Editor’s note: Audio clips in this story contain some
expletive lyrics.
Six-foot-two with freckles and reddish hair, Patrick Williams is
not your typical MC. Neither is his friend, dreadlocked Jessica
Amisial, a spoken word performer and poet.
And neither were most of the other MCs who took the stage in
Ackerman Grand Ballroom on Wednesday night as part of the
freestyle-battle segment of the Student Committee for the
Arts’ Mic Club.
The event showcased several young performers from the local
hip-hop community ““ some from UCLA, and some not. Some good,
and some not.
Backed by a four-piece band and flashing lights, about 14 MCs
“touched fists” ““ in the words of D.R.E.S. tha
Beatnik, who hosted the battle ““ and then tried to beat their
opponents “by any verbal means necessary.”
The MCs had 30 seconds with the microphone to say whatever they
wanted, but D.R.E.S. ensured the crowd pre-written rhymes would not
be tolerated. The winner of the battle was decided afterward by a
“soundmeter,” which measured the volume of the
crowd’s reaction.
The audience, though only about 120 people, freely let fly their
yells, screams and boos. And on stage, the MCs could feel the
energy.
For MC Murdah
Big Drawz ““ whose real name is Carmella Scott ““ who
made it to the second round, playing to the audience was
important.
“You just gotta get the crowd. Otherwise you’re not
going to win,” she said.
Unlike some battles, this one was not decided by judges.
Big Drawz, who participates frequently in battles in the L.A.
area, said she loved the atmosphere on a college campus.
“It’s all fun. It’s all love,” she said.
“It’s just students unwinding after a long day of
class.”
One MC, wearing glasses and argyle and going by the name
“Mr. Belvedere,” looked as if he really did just come
from class. His freestyle against his friend Shogun, fourth-year
political science and Spanish student Berna Kamyar, even mentioned
having a 4.0 GPA.
The Mic Club event was Kamyar’s first battle, and he said
he was not used to rapping with a microphone because he only
freestyles occasionally with friends. But he was happy with the
turnout.
“The people here are all different, but we’re all
united by hip-hop. It’s powerful,” he said.
Another MC was JaeQuest, whose real name is Jaeson Ma. Also
different from the typical MC stereotype popularized by rapper
Eminem in the movie “8 Mile,” Ma is the pastor for
UCLA’s Passion Church.
Though he had not rapped since high school seven years ago, Ma
drew on his day job for the night’s activity. In response to
a particularly angry line by opponent No Can Do, he responded with,
“God bless.”
Ma said the most important aspect about freestyle rapping is to
not take the insults on stage seriously. People should instead see
it as a way to “challenge creativity.”
“You gotta come up with responses, punch lines and witty
words,” Ma said. “It’s all working at the same
time ““ your mouth, your body, the whole
atmosphere.”
Jean-Pierre Giaguoli, also known as MC Pierre, was a student at
Cerritos College and said it was nice seeing people come out to
support the music.
“I don’t see that much bad blood here,” he
said. “At other battles there might be a lot of hate and
racism, but here it’s people from all over.”
The only thing he said could have been better was the size of
the crowd.
“There should have been more publicity for the event. You
have to get the message out more,” he said.