UCLA rap club a platform for students to engage in the genre

Lines of rhymes and beats from a Roland 808 drum machine blast out from an unlikely place: a residence hall lounge. Fast freestyles and fast flow are all part of the meetings held by UCLA’s Rap Music Club.

“The rap club is where I let myself go and let some of my emotions out,” said Rafael Gutierrez, a second-year aerospace engineering student and vice president of the Rap Music Club.

The club meets every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Sproul Hall fifth floor north lounge. Each week, seven to 12 people meet to discuss and listen to rap, as well as participate in freestyle rap. The club serves as a platform for the appreciation of a popular music genre and also provides a chance for students with minimal rap experience to learn a new art form and understand the related culture.

“For people who are a little bit intimidated by rap culture, the rap club is a good way to break stereotypes and get your feet wet,” said Adam Provinchain, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student and member of the club.

Jordan Abel, a second-year bioengineering student and president of the club, plans activities for members of all experience levels to participate in. Some meetings involve simple rhyme games in which each member of the group delivers a sentence or verse depending on the rhyme scheme.

The organization also frequently engages in freestyle sessions. Members create spontaneous rap verses against instrumental beats.

“My favorite part of the meetings is when we freestyle, because it’s funny. You’re not really expecting to say anything, but funny things just come out of your mouth. It’s entertaining,” said Andrew Tang, a first-year music student.

While not all members participate in the freestyle sessions, Abel said he wants the club to be an environment in which all members can get away from school and unwind.

“The club is geared to be an opportunity to just chill for a certain part of the week,” Abel said.

The club was first formed in January 2013 when the former club president realized that there was no rap club on campus. While it enjoyed a period of moderate activity, the club eventually entered a hiatus when members dwindled. Now that he has revived the club, Abel said he hopes to focus on the atmosphere.

“One thing I was thinking about when I restarted this club was that I needed to make it a really nice environment and a great time for anyone who went,” Abel said.

Abel said the group mainly attracts rap and hip-hop enthusiasts, but is also open to students with little experience with the genres. Currently, the membership is a blend of inexperienced and experienced rappers alike, and members with different interests.

Abel also said he wants students to know that the club’s doors are always open – during a meeting, a student that happened to be in the lounge walked up to the club and started beatboxing.

Another member, Stephen Ngao or “Zinj,” produces music and creates beats. Gutierrez said he is interested in creating a studio environment for the club.

“I feel like the club has a lot of potential, especially since (Ngao) showed up,” Gutierrez said.

Meanwhile, Abel said he is dreaming big. He ultimately hopes that the club will swell to around 35 dedicated members. However, he leaves the direction of the club up to its members to determine. Abel said he constantly asks members for suggestions, which help him formulate his plans for the rap club. Gutierrez, who manages the club’s publicity aspect, said he plans to organize more events and trips to view local rap concerts.

Even as the club expands and adds more events to its schedule, it will remain a platform that connects members through their appreciation of rap as an art form.

“Being exposed to other people’s art forces you to rethink your own,” Provinchain said.