of their upcoming fall semester.

The chance to study hip-hop in Chicago specifically is a draw for students. While not the birthplace of hip-hop, Chicago has a lot to offer students that study here being the birthplace of genres that have often found themselves crossing paths like gospel and house, Bayani said.

Chicago has always had a large hip-hop community, seeing the rise of stars like Common, Kanye West, Juice WRLD and Chief Keef. Chicago’s most notable hiphop creation is drill music, created in the early 2010s — a subgenre of hip-hop that quickly became a global sensation.

“Chicago is like the hidden place,” Bayani said. “I feel like Chicago is where you want to be if you want to be a good underground hip-hop artist.”

Jeff Derringer, an instructor who teaches Digital Music Production I and II, said although his course explores club music as a whole and includes genres outside of hip-hop, he admires the work it takes to be a hip-hop DJ, saying the skill is more “kinetic.”

“You’re dealing with much shorter songs in the hip-hop game and you have to mix faster,” Derringer said. “You don’t have two minutes to figure [the next song] out. You’ve got 20 seconds. It’s just much more kinetic for your gear. Definitely as a hip-hop DJ, you’re more active with your hands.”

Derringer said he teaches up-andcoming DJs to be versatile with style and equipment, and to explore merging elements from other genres into their own work.

“Hip-hop producers can absolutely benefit from learning the other foundational genres, and they will probably find those sounds creeping into

their productions,” Derringer said. “I think it’s valuable for any music producer to know the foundations and the basics and the genre signposts of as many genres as they can.”

Hip-Hop Studies help students engage with the genre in a “more ethical” way, Reiger-Haywood said.

Both students and teachers agreed that knowing the history influenced and empowered the way they engaged with the genre. Norman-Hawkins said classes like hers help dispel myths about hip-hop, something she feels is common among average listeners.

“It’s important for people to know the history, the roots of the history, the traditions, the practices, but also why we have hip-hop, why we do hip-hop,” Norman-Hawkins said. “Classes like mine, our hip-hop minor and practitioners and artists who are informed to share that information so that hip-hop stops getting a bad rap.”

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

La carrera de estudios de hip-hop de Columbia atrae a estudiantes de todas las disciplinas a la cultura, la historia y el arte del hip-hop.

Esta especialización, la única ofrecida por el departamento de música, es interdisciplinaria, reflejando la naturaleza del hip-hop. En 20 créditos, se explora “la historia, la estética, ética, pedagogía, música, baile, moda, poesía, arte visual y lenguaje” de este género. También se enfoca en la participación de la comunidad a través de un aprendizaje basado en la práctica y dirección por los estudiantes.

PHURSTON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 3

campus

After long hiatus, Hip-Hop Club is back

» LUKAS KATILIUS/CHRONICLE

» MIRANDA BUCIO BILINGUAL REPORTER

» ADDISON ANNIS/CHRONICLE

MELONE SHURNEY, KNOWN AS DJ SHURN, PERFORMS AT THE HIP-HOP CLUB’S “BOILER ROOM” EVENT IN THE STUDENT CENTER ON THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 2023.

» ADDISON ANNIS/CHRONICLE

I’JA MARIE WRIGHT, PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA’S HIP-HOP CLUB, DJS A SET DURING THEIR “BOILER ROOM” EVENT ON THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 2023.

PRESIDENT OF THE HIP-HOP CLUB I’JA MARIE WRIGHT PERFORMS A SET FOR THE CLUB’S “BOILER ROOM” EVENT IN THE STUDENT CENTER ON THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 2023.

4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

COLUMBIA’S HIP-HOP CLUB was started in the fall of 2017 by a group of students in part-time professor Amina NormanHawkins’ class, Hip-Hop: A Sonic History.

The club went on to celebrate the musical genre with open mics, cyphers, collaborations and workshops. Then, COVID-19 struck, and the club quickly dissolved after a quarantine was instated.

“We couldn’t meet in person and hip-hop is traditionally a very social experience,” Norman-Hawkins,who is the club’s advisor, said.

There were attempts from some students to revive the club, where a few unofficial events were hosted throughout the official hiatus, but failed to re-establish.

However, about two years after the hiatus, the Hip-Hop Club is officially back this semester.

President of the club, I’Ja Marie Wright, a junior marketing major, said she felt there was a need for “spaces on campus that showcase the real, raw hip-hop for students.”

Like the first three presidents of the club, Wright took Hip Hop: A Sonic History, a course dedicated to the culture and social conditions of the genre. Norman-Hawkins said the class helped shape the way the executive board governs the club and centers it in the community.

While in the class, Wright proposed a reiteration of the club and went straight to the Student Organization Council with the types of events planned for the semester and the mission, which is to educate students about hip-hop and “provide a platform for students to express themselves through music, poetry and other forms of artistic expression associated with hip-hop.”

The club states that hip-hop is a form of activism, cultural expression and storytelling rather than simply a genre.

One of the event coordinators, sophomore music business major C.J. Young, was a member of the Hip-Hop Club during a small active window it had in fall of 2021.

Becoming part of the executive board for Young was “an ode to freshman me,” because he did not get to experience the club as he would have liked.

He wished more people were able to attend and organize for a successful reiteration of the club. However, nothing came together until this semester. Young said the e-board is learning from past mistakes.

“We’re definitely putting the pieces together to make Hip-Hop Club work way more efficiently than it did way back when,” he said.

Compared to the last iteration, where the meetings and events were more “intimate,” Norman-Hawkins said the current e-board is hosting bigger events and engaging further with the hip-hop community.

“Their voices are being heard beyond campus whereas I feel like our earlier group was planting a seed to bring awareness on campus,” she said.

This outreach could be seen with, their first official event, “Hip-Hop Convergence.” The event was an “intergenerational forum” between younger and older artists, organized to celebrate the last day of Chicago Hip-Hop History Month on July 31, at 1104 S. Wabash Ave. This semester, the club has also hosted showcases with performances from the e-board members along with open mics, allowing students to perform.

Through these events, Wright hopes to “show the college that hip-hop is alive here on campus.”

“Step into the Rhythmic Realm” was their most recent event that took place on Nov. 9, at the Student Center, located at 754 S. Wabash Ave. The event focused on DJs, who Wright said laid the foundation of hip-hop,“without [DJs], we wouldn’t have the rhymes or none of that.”

The event was made up of five different DJ sets including performances from Wright and events coordinator and junior music major Nathan Brown.

Columbia alum and WGN Radio producer CaSera “DJ Ca$h Era” Heining, also performed a set for the event.

Heining, who graduated the same year the Hip-Hop Club originally started, wished she had a space like the club sooner in her college career, which would have made her want to join.

“You didn’t see that much room for hiphop or R&B or really urban anything, and the Black population on campus is small as it is,” she said.

Avery Forrestall, junior film and television major and vice president of the club, said it is important to “amplify the community aspect” of hip-hop at club events to show the genre is more than just rap music.

“The biggest thing, I think right now, is broadening other people’s horizons and showing that hip-hop can be a welcoming place, no matter the medium or form they’re involved in,” he said.

campus RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

El club de Hip-Hop de Columbia College está de regreso y más fuerte que nunca.

Esta asociación estudiantil fue fundada en otoño del 2017 por los alumnos que tomaban la clase “Hip-Hop: A Sonic History”, a cargo de la profesora adjunta Amina Norman-Hawkins.

Dos años después, la llegada del COVID-19 causó la disolución del grupo, a pesar de la gestión producida que celebraba con actividades y tributos este género musical.

“No nos podíamos reunir en persona.

El hip-hop tradicionalmente es una experiencia muy social”, dijo NormanHawkins, la asesora del club.

La presidenta de la agrupación I’Ja Marie Wright, quien es estudiante de mercadotecnia, dijo que sentía que había una necesidad de “espacios en la

universidad que mostraran al verdadero hip-hop puro para los estudiantes”.

Comparando con lo que era el club original, donde las reuniones y eventos eran más “íntimos”, Norman-Hawkins dijo que están organizando eventos más grandes e interactuando más con la comunidad hip-hop. “Sus voces se escuchan más allá del campus [de nuestra universidad], mientras que siento que nuestro grupo anterior estaba plantando una semilla para generar conciencia en el campus”.

MBUCIO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» LUKAS KATILIUS/CHRONICLE

First-year music major Alexis Delgado is a member of Hip-Hop Club and said it is “a great choice” because he believes there are not many opportunities where students can center themselves in hiphop.

Delgado said it is especially important to have a club that celebrates hip-hop at Columbia because there are many aspiring artists at the school who specialize in the genre and it gives a space where like-minded students can “connect with one another” and network.

Wright said it is her priority to assure students that the club is back and has the structure it needs to “stay around for a long time.”

SUKURAT GIWA, KNOWN AS SUKI GEEZ, PERFORMS FOR STUDENTS AT THE HIP-HOP CLUB’S “BOILER ROOM” EVENT HOSTED IN THE STUDENT CENTER ON THURSDAY, NOV. 9, 2023.

American Sign Language makes music accessible » LIZETH MEDINA BILINGUAL REPORTER MUSIC IS ENJOYED in a variety of ways. For

» RUBY HENSON/CHRONICLE

people in the deaf community, enjoying music is done through sign language interpretations and the feeling of sound.

Music interpretation is not a straightforward process.

Interpretations for music can vary based on the genre. Hip-hop and fastpaced rap songs can pose difficulty because of speed. “It’s very difficult. It’s probably one of the hardest genres to do in my opinion, but it’s fun. It’s the speed and also because English and ASL [American Sign Language] are not the same,” said ASL-English Interpretation major Gaby Aquino. “English word play is very difficult to interpret into ASL, and rap has a lot of word play.”

Word play refers to lyrics with rhyming that cannot be directly translated to ASL because of the differences in language structure. A common form of word play

is the use of rhyming, which involves the combination of words that have identical or corresponding sounds to one another.

An example of this is a line from the song “Moment of Clarity” by rapper Jay-Z, “Music business hates me cause the industry ain’t make me.”

Like other languages, ASL has its own structure, words cannot be directly translated from English. Theatre and acting major Kayla Casiano, who is hard of hearing, has experience performing in plays such as the production of “The Grey House” at the Red Orchid Theatre.

“English and ASL are very different, and they’re not in the same word order.

We have our own structure and body language and facial expressions. And that’s what we use during plays. I want deaf people who are watching the play to be able to understand the story,” Casiano signed using ASL. Interpreters can also choose to sign musical lyrics directly or paraphrase the meaning of the song. English Language and Literature major, Niya Rodriguez tells us of the ways music is interpreted in ASL. “There’s people who actually interpret the message of a song and then there’s people who interpret it line by line,” Rodriguez said.

Body language also plays a part in the expression of music interpretation.

“Dancing and taking

up the space and whatever the song reminds me of, trying to showcase that with my body because sometimes you can’t put that all in your hands,” Aquino said.

Columbia ASL interpreter and tutor Peter Wujcik works with the Goodman, Steppenwolf and DePaul theatres for music and performance interpretation.

Wujcik acknowledged that translations are not always accurate but said there is a need for a deaf observer to make sure the message comes across in a way that makes sense to the deaf community.

“Without the deaf interpreter mentoring like that and kind of supervising, sometimes accidents do happen or they’re not signing it accurately,” Wujicks signed using ASL. As a supervisor, Wujick supports the community of interpreters and assists them when practicing their signing for shows, “We do warm-ups and rehearsals.

We want to make sure they feel good about what they’re doing and we’re just very supportive of their work and want to make sure they’re interpreting it accurately.”

Columbia has made an effort to be inclusive of the deaf community with events such as the ASL Jam where students can showcase their talent through poetry, storytelling and much more using ASL. Manifest, the annual end-of-the-year festival that celebrates the work and achievements of graduating students, includes interpreters for deaf students and faculty, as well as interpretations in other languages. In this year’s spring Manifest, Aquino interpreted in sign

language an original song in Spanish called “Vas a Ver” (You Will See) by student Tanya Guerrero.

“Music is such a beautiful expression, and it takes up space and it touches so many people you kind of just want your signing to be as big as that,” Aquino said.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Para las personas que son sordas, disfrutar de la música se realiza a través de interpretaciones en lengua de signos y la sensación del sonido.

El lenguaje de signos americano tiene su propia estructura, lo que dificulta la incorporación exacta de la música.

Se puede interpretar el mensaje de una canción directamente o parafrasear el mensaje de la letra.

Otra forma de expresar la música es con movimiento.“Bailando y ocupando el espacio y lo que sea que me recuerde la canción, tratando de mostrar eso con mi cuerpo porque a veces no puedes poner todo eso en tus manos”, dijo la especialista en lengua de señas americana, Gaby Aquino.

Columbia se asegura de incluir a los estudiantes sordos en eventos como Manifest, un festival anual de fin de año que celebra el trabajo de todos los estudiantes de pregrado y de posgrado que se gradúan, e incluye intérpretes para estudiantes y profesores sordos.

LMEDINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5

campus

» RUBY HENSON/CHRONICLE

AEMMP Records supports diverse range of artists » IZZIE RUTLEDGE STAFF REPORTER SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 1982, AEMMP

Records has offered Columbia music business students and creatives the opportunity to help operate a functional record label, as the longest-running college record label nationwide.

The Record Label Practicum course is offered each semester with the option to attend South by Southwest (SXSW) in the spring. Students who take the course are involved in every step of the process of signing and working with artists, including artists and repertoire (A&R) work.

“We are doing everything from creating new master recordings, organizing those studio sessions, distributing the music through Ingrooves, marketing the music [and] running social media,” said Associate Professor Alexander Fruchter, who teaches the course. “AEMMP throws events, open mics, open beatmaking sessions, partnering with outside collaborators on events or sponsorships.”

Senior music business major Melina Ortiz said the class has allowed her to learn better communication skills between artists and other professionals.

Her group is currently working on completing a single by their newly signed “electronic emo” artist Star Student.

Star Student is the stage name of Jacob Cocking, a junior audio arts major, who signed with AEMMP this fall. Cocking said his experience working with his assigned team has been “valuable.”

“That’s cool, just gaining perspective on what outside help could do for my project, given the workload I am already managing on top of that,” Cocking said.

Most recording and production occurs outside of Columbia, according to Fructher, due to a “disconnect” between the audio and business departments, though he’d “love it” if they collaborated more.

“Majority of the recording is done at

random various studios. What’s great about AEMMP, too, is almost every semester I have students that are audio engineers, some have their own studio setups,” Fruchter said.

Aside from securing recording spaces and engineers, one of Fruchter’s biggest challenges is the constant turnover of students. The course is repeatable, but most students only take one semester.

“It’s almost like starting a label from scratch every single fall semester,” Fruchter said. “So in the fall, we want to set goals, the students get acclimated to things and then we try to hit the ground running.”

Making connections with other young and more experienced professionals is one of the highlights of the course, Oritz said.

“It’s allowing me to really understand how to communicate with the artists and then communicate with people in your field,” she said.

In addition to the diversity of students in the classroom, AEMMP allows artists from outside of Columbia to sign with the label as well as students themselves. Contracts usually do not extend past one year and are nonexclusive, meaning the artists are free to work with other organizations or other record labels, though copyright ownership of music released by AEMMP remains with the label.

Regardless, Cocking said it was worth it to give over those rights for the opportunities the label could offer him.

6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

“If I’m losing the rights to a single song, in exchange for the labor of a few talented individuals, and for a new experience, it’s kind of a necessary evil, I guess,” he said.

Jalyn Burton, known by her stage name Oxvy.Moron — pronounced “oxymoron” — is a class of 2022 music business graduate and signed as an artist at AEMMP for about two years while still studying at Columbia.

Burton said she had a lot of control over what projects she chose to work on during her time with the label and ended up creating an EP, “Indecisive Introvert,” with the help of AEMMP’s resources.

“I had access to studio time and that’s a really huge thing for artists. I didn’t have to pay for any studio time,” Burton said. “I was also able to get a photographer to get new artist pictures done and I got to keep all of those pictures.”

Burton describes her music as “alternative rap,” with 1980s influences.

She is still active within the music scene on both the artist and business professional sides.

AEMMP is currently expanding its repertoire of rock artists and more experimental genres within hip-hop and alternative styles. AEMMP’s array of artists represents the very diverse Columbia community, Fruchter said.

“They’re trying to find music and artists that take some of the best qualities of Columbia College, the

collectiveness, the diversity,” he said.

“I think Columbia is where a lot of students — where they might not fit in elsewhere — fit in here.”

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Como el sello discográfico universitario más antiguo de la ciudad, AEMMP Records, fundada en 1982, ha servido a la comunidad de Columbia y de Chicago por más de 40 años. El curso universitario “Record Label Practicum” ayuda tanto a los jóvenes profesionales del negocio de la música como a los artistas musicales. El sello discográfico ha ofrecido a los alumnos la oportunidad de manejar un sello discográfico operativo. Los estudiantes que toman el curso están involucrados en cada paso del proceso de firma y trabajar con artistas.

“Estamos haciendo de todo, desde la creación de nuevas grabaciones maestras, la organización de sesiones de estudio, la distribución de la música a través de ‘Ingrooves,’ la comercialización de la música [y] la gestión de las redes sociales”, dijo el profesor asociado Alexander Fruchter, quien imparte el curso.

Melina Ortiz, estudiante de último año de negocios musicales, dijo que la clase le ha permitido desarrollar sus habilidades de comunicación entre artistas y otros profesionales.

IRUTLEDGE@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

Columbia poetry students find connection in hip-hop » CESAR TOSCANO OPINIONS EDITOR IN 1992, ICONIC Chicago poet Gwendolyn

» ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE

Brooks was asked about rap in an interview with the Columbia studentrun magazine, Chicago Arts and Communication.

She told the publication a few of her favorite hip-hop artists: Monie Love, Queen Latifah and Public Enemy. To her, poetry and rap were one and the same.

“Rap is poetry,” Brooks said.

“Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s not too good.”

It is difficult to imagine hip-hop without poetry’s immense influence.

Rhythm and flow, major hip-hop components, originate in poetry.

Today, the poetry program at Columbia has enabled students with an interest in hip-hop to explore and amplify their voices in both mediums.

“Students who are singers/songwriters sign up for my classes because they want a better handle on the elements that can translate between poetry and song,” said CM Burroughs, an associate professor

of poetry in the Creative Writing Department.

Rappers and musicians at Columbia have used these classes to elevate their craft. Jabari Ware, a music business major minoring in poetry, has performed at dozens of hip-hop events.

Ware was mostly influenced by the music he was listening to when he started writing lyrics. He noted Noname, Billy Woods and Lupe Fiasco, as some lyrical influences at the time. His first attempts at rap started as poetry unintentionally.

“It was rhyme but without a beat,” Ware said.

Ware took poetry courses through the creative writing program. Poetry faculty members Lisa Fishman and Burroughs especially helped foster his growth. Now, he has noticed an improvement in his hip-hop through practicing poetry.

“I use what I learned in poetry, use that same subject matter and pushing into a beat,” Ware said. “It took some time since then, even now, it takes me a long time to do but when the finished project is there, it’s really satisfying, and it’s worth

all that. Those confines and stuff like that, it sounds really good when you stay patient.”

Jesus Govea, a 2023 Columbia graduate, competed at Louder than a Bomb, a spoken-word poetry competition at Columbia, before he was at the college.

He describes his early work as rap.

“Well, it’s funny because the way that I got into spoken word is I started out writing raps,” he said.

Throughout high school, he competed on his school’s spoken word poetry team.

Within a year of his last competition, he had started his degree in creative writing with a concentration in poetry. The connection between the two mediums lies in the “sonic quality,” Govea said.

“It’s the sounds when it comes to the page poem, rhyming can get a little iffy,” Govea said. “Sometimes, at least, for me, writing could be too on the nose, or everything else is getting swallowed, because the writer is so focused on the rhyme. But when done correctly, we got slant rhymes, and half rhymes and internal rhymes when that’s employed.

And a lot of times very good rappers

campus

will use that in their works when that’s employed.”

For students interested in hip-hop and poetry, electives have become a way for students to explore both mediums.

José Israel, a junior audio arts major, has taken a couple of classes in poetry.

Israel is a part of the band Rotundos he labels as Midwest Indie and hip-hop/ rock adjacent. He said it is very much poetry-related.

“My work is poetry related since I write most of the lyrics,” Israel said. “I’ve gotten many compliments for the writing and lyrics of our songs and this is after studying poetry at Columbia.”

Common has inspired Israel’s work and been influenced by a class on ancient North African poetry. He believes there is a strong connection between poetry and hip-hop.

“Poetry has existed forever. Hip-hop was essentially a reinvention of the wheel. It is the biggest music genre of all time and the newest,” Israel said. “Poetry and hip-hop share the same DNA, hiphop is just the newest version.”

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

En 1992, en una entrevista realizada por la revista estudiantil conocida como Chicago Arts and Communication, le preguntaron a la icónica poeta de Chicago Gwendolyn Brooks su opinión sobre la música rap.

Gwendolyn expresa la influencia que tiene la poesía en el hip-hop. El programa de poesía de Columbia permite a los estudiantes explorar su música a través de ambos medios. Por ejemplo, estudiantes como Jabari Ware, con especialización en negocios de música, comenzó su carrera de rap escribiendo poesía.

“Utilizo lo que aprendí en poesía, usó el mismo tema y sigo el ritmo”, dijo Ware.

Las clases optativas que se ofrecen en la institución permiten a los estudiantes que no se especializan en hip-hop o poesía, la oportunidad de practicar una nueva habilidad lo cual puede ayudarles con su escritura musical.

CTOSCANO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 7

arts&culture

Fashion students, staff discuss hip-hop trends over the years

»ILLUSTRATIONS BY RUBY HENSON/CHRONICLE

IN 1973, IN the Bronx, Clive Campbell,

or DJ Kool Herc, who would later be nicknamed “the Father of Hip-Hop,” provided music for his younger sister’s block party, an event that’s cited as the birth of hip-hop.

Soon after, sneaker culture came along, and the collaboration between the genre and athleticwear began.

Sneaker culture dates back to the 1970s when sneaker companies began designing collaborations with famous basketball players.

Rappers also played a role in popularizing sneaker culture. In 1986, Run DMC, a rap group from Queens, New York, released their single “My Adidas” and started a movement behind the sport brand’s three stripes.

Sophomore public relations major Tyrell Bang credits hip-hop with bringing more inclusivity to the fashion world.

“I think without hip-hop, the fashion industry wouldn’t be as inclusive and also, I would say probably racially diverse,” Bang said. “I feel like it brought light to Black people in fashion.”

Later named “Hip-Hop’s fashion godfather,” designer Dapper Dan opened up his Harlem boutique in 1982 to bring luxury fashion to “underserved clientele.”

Dapper Dan collected prints from popular luxury brands in the ‘80s, such as Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and customized them for hip-hop icons like Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J and Bobby Brown.

Growing up on the Upper West Side of New York in the ‘90s, through playing basketball and “just being in the city,” Jacob Victorine, a fashion studies professor, naturally got into sneaker culture.

“I started getting interested in sneaker

culture because, like many other players, I wanted sneakers that matched my game,” Victorine said.

It was during Victorine’s time in junior high that streetwear “really started to gain momentum.”

“I would argue the majority of people under 40 in this country have been influenced in some way by hip-hop in their style, whether they realize it or not,” Victorine said.

After the brand’s launch in 1989, Cross Colours became popular for its bright color blocking, known as a staple on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as one of the brands that “paved the way” for streetwear.

After the success of Cross Colours, streetwear brands like FUBU and Karl Kani gained more popularity in the streetwear world with the help of influences like Magic Johnson, TLC, Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder.

Several vintage garments from streetwear brands, such as Cross Colours, Off White, Gucci and Karl Kani, can be found at Columbia’s Fashion Study Collection.

Rapper Nelly brought back Nike’s signature shoe with his 2002 single “Air Force Ones” and even had a brand deal with them to sponsor his “Nellyville” tour. Recently, Nelly said he is partially responsible for the shoe’s success.

The genre’s influence didn’t stop at endorsements.

Rappers also became designers and owners of their own brands. In 1999, Jay-Z and Damon Dash founded Rocawear, another hip-hop-style clothing brand that became popular in the 2000s.

Rocawear was followed by Pharell Williams, who founded Billionaire Boys Club in 2003. In 2004, Sean Combs rapper Diddy, was named the Top Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America for his work with his clothing line Sean John, which is known for its eyewear, fragrances and loungewear.

Kanye West’s entry into the fashion industry began in 2005 with the Kanye West x Nike Air 180 collaboration, followed by multiple other sneakers before his departure from Nike and launch of Yeezy, an Adidas partnership.

The 2000s was known as “the sneaker era” or “the hype era,” said Kenneth

8 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Catalan, store manager at Jugrnaut, a streetwear store whose “base foundation was hiphop.”

Jugrnaut Clothing, located at 427 S. Dearborn St., is a clothing store started in 2007 by three owners raised in Chicago, two of whom were in a hiphop group.

FASHION ACCESSORIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT THE FASHION Catalan said a STUDY COLLECTION LOCATED ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR AT 618 S. MICHIGAN AVE. ON OCT. 19, 2023. THE ITEMS ARE CONNECTED TO THE HISTORY OF lot of the trends in FASHION WITHIN HIP-HOP. streetwear today were also common in the store. around campus stemming from ‘90s and “It was a lot of brighter, big oversized 2000s trends. things. Honestly, what’s trendy now was “We are generally influenced by what trendy first in the 2000s,” Catalan said. we consume the most,” Jackson said.

“It all started relatively smaller because “Hip-hop has always been influential, it wasn’t mainstream at the time – the these days it’s so easy to take inspiration fashion was a little more alternative.” from what rappers are wearing.”

Catalan said hip-hop “gave people who didn’t have a voice a chance to express RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL themselves.”

Los estudiantes y personal del Bang, who also co-hosts the Instagram departamento de modas hablan sobre account Columbia Fits, said hip-hop las tendencias del hip-hop a través de los trends in fashion have evolved the way años. they have due to social media.

La creación del hip-hop surgió cuando “In today’s world, it’s a lot easier for en 1973, Clive Campbell, conocido people to express themselves because más como DJ Kool Herc, innovó el all it takes is an Instagram post and “breakbeat” en una fiesta de su hermana everyone’s talking about what Doja Cat’s menor. Desde ese entonces, el hip-hop ha wearing, so it really comes with the age influido a la moda por muchos años. that we’re in,” Bang said.

Poco después apareció la cultura West, Jay-Z and ASAP Rocky sneaker que se popularizó a través de continued bringing luxury brands into raperos, como Run DMC, y el streetwear. streetwear with their collaborations with El estudiante de relaciones públicas brands like Dior and Calvin Klein.

Tyrell Bang le da crédito al hip-hop por traer más elementos de inclusión en la moda.

Las marcas de streetwear como Cross Colours, Off White, Gucci y Karl Kani pueden ser apreciados en Columbia’s Fashion Study Collection, ubicado en el octavo piso del edificio de 618 South Michigan Ave. “Generalmente, estamos influenciados por lo que más consumimos”, dijo Amaya Jackson, quien estudia producción de First-year fashion production major modas. “El hip-hop siempre ha sido Amaya Jackson said hip-hop music influyente. En estos tiempos, es fácil ser has affected the fashion industry “in a inspirados por la ropa de los raperos”. causative way.”

VRICHEY@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM Jackson said she commonly sees looks

»ABRA RICHARDSON/CHRONICLE

» VIVIAN RICHEY SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

arts & culture

Columbia artists, collaborators pick most influential Chicago hip-hop albums » CONNOR DORE SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

»ILLUSTRATIONS BY LANA MARTINEZ/CHRONICLE

COLUMBIA’S HIP-HOP CLUB artists chose

what they think are the most influential Chicago albums to hip-hop music. From Common’s “Resurrection” to Lupe Fiasco’s “The Cool,” these artists delve deeper into why these Chicago albums are the most influential.

“Being able to create that, while being in that dark place, it definitely inspired so many people to weather that storm and create something beautiful out of that.”

major with a concentration in radio and president of the Hip-Hop Club, picked “Resurrection” as the most influential album as well.

Wright emphasized the song “I Used To Love H.E.R.” from the album, saying she loves the lyrics, especially the line, “The first time I met this girl when I was 10 years old, what I love most is she has so much soul.”

“The whole time you think he’s talking about a girl but no, he’s talking about his first interaction when picking up the pen or hearing a hip-hop song for the first time,” Wright said. “That was his love language between music, and that was the love of his life.”

I’JA MARIE WRIGHT & CHRIS HAWKINS’ PICK: “RESURRECTION” COMMON (1994)

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

C.J. YOUNG’S PICK: “MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY” - KANYE WEST (2010)

AVERY FORRESTALL’S PICK: “LUPE FIASCO’S THE COOL” - LUPE FIASCO (2007) Produced by: Lupe Fiasco, Darrale Jones, Patrick Stump, Al Shux, The Buchanans, Drop, Chris Goss, Le Messie, Simonsayz, Soundtrakk and Unkle.

Accolades: Debuted at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling 143,407 copies in the first week.“The Cool” was certified gold in April 2008 and hit platinum in October 2022.

Lupe Fiasco, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, is a Chicago native who grew up in the West Madison Housing Projects.

Full title “Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool,” the record is his second studio album, which is a half-concept album that follows two criminals. It delves into themes of love, jazz, politics and society.

Avery Forrestall, a senior interdisciplinary major and a member of Hip-Hop Club’s executive board, believes “The Cool” is a combination of a pop music sound and strong lyricism has impacted the city’s upcoming artists the most.

“I think that at that time, combining pop rap with the lyrics that Lupe was able to incorporate was pretty unheard of outside of people like Kanye,” Forrestall said. “That’s something that people like Chance [The Rapper] and other Chicago artists now always said, that this album heavily influenced them in that aspect.”

Produced by: Kanye West, Blink, DJ Frank E, Mike Dean, No I.D., RZA and S1.

Accolades: The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling 496,000 copies the first week.

It also debuted as the fourth-best sales week of 2010. On Nov. 23, 2020, it was certified double platinum for surpassing 3 million units sold in the United States.

Kanye West is a Chicago native who was raised in the South Shore area. The album has many famous collaborators including Elton John, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, Pusha T and Justin Vernon.

The record explores themes of excess, celebrity, grandiosity, self-doubt, romance, escapism, sex and decadence.

C.J. Young is a junior music business major with a minor in creative writing and is also a member of the Hip-Hop Club’s e-board.

Young picked “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” as his most influential Chicago album because West combined boom bap sound with autotune, bringing old sound and new sound together.

“I wish that I could go back towards when I had the first listen of that album in its entirety,” Young said.

“MBDTF” has inspired many popular artists to this day. J. Cole, Travis Scott and Alicia Keys have sampled this album many times, and Kendrick Lamar hailed the record as an artistic inspiration.

Lamar even made a freestyle rap video over the song, “Monster.”

Young credits the record for inspiring artists to use hard times as creative flame.

“Kanye was in a very dark place when he dropped that album,” Young said.

Produced by: No I.D. and The Twilite Tone Accolades: Debuted at number 179 on the Billboard Top 200 and sold 2,000 tracks in the first week. The record has not received a Recording Industry Association of America rating.

Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, was raised in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. While “Resurrection” does not have the numbers backing its name, the influence of the album is still apparent today.

Chris Hawkins is a Chicago music producer and frequently hosts production workshops in the Hip-Hop: A Sonic History class. Hawkins said “Resurrection” put multiple, now wellknown producers on the map.

“It was also a breakout opportunity for No I.D., Twilight Tone and some other producers where that was their first time producing a record where they were known,” Hawkins said.

According to Complex, the hit single off the record, “I Used To Love H.E.R,” is one of hip-hop’s most praised and talked about records. In the track, Common’s lyrics point to him rapping about a woman, but the further the song goes on, it’s revealed he is actually rapping about hip-hop. The same innuendos he could use for love for a woman is used for his love of hip-hop.

I’Ja Marie Wright, a junior marketing

Los artistas del Club de Hip-Hop de Columbia eligieron qué álbumes creen que son los más influyentes de Chicago para la música hip-hop.

La presidenta del club, I’Ja Marie Wright, eligió “Resurrection” del rapero Common como el álbum más influyente.

Ella dijo que la encanta la letra de “I Used To Love H.E.R.” porque habla sobre el amor que Common le tiene al hip-hop.

El vicepresidente Avery Forrestall dijo que su elección es “The Cool” de Lupe Fiasco, pues el álbum profundiza en temas como el amor, el jazz, la política y la sociedad.

El coordinador de eventos C.J. Young eligió “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” del rapero Kanye West.

“Kanye estaba en un lugar muy oscuro cuando lanzó este álbum”, dijo Young.

“Ser capaz de crear eso… definitivamente inspiró a muchas personas a capear esa tormenta y crear algo hermoso a partir de eso”.

CDORE@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 9

hip-hop issue

» ANDRES GUERRA DIRECTOR OF VIDEO FOR THE HIP-HOP ISSUE, the Chronicle’s team of photojournalists documented Columbia

creatives who embody various aspects of hip-hop, expanding the Chronicle’s coverage beyond the page. Whether it be producing, rapping, DJing or teaching, there are many different ways that people in the Columbia community practice hip-hop.

You can watch the full videos and more on our YouTube channel.

» K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE

hip hop AGUERRA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM » PEYTON REICH MYCHAL MCINTYRE, A Chicago-

» K’VON JACKSON SOPHOMORE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY major Sadie Racky and junior music business major

Ayu Eini share their experiences in the DJ Club, where, as executive board members, they work on collaborative events and celebrations. Racky continues to use DJ Club as a way to connect with other female electronic art creatives and enthusiasts after transferring from Loyola University Chicago. As president of DJ Club, Eini hopes to create an experience for new and returning members of the club.

» PEYTON REICH/CHRONICLE

PREICH@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

SADIE RACKY, A SOPHMORE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY MAJOR, GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO A MEMEBER OF DJ CLUB ON THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 2023.

KJACKSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM » CHRISTALYN BARKER/CHRONICLE

based artist known as Mike DFG, is a sophomore music business major with a minor in marketing. McIntyre predominantly creates trap music but is well-versed in other genres as well. Currently working on his studio album, McIntyre is aspiring to leave a permanent impact – whether that’s more people listening or more acclaim – he’s hoping, “it hits on all facets.” McIntyre hopes to be authentic and for future generations of artists to be just as original because he knows that’s the only way to make it, especially as an upcoming artist.

MYCHAL MCINTYRE, A CHICAGO-BASED ARTIST KNOWN AS MIKE DFF, IS A SOPHOMORE AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO STUDYING MUSIC BUSINESS AND MINORING IN MARKETING. » CHRISTALYN BARKER BREANNA COOPER, A sophomore audio arts and acoustics

watch

here

with a minor in Hip-Hop Studies, discusses her personal work through song, poetry and hip-hop. Cooper speaks about her musical influences and her creative journey leading into her first poetry album, which she is currently working on. In mid-October, she performed at an event hosted by Hip-Hop Club, where she currently serves as the club’s secretary, as a solo artist for the first time.

10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

CBARKER@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

SOPHOMORE AUDIO ARTS AND ACOUSTICS MAJOR BREANNA COOPER POSES IN THE STUDENT CENTER ON TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 2023. COOPER CREATES MUSIC AND HAS A POETRY ALBUM IN THE WORKS.

hip-hop issue

in motion VIDEO ESSAYS

»LUKAS KATILIUS/CHRONICLE

»KAELAH SERRANO/CHRONICLE

BY THE CHRONICLE PHOTOJOURNALISTS

KATLYN BOYNES IS AN ARTIST FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. KNOWN AS BOYNESKI. THE ARTIST BLENDS AND EXPLORES GENRES RANGING FROM HIP-HOP, HOUSE MUSIC AND ALTERNATIVE ROCK. » KAELAH SERRANO KATLYN BOYNES, KNOWN as Boyneski, is a sophomore music business major

with a minor in marketing. An artist from the South Side of Chicago, Boyneski was inspired by her dad, who is a producer in the music industry. She released her debut album “Solar Eclipse” on Sept. 9. She also released her most recent single “Substance” on Nov. 8. Boyneski encourages other creatives in the music field to find their moment and just go for it by releasing their first song. When Boynes struggles during the music-making process, she says, “Be easy on yourself.”

KSERRANO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

JUNIOR AUDIO MAJOR JELIL MISSOURI PRODUCES A SONG IN HIS APARTMENT ON THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 2023. » LUKAS KATILIUS JUNIOR AUDIO MAJOR Jelil Missouri, also known as Jelildakidd, is a music producer

from Baltimore, Maryland. Music has been a huge part of Missouri’s life since he was in second grade, when started learning to play various instruments. Missouri continued his passion throughout high school, where he first started to delve into music production. Coming to Columbia, he has made several connections that he hopes will help his career once he graduates. “I don’t see myself doing anything other than music,” Missouri said. “I think that’s what I’m purely on this earth to do.”

LKATILIUS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» ADDISON ANNIS AMINA NORMAN-HAWKINS IS a music instructor at »ADDISON ANNIS/CHRONICLE

Columbia, in the Music Department. NormanHawkins teaches Hip-Hop: A Sonic History and African American Music Survey. She is one of the founding faculty members of Columbia’s Hip-Hop Studies minor and the college’s “ManiFresh” event.

Norman-Hawkins discusses the importance of youth, community, culture and the roles that they play in hiphop. Stressing the strong impact of hip-hop, NormanHawkins uses her passion to educate and inspire young creatives throughout Chicago.

AMINA NORMAN-HAWKINS IS A PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR IN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO. SHE TEACHES “HIP-HOP: A SONIC HISTORY” AND “AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC SURVEY.” SHE IS A FOUNDING FACULTY MEMBER OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE’S HIP-HOP STUDIES MINOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF “MANIFRESH” AND THE CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MONTH.

AANNIS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

11

arts & culture

Women rappers at Columbia take center stage

k yn

ONE MONTH AFTER starting at Columbia,

»ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE

Kennedy Person, also known as KYN, attended her first open mic at Millennium Park. A rapper and poet from the South Side of Chicago, Person has been performing ever since.

Person said she started writing in a diary in the fourth grade, which eventually transitioned into poetry.

“I was really shy so that was also my way of talking,” she said.

Person continued to write throughout high school as well.

“I finally took the opportunity at my school to enter a writing contest, which got me some free studio time,” Person said. “So I recorded my first song and that’s my first time in the studio and it

» ABRA RICHARDSON/CHRONICLE

» CIERRA LEMOTT SENIOR STAFF REPORTER » MAYA SWAN-SULLIVAN STAFF REPORTER

RAPPER, POET AND SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO NATIVE, KENNEDY PERSON, ALSO KNOWN AS KYN, POSES IN COLUMBIA’S STUDENT CENTER ON TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 2023. PERSON IS A SOPHOMORE STUDYING CREATIVE WRITING AND POETRY.

all just happened at once and I just ran with it.”

Person is currently a sophomore majoring in creative writing with a focus in poetry at Columbia.

When it comes to her music, most of Person’s inspiration comes from the New York sound.

“I just love the whole aesthetic, the sound, the vibe, the energy – it’s just that’s my alter ego at heart,” she said. “I really draw from them like Little Kim, Biggie, Wu-Tang – like they’re my top three. And then I also like some Chicago artists like Lil Durk, Tink and G Herbo.”

Person said she likes to prioritize lyrics first, which is why it was natural for her to major in writing.

“I want to make sure the lyrics are the main focus, regardless of the melody or the beat, like at heart, I’m a writer,” Person said.

Being a woman in the hip-hop community makes her an “underdog” sometimes, but Person said she doesn’t mind.

“I like it because it just feels like a challenge,” Person said. “Most times I’ll be quiet, and then once I perform and hit the stage, I have a whole ‘nother side.”

When it comes to her art, Person blocks out outside negativity as much as possible.

“I feel like either you have to be

12 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

over-sexualized or you have to fit into whatever their category is and how they define what your status should be like here, and I don’t really care to get into that,” she said.

Much like the hip-hop industry as a whole, Person feels the hip-hop scene at Columbia is dominated by men.

“I’ve really been trying and looking for other female artists on campus to connect with,” she said.

Person said being on stage is one of her safe spaces, making her feel confident and on top of the world.

“My music is just about me, like I can’t write from anybody else’s perspective – just mine. So it’s just really my own emotions. I just want somebody else to connect to that and understand where I’m coming from or how I feel because you never know who might relate to it or who might need to hear that.”

Person said she wants to remind other artists that it’s important to go at your own pace and limit outside voices that make you doubt yourself.

“I really feel like one thing I’m learning is just be patient with yourself because your story is your story and can’t nobody else dictate that or control you,” she said.

Person plans to release the current album she’s working on, titled “Lost Files,” in February of next year.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Las raperas mujeres están dejando su huella en el creciente mundo del hip-hop.

Especializada en escritura creativa con especialización en poesía, Kennedy Person, conocida por su nombre artístico KYN, se enfoca en el “sonido de Nueva York” y toma inspiración de sus artistas favoritos de hip-hop como Little Kim y Biggie.

Jaeya Bayani, estudiante de negocios musicales y estudios de hip-hop, ha crecido en torno a este género musical que forma parte importante de su vida.

Ella apoya a otras mujeres porque es una industria dominada por hombres y muchos de ellos minimizan a la mujer.

“Es muy fácil compararte con hombres que te critican constantemente y con hombres que critican constantemente a otras mujeres, y las critican por cosas por las que, si [ellos] lo hicieran, no las criticarán”, dijo Bayani.

Victoria “Vicky” Street basa su música en sus experiencias de su infancia en Chicago, así como en las influencias de su hermano mayor, quien le presentó a artistas como Tupac.

arts & culture

»ABRA RICHARDSON/CHRONICLE

jaeya ba yani

JAEYA BAYANI, A RAPPER AND POPPER, POSES IN COLUMBIA’S STUDENT CENTER ON TUESDAY, NOV. 14, 2023. BAYANI COMES FROM CALIFORNIA AND IS A SENIOR AT COLUMBIA STUDYING MUSIC BUSINESS AND HIP-HOP STUDIES.

RAISED AROUND BREAKDANCING culture,

going to cyphers and listening to artists like Too Short, E40 and Andre Nickatina, rapper and popper Jaeya Bayani from Fremont, California, has been around hip-hop since she can remember.

From clothing to music, Bayani was introduced to various elements of hiphop from a young age.

“I grew up going to a lot of poetry shows and especially a lot of queer Black and brown poetry,” Bayani said. “And so that was super cool, being exposed to that and learning how to be aware of my own identity and other people’s and learning how to deconstruct that harm through language and through poetry was really cool. I think that comes out a lot in my music.”

High school is when Bayani really found her connection to hip-hop, “which is when I got to see a lot of Filipino rappers,” she said. “That was kind of

»CIERRA LEMOTT/CHRONICLE

you and men constantly criticizing other women and putting them on blast for things that if they did, they wouldn’t be put on blast for.”

After Bayani graduates she plans on going to law school.

“My goal is to be an intellectual property and entertainment lawyer so I can finally stick up for people in the industry and make sure that we stop signing onto these terrible and shitty deals,” she said.

For Bayani, music is a way to connect people. “I really just love doing it, to put together events for the community and bring other people together.”

She hopes that her work will impact artists like her.

“It goes beyond just trying to advocate for myself as a queer artist, but also just trying to work with and manage and uplift other people that are too,” Bayani said.

vicki street VICTORIA “VICKI” STREET’S

VICKI STREET, A COLUMBIA ALUM AND RAPPER, POSES IN FRONT OF HER PORTRAIT PART OF THE “STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE” MURAL LOCATED AT 801 S. WABASH AVE. ON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15, 2023.

what got me more into Filipino American activism and just activism in general for Black and brown artists’ rights.”

Bayani is now a senior at Columbia majoring in music business with a minor in hip-hop studies.

Throughout Bayani’s time at Columbia, she has been guided by mentors like Amina Norman-Hawkins, a faculty member in the Music Department and Coolout Chris, a music producer in Chicago.

“They’re fantastic resources who have taught me so much about what it is to be a rapper and what it is to learn about the history and the connection of hip-hop culture to jazz and R&B and soul and African music as well,” she said. “I feel like I’ve always been a lifelong student of hip-hop from the Bay Area to here.”

Bayani said she is now mainly influenced by artists such as Ruby Ibarra and Rocky Rivera and the Pacifics, a Filipino hip-hop group from Chicago. She also draws inspiration from ‘90s R&B artists such as Brandy and Erkyah Badu.

“Hip-hop is always about community and hip-hop is always about being a student,” Bayani said.

In an industry that Bayani said has a lot of misogyny, she said it’s about being “able to pay attention to that and not letting it get in the way of trying to collaborate with other women and uplift other women because it’s so easy to compare yourself with men constantly being critical of

introduction to hip-hop came from her older brother at a young age.

“Tupac and Biggie were the first artists that I was introduced to, hip-hopwise,” Street said. “There are key people in your life that just introduce you to something and they spark that idea and then it is up to you to go from there. As I grew up, I created my own understanding of these songs and realized the actual cultural relevance and power of these songs.”

Street, known as the “Multimedia Maven,” is an artist from Chicago and a Columbia alum.

Graduating in 2016 as a

broadcast journalism major with a radio “I feel a strong type of way about the due minor, Street is not new to the multimedia diligence that is happening, or lack of, in or music space. hip-hop today. It is not our duty, per se, to Before she attended Columbia, she was save all of these people’s kids and teach also a part of True Star Media, a Chicagothem right from wrong, but you got to based, youth-run publication made to recognize your influence, especially as a provide media experience to underserved rapper,” Street said. youth across the city via programs As a woman in the hip-hop industry, including, but not limited to, radio, Street emphasizes the importance of journalism and video production. being able to be your true, authentic To Street, hip-hop is more than just a self when it comes to artistry without genre. allowing others to dictate what that looks “Hip-hop is a lifestyle. It’s something like. that you have to live,” Street said. “You “I like to not put myself in a box. My got to have a story. Hip-hop is like the personal sound is really just a reflection news. Hip-hop has always reflected what of my environment and how I was raised,” was going on in the times, and it’s crazy Street said. “As artists, we should be able because we live in crazy times right now.” to be fluid. I’m very free. I don’t really Hip-hop is an important genre and want to give myself a label or title when it part of our nation’s culture. Those in comes to this music thing.” these spaces have a job to do when it CLEMOTT@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM comes to influencing and impacting their MSWANSULLIVAN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM audiences, Street said.

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 13

arte y cultura

Sentrock: Detrás de la máscara y a vista de pájaro del hip-hop » CITLALLI MAGALI SOTELO REPORTERA BILINGÜE ORIGINARIO DE PHOENIX, Ariz. y más

conocido como Sentrock, Joseph Anthony Perez, 37, es un artista muralista radicado en Chicago, quien utiliza su trabajo para inspirar a su comunidad recordándoles que se mantengan libres y usen su creatividad para escapar de las realidades de la vida.

Cuando tenía 24 años, Perez decidió mudarse a Chicago y se matriculó en Columbia College Chicago para estudiar arte y diseño. Dos semestres después, se dio cuenta de que podía seguir sus pasiones y alcanzar sus metas sin obtener ese título universitario. Gracias a esa decisión, pudo extender sus alas para aprender a volar.

En sus murales y pinturas, Sentrock utiliza un elemento gráfico característico: una máscara representando a un pájaro rojo—se supone que es un cardenal, el cual a menudo coloca sobre la cara de un personaje latino. “Es casi como un alter ego. Sabes, cuando este personaje se pone la máscara de pájaro, es capaz de alcanzar nuevas alturas y descubrir nuevos límites y no estar atado a las circunstancias de su vida”, dijo.

Durante la mitad de su vida, el padre de Perez estuvo encarcelado. Debido a eso, para Pérez la búsqueda de libertad es una constante en su producción artística, y la máscara roja juega un papel importante

en la historia de fondo de su personaje.

Perez siente que la gente de Pilsen, donde su estudio está ubicado, aprecia su trabajo y eso lo hace sentir como en casa.

“Gran parte de mi trabajo es arte callejero, por lo que algo puede permanecer durante 10 años o, a veces, desaparece en unas pocas semanas. Tengo muchos murales favoritos, pero a veces simplemente ya no están aquí. Entonces, si hago algo, lo aprecio en el momento”.

El rapero Lupe Fiasco, radicado en Chicago, escribió una canción sobre Sentrock. ¿Su reacción inicial? “Dios mío, no hay forma de que escriba una canción entera sobre mí y mi arte”, expresó Pérez.

Cuando se reunieron en Los Ángeles para intercambiar ideas sobre cómo podrían colaborar, Pérez le dijo a Fiasco: “Sería chido si crearas una canción, casi como un estilo libre, y luego yo pinto algo sobre esa canción”. En cambio, Fiasco lo interpretó de diferente manera: “Voy a crear una canción sobre el trabajo de Sentrock, que es una locura”, dijo Perez. Ese proceso tomó más de un año.

Oscar Sotelo es un fanático de cultivar historias centradas en lo latino.

Recientemente, para celebrar el Día de los Muertos, organizó un evento comunitario con Sentrock en Diego, el nuevo bar y restaurante de West Town, del que Sotelo es copropietario. “Cada vez que aprecio como un pequeño negocio independiente de propiedad latina puede honrar un día festivo especial y crear un evento

completo para la comunidad, siempre es una bendición”, dijo Sotelo.

Sotelo conoció a Sentrock en su estudio durante una exposición y se sintió identificado con la historia del artista. “Resuena mucho en gente como yo personalmente. ¿Sabes que él creó este personaje de pájaro? Muchas de las ideas surgen en torno a la idea de libertad. Para personas como yo que crecimos en un barrio difícil, la libertad es sólo una idea que anhelas y admiras desde lejos”, dijo Sotelo.

Para el muralista, la música y la pintura comparten elementos en común. “El hip-hop significa lo mismo que quiero transmitir con mi arte. Simplemente tomar tu historia y compartirla de una manera creativa para que la gente pueda disfrutarla,” dijo Perez. “Puedes aprender a medida que avanzas y creas, y la gente gravita hacia ella y se inspira en eso...

Cuando escuchas una canción de hiphop, escuchas historias de dondequiera y te identificas con ello, esa expresión. Lo hermoso del hip-hop es que no necesitas un título”.

No hace mucho que Sara Cano, originaria de Iguala, Guerrero, México, se ha establecido en Chicago, y confiesa haberse enamorado del arte callejero de Sentrock. “He visto su arte en persona y en fotografías. Las calles de Pilsen tienen suerte de contar con piezas de este tipo de arte que expresan perfectamente cultura, historias, dedicación e inspiración”.

Pero, ¿qué cree Cano que tienen en común el hip-hop y Sentrock? “El hip-hop ha aportado color a la música durante 50 años, del mismo modo que el arte de Sentrock aporta color a las calles y a los lienzos, y no puedo esperar a ver lo que logrará en 50 años. ¡Soy fanática de las historias que se cuentan en la música y de las historias detrás de la máscara de pájaro!”

ENGLISH DIGEST

More popularly known as Sentrock, Joseph Anthony Perez, a muralist based in Chicago uses his work to inspire others to know that it’s best to stay free and use their creativity to escape from reality.

In his murals and paintings, Sentrock uses a distinct graphic element: a mask representing a red bird, which he often places over the face of a Latino character.

“He’s almost like an alter ego. You know, when this character puts on the bird mask, he is able to reach new heights and discover new limits and not be tied to the circumstances of his life,” he said. For the muralist, music and painting share common elements and feel a connection between both. “Hip-hop means the same thing that I want to convey with my art.

Just take your story and share it in a creative way so that people can enjoy it,” said Perez.

CSOTELO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

»ADDISON ANNIS/CHRONICLE

»ADDISON ANNIS/CHRONICLE

JOSEPH PEREZ, POSA A LADO DE SU MURAL “PARA LOS NIÑOS CON SUEÑOS” AFUERA DE SU ESTUDIO UBICADO EN 2059 W. 18TH ST. EN PILSEN EL 7 DE NOVIEMBRE. CREADO DURANTE EL MES DE LA HERENCIA LATINA, PEREZ DICE QUE EL MURAL LE LLEVÓ SÓLO UNA SEMANA TERMINARLO. 14 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

JOSEPH PEREZ EXPLICA UNA DE SUS OBRAS DE ARTE MÁS RECIENTES EN SENTROCK STUDIOS, SU ESTUDIO, EN PILSEN EL MARTES 7 DE NOVIEMBRE. NO SOLAMENTE UTILIZA PINTURA, TAMBIÉN UTILIZA PASTELES AL ÓLEO, PINTURA EN AEROSOL Y HERRAMIENTAS PARECIDAS A CRAYONES.

opinions

Column: Women rappers need a space to create without being criticized » VANESSA OROZCO COPY EDITOR

in the hip-hop scene but also other parts of her identity that have a community behind them.

Even if a woman doesn’t want her gender to be a big part of her image, it is hard for female artists to solely focus on the music and lyrics themselves. Societal barriers make it nearly impossible for women not to think about their identity as a woman.

Where there is a struggle, there is also a fight for space in the industry. Person says she feels like the “underdog” — but likes the challenge. Some women see this grave disparity and demand their voices be heard, such as Sylvia Robinson, who co-founded and was the former CEO of Sugar Hill Records, or teachers of the new wave of hip-hop like Amina Norman-Hawkins who is a founder of the Hip-Hop Studies minor here at Columbia.

Music is about self-expression and putting a restriction on that just because you are a woman can greatly affect not only women today but the impressionable youth. It is vital to inspire the next generation and teach that women belong in the hip-hop genre, was well as the music industry as a whole.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Ahora más que nunca, las mujeres se están estableciendo en cada aspecto de la industria del entretenimiento.

En la industria del hip hop, las raperas desafían y rompen los convencionalismos y limitaciones a paso seguro.

Las raperas—las establecidas y las que recién se inician—están afectadas por la sexualización a las que son objeto y a la exigente crítica. Raramente se ve que los hombres atraviesen por situaciones similares. Muy por el contrario: existen suficientes ejemplos de raperos que utilizan un lenguaje misógino para describir sus encuentros con mujeres.

Aunque una mujer artista desea que su género no sea lo más importante de su imagen, es difícil enfocarse solamente en la música debido a las barreras sociales que hacen casi imposible que una mujer deje de lado su identidad como tal.

En la música, lo más importante es la autoexpresión. Necesitamos inspirar a las generaciones futuras demostrando que las mujeres tienen su lugar en el género del hip hop.

VOROZCO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

»RUBY HENSON/CHRONICLE

KENNEDY PERSON, ALSO known by her rap name KYN, feels like there can be two lanes of over-sexualization or pressure to be categorized. This criticism goes deep into gender roles that women held in the past and how women are viewed in society today.

These two paths can be concreted by the fact that there are not many women to look up to as an example. According to a survey on gender distribution, women only take up 13.4% of popular songs in the hip-hop genre. Not only that, but there is not much information for upand-coming female artists to connect.

Although not specific to music artists, Columbia does have a Coalition of Female Creators, where students of all disciplines can connect. The Coalition of Female Creators supports and brings together female-identifying students who want to share their work, need help with their work or just want to network.

Criticism affects female artists from small up-and-coming artists to the biggest stars. One specific pop culture moment that met controversy was the song “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. They flipped the script when

tackling the topic of over-sexualization and spoke about women’s sexuality.

Overcoming over-sexualization by men, they were still criticized for their vulgarity.

Rarely do men find themselves at this crossroads in the hip-hop industry.

There are countless examples of men objectifying and using misogynistic language to describe their encounters with women.

Jaeya Bayani, a Columbia rapper and popper spoke about this double standard.

“It’s so easy to compare yourself with men constantly being critical of you and men constantly criticizing other women and putting them on blast for things that if they did, they wouldn’t be put on blast for.”

So determined to fit women in a box, whatever action a woman takes in her rap/hip-hop career, the industry is determined to undermine her and her music. Like if a woman dresses “too masculine” because she does not want to be hyper-sexualized or if she embraces her femininity and sexuality she is seen as a “sellout” or countless other awful names labeled on women.

There is also the lens of intersectionality that women want to advocate for, like Bayani, who is a queer Filipina rapper. She got involved in fighting for not only women

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 15

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Graffiti art moves beyond hip-hop origins as artists embrace their own styles, culture synonymous with album covers, anything that expressed this grouping of different elements,” Garrett Jr. said. “People THE 1983 FILM, “Wild Style,” regarded as would see a flyer with a certain lettering the first hip-hop motion picture, was also style and covers with hip-hop or graffiti a first for graffiti art, introducing street lettering or murals on the background art to a mass audience. and it communicated what type of music Even though graffiti art has expanded was inside without people even needing beyond hip-hop, its roots are undeniable, to read it.” said James Garrett Jr., a Minnesota In the decades since, Chicago, like architect and fellow of the American many cities, went after graffiti in public Institute of Architects. spaces.

The film “took what was going on in Led by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, New York, and contextualized it to bring it the city banned the retail sale of spray to a much larger global audience,” Garrett paint and large markers in 1992 to Jr. said. attempt to stop the artists. To this day, Graffiti first appeared on walls, and you can’t buy spray paint within the later on trains, which became mobile art city limits. Street art is illegal on public galleries and a means of communicating property without permission, which between differing city areas such as is why some artists ask that their real Brooklyn and the Bronx. In Los Angeles, names not be used. it was used to mark neighborhood But the crusade against them has not boundaries. In Chicago, graffiti artists stopped the artists, and many are now used the CTA trains as a canvas. commissioned to do work.

As time progressed, DJ’s and MC’s Stephanie Garland, whose artist hosted events, invited graffiti writers to name is Stef Skills, met a graffiti writer create the backdrops, and these events who introduced her to the art form after were promoted with flyers and word of hearing Public Enemy and promoting mouth. hip-hop events in Chicago. Graffiti “This urban calligraphy became writers typically tag their signature and have a principal style whereas graffiti artists experiment with various forms.

Garland learned she could be passionate about graffiti without the necessity of permission.

“That was more of a direct application as an element that I took to naturally,” Garland said. “You don’t need a $10,000 ARTIST ELIZABETH REYES HAS HER BIGGEST PIECE ON THE CORNER home studio to OF W. 26TH STREET & SOUTH LAWNDALE AVENUE AT THE HUEVO LEON participate in graffiti RESTAURANT. THE MURAL IS TITLED “CELEBRANDO COMUNIDAD” AND HONORS THE DAY OF THE DEAD. art.”

16 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

» PEYTON REICH/CHRONICLE

» PEYTON REICH/CHRONICLE

» URIEL REYES STAFF REPORTER

STEPHANIE GARLAND HAS AN ART PIECE TITLED “FIGHT THE POWER” ON COMMERCIAL AVENUE & 93RD STREET. THE PIECE IS ON A VIADUCT SURROUNDED BY MANY OTHER WORKS OF GRAFFITI ART.

Garland’s style includes female empowerment imagery and botanics inspired by Costa Rican ox carts.

“What I try to portray through my art when I paint female figures is a way of empowering women so that they are empowered for themselves and not really empowered or behaving in a way that is for someone else’s expectations,” Garland said.

A graffiti writer named BboyB — who asked that his full name not be used — from the Logan Square neighborhood, began creating graffiti work after being inspired by those he saw on his trip to New York City in the 1980s. The variation of colors and lettering style caught his eye.

“My first impression was that graffiti was big and colorful,” BboyB said. As time progressed his artworks would have “a little bit of undertone of a message,” and later on produced works such as political walls.

Some of his more personal artworks include characters called Dead Eyes, which have one regular eye and the other marked with an x.

“Mexican culture has a lot of life cycles

in its culture. They believe that death is part of life,” BboyB said. “One dead eye and the other eye’s regular, half in the living world and half in a death world.”

Elizabeth Reyes, who also goes by Bel, got into the art form after being in various graffiti-related groups and classes mainly around the Pilsen area. She was also inspired by her brother, who worked with graffiti before passing away at a young age.

“I started spilling graffiti as it was like a motivation to keep my brother’s legacy alive through graffiti,” Reyes said.

Some of her work ranges from graffiti to Day of the Dead inspired imagery such as sugar skulls and seasonal flowers.

“Most of the time my pieces are telling a story whether it’s of a loved one or friends or a soul that have passed away,” Reyes said. “Even stories of friends that I’ve heard, and that touched me in some way.

It inspires me to produce that in the Day of the Dead concept of a painting.”

Being an artist is not easy, Reyes said.

“It’s definitely a hustle, but a fun hustle when you love what

metro you’re doing,” Reyes said.

“Sometimes I feel like we have ideas, but question them a lot and because we don’t see them, we don’t do them.”

Those are the best ideas, she said. “If you got an idea and are afraid somebody’s not gonna like it, more than

likely it’s going to be more original than you think,” Reyes said. “Pushing the limit is always going to be something that we should strive for as artists.”

Garrett Jr. said one of the reasons graffiti artists today reject the link to its hip-hop origins is because they want to be independent.

“I think there’s a natural disposition that there’s graffiti writers that don’t want

to be associated with anything,” Garrett Jr. said.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

El graffiti se encuentra vinculado con el hip hop. Originalmente, los graffitis aparecieron en las paredes de las calles de Nueva York y posteriormente en trenes, convirtiéndose en galerías de arte móviles y a la vez, en un medio de comunicación

entre diferentes áreas en la ciudad como Brooklyn y el Bronx. En Los Ángeles se usaban para marcar los límites entre los barrios. En Chicago, los artistas de graffiti utilizaban los trenes de la CTA como lienzo.

UREYES@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

ChiBrations media platform promotes Chicago artists CHIBRATIONS, AN ARTIST-LED media

platform, started in 2017 as a way to bring underrepresented artists forward in the Chicago music scene.

“This has been a passion project,” said Sam Thousand, musician and founder of ChiBrations. “There’s not much money at all that’s been made over these last three years to do this. It’s just out of love and wanting to create platforms for the artists. Ironically, ChiBrations was put in place to be a voice for artists other than hip-hop artists because at the time it was all that people talked about when it came to Chicago music.”

For the first two years of ChiBrations, primarily soul and R&B artists and their bands recorded their music and had videos produced and released on YouTube by the platform every month, promoting about eight to 10 artists a year.

In addition to promoting artists, ChiBrations was also created as a way to bring people together.

“There’s a lot of despair,” Thousand said. “There’s a lot of issues that my community is dealing with. Black musicians, artists, performing artists in general…I feel like there needs to be more creation together.”

Thousand graduated from Columbia in 2013 and majored in jazz studies. Two months into his first year of school, he joined Sidewalk Chalk, a jazz, soul and hip-hop band whose members at the time were all also students at the college.

“I think my greatest asset from going to Columbia is my community,” Thousand said. “Every encounter there was so right and so potent.”

After graduating from college, Thousand taught music at a high school in Chicago. He ended up quitting a year later to be in Sidewalk Chalk full-time. The band toured independently for five years at various Chicago venues and opened for Hiatus Kaiyote when they did their first

show in Chicago at Double Door.

Teaching is something Thousand sees himself picking back up in the future.

“I want to be known as someone who could give knowledge and offer advice and help future generations,” he said.

Since being a student himself, Thousand said “hip-hop has changed in a way where anything goes…there will always be a space for individual expression in a way that hip-hop allows it and affirms it.”

Early in the fall, ChiBrations helped put together an event at the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. This included an art exhibit, a panel of women hip-hop artists, a live DJ and other presenters and performers.

“Hip-hop is fine art, I’ve always considered it to be that,” said local writer, artist and educator known as Psalm One, who led the panel discussion at the event.

Psalm One, her artist and pen name, said she’s watched hip-hop go through many stages, and when she was growing up, embracing hip-hop meant absorbing it into every part of life.

“There were a couple of breakdancers breaking in the museum,” she said. “That was one of the best parts for me, because this is something I never thought I’d see... You know what I mean, growing up, we used to get kicked out of places for breakdancing... and then having a panel full of women rappers? That’s powerful stuff.”

Asha Omega, a local musician who was also on the ChiBrations panel, views hip-hop as a tool for storytelling and expression.

“To me, hip-hop means using your words, and using intention, to tell your story, or tell a story,” Omega said. “Telling your truth and speaking your truth about what’s going on, not just with you, but in the community around you, what you’re seeing in the world and using your voice as a tool to uplift yourself and the people around you.”

Thousand said hip-hop ties into all different types of performance art, and

»ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE

» CIERRA LEMOTT SENIOR STAFF REPORTER » MAYA SWAN-SULLIVAN STAFF REPORTER

the goal of ChiBrations is to bring those forms together.

In terms of the beginning hip-hop itself Thousand said, “it affirmed and validated the personal story and I feel that it really affirmed this idea of the collective voice and the individual voice.”

Thousand continues to bring ChiBrations beyond just soul music and plans to move it beyond music in general.

His goal is to think about how he can bring all performance art–comedy, theater, poetry, storytelling, burlesque–together.

“What I love about engaging art forms is that you’re creating moments in real time and that is the magic that people are seeing, that is the art that people are reveling in and are wowed by,” he said “What’s important for us is for us to not find out what the city can do for us, it’s what we can do for ourselves,” Thousand said. “How can we bring our strengths together? How can we centralize first and then explore and discover our strengths?

And use that collective power to solve our own problems.”

de medios, dirigida por artistas, que se dedica a promover el avance de las carreras de los artistas subrepresentados en la escena musical de Chicago.

Durante los primeros dos años la plataforma promovió artistas de soul y R&B. Como promedio, cada año se promovían a 10 artistas.

A principios de otoño, Chibrations ayudó a organizar un evento en celebración del 50 aniversario de hip hop en el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. El evento incluyó una exposición de arte, un poeta, un comediante, un panel de mujeres artistas de hip hop y un DJ. Para Thousand, su meta es lograr unir a los diferentes medios de arte.

“Comedia, teatro, teatro musical, poesía, burlesco—toda actuación artística. Lo que a mí me encanta de participar en cada forma artística es que estás creando momentos en tiempo real”, dijo. “Esa es la magia que la gente ve; ese es el arte con el que la gente se deleita y queda cautivada”.

CLEMOTT@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM MSWANSULLIVAN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Fundada por Sam Thousand en el 2017, ChiBrations es una plataforma NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 17

»CHRISTALYN BARKER/CHRONICLE

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The Hip Hop Heritage Museum represents hip-hop as a lifestyle, not just a genre DANTA’ “STYLESRAW” WILLIAMS AND DARRELL “ARTISTIC” ROBERTS WALK GUESTS THROUGH PHOTOS TAKEN BY PHOTOGRAPHER RAYMOND BOYD IN THE CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MUSEUM AT 4505 S. INDIANA ON NOV. 4, 2023. » ALLISON SHELTON » SYDNEY RICHARDSON STAFF REPORTERS WHEN IT COMES to the Chicago Hip Hop

Heritage Museum, “heritage” is the most important word out of the name, according to Rico “Kingdom” Sanders, Columbia alum and co-founder of the museum.

“And so to that heritage, we look at the fact that hip-hop was supposed to be a fad… and we knew that it was going to be here to stay,” he said.

In January 2021, the building located at 4505 S. Indiana Ave., was used for Bronzeville Podcast Studio by Sanders, Darrel “Artistic” Roberts and fellow Columbia alum Brian Gorman. As the Chicago Hip Hop Heritage month came around the corner in July, Sanders, Roberts and Gorman wanted to use the space to commemorate it.

The three founders hosted a monthlong pop-up exhibit of their collections of hip-hop memorabilia in July 2021, but continued until the end of the year

because, “the response was so beautiful,” Sanders said.

Sanders, Roberts and Gorman decided to permanently establish the Hip Hop Heritage Museum, after seeing the success of the pop-up.

“We’ve been working to turn it into an official museum ever since,” Sanders said.

“And so we’re the ABC’s of Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum.”

The museum is simple on the outside and has a sign displaying the museum’s logo in the transom window above the front door. Inside, the museum exhibits decades of hip-hop history through photos, posters, newspaper clippings and more.

Amina Norman-Hawkins, a part-time instructor in the Music Department, has had a connection to the founders for quite a while – she and the founders have been hip-hop artists and organizers for more than 30 years.

“In many ways the museum is an extension of the Chi Hip Hop Month, making local Chicago hip-hop history available and accessible all year long,”

18 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 27, 2023

she said.

While hip-hop is thought to have been created 50 years ago in New York City, the museum recognizes hip-hop’s roots that were already alive in Chicago.

“Here in Chicago, we believe all that they tried to coin as hip-hop was already being done all over the world,” Sanders said.

Hip-hop culture was originally created to influence communities with forms of nonviolent and artistic expression. Sanders described hip-hop as “the first organic ‘stop the violence’ mechanism, because that’s what it was created to do… to stop physical combat and found the artful way to do it.”

Hip-hop elements like DJing, breakdancing and graffiti were seen as an alternative to gang violence.

“Hip-hop is all about bringing people together. In fact, the culture was created explicitly for that purpose: to bring kids together around the principles of love, peace, unity and having fun,” NormanHawkins said.

Every year the museum closes

from April 30 to July 1 to rotate and reorganize the historic displays. For the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the founders organized the rooms in the two-story building by decade, honoring Chicago hip-hop history from the 1970s to present.

The first floor represents the 1970s to 1990s while the second floor serves the 2000s and current-day influences.

Displayed on the walls are framed posters and concert tickets from past performances. Along the timeline, there are captioned photos explaining the history of prominent venues and artists.

Following a muraled stairway is a memorial wall on the second floor of the house. The wall is covered with pictures honoring deceased figures in Chicago hip-hop culture.

“When you talk about hip-hop and its heritage, you have to remember the people that were there in the beginning,” Sanders said. “We try not to forget the people that made all this possible for these guys,” referring to prominent Chicago artists like

metro »PHOTOS BY CHRISTALYN BARKER/CHRONICLE

LOGO OF THE CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MUSEUM.

THE STAIRCASE WALL IS LINED WITH GRAFFITI ART BY OG MAD TOK IN THE CHICAGO HIP HOP MUSEUM ON NOV. 4, 2023. HIP-HOP RANGES OUTSIDE OF JUST MUSIC, INCLUDING GRAFFITI ART, STREETWEAR, DANCING STYLES AND OTHER NICHES.

MEMORIAL WALL WITH PORTRAITS, MEMORABILIA OR OTHER PHOTOS OF LATE HIP-HOP FIGURES HANG ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MUSEUM ON AT 4505 S. INDIANA ON NOV. 4, 2023.

Common, Twista, Chance the Rapper and Lupe Fiasco.

“There’s no future without a past, so we are grateful to have a space like the museum to preserve, educate and create a space to celebrate the rich culture of Chicago hip-hop,” said Chris Hawkins, another co-founder of Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Month.

The museum represents those who were involved in the evolution of hiphop as “a tree with a bunch of branches,” according to Sanders.

“A lot of us branches are connected to each other, and all of us make each other better,” he said.

RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL

Cuando nos referimos al Museo de la Herencia de Hip Hop de Chicago, “Herencia” es la palabra más importante del nombre, según Rico “Kingdom” Sanders, alumno de Columbia y cofundador del museo. En enero del 2021, el edificio ubicado en 4505 S. Indiana Ave., fue utilizado como estudio de podcasts de Bronzeville por Sanders,

PASSES, INCLUDING SOME FOR COLUMBIA COLLEGE-HELD EVENTS, HANG IN A GLASS DISPLAY CASE INSIDE THE CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MUSEUM ON NOV. 4, 2023.

Darrel “Artistic” Roberts y su compañero de Columbia Brian Gorman. Mientras el mes de la Herencia de Hip-Hop se acercaba en julio, Sanders, Roberts y Gorman quisieron usar el espacio para celebrar este género musical.

Tras el éxito obtenido como ventana emergente que tuvo un mes de duración, Sanders, Roberts y Gorman decidieron establecer permanentemente el museo del hip-hop.

El local, de sencilla apariencia externa, presenta un letrero con el logotipo del museo en la ventana sobre la puerta principal. En el interior, hay una exhibición que documenta décadas de historia del hip-hop a través de fotografías, carteles, recortes de periódicos y otros elementos.

ASHELTON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM SRICHARDSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM HIP HOP MUSEUM CO-FOUNDER AND COLUMBIA COLLEGE ALUM RICO “KINGDOM ROCK” SANDERS SR. WAS HONORED WITH THE FIRST CHICAGO HIP HOP MORAL COMPASS AWARD.

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 19

»ALEX SUAREZ/CHRONICLE