Hip Hop you don't stop

Rhe first IU Hip Hop Congress Elements Gallery was organized and funded solely by the organization’s chapter head. Nowadays, current president Tim Zawada said the Elements Gallery and the IU Hip Hop Congress are progressing with more members, community involvement and events.
Zawada said the congress also collaborates with other campus organizations such as WIUX to co-sponsor events, including this week’s Hip Hop Awareness Festival.
WIUX Music Director George Drake told WEEKEND the Hip Hop Congress is a valuable campus organization because of its uniqueness in providing an outlet for hip-hop-related activities.
“There are other radio stations in Bloomington, even if we are the only student-run one, but there is no other Hip Hop Congress,” Drake said.
He said the Hip Hop Congress is the front-runner of hip-hop at IU, and that the genre has recently become more of a constant at IU because of the congress’ presence.
In the spirit of the festival, the Hip Hop Congress will host its 8th Annual Hip Hop Elements Gallery at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in Foster Gresham’s Hoosier Den. The festival and Elements Gallery are entirely free to the public. The four elements that will be showcased at the event are MCing, DJing, graffiti and break-dance.
“The event is supposed to be a tribute to the original parties that laid the foundation for the hip-hop culture in the Bronx during the mid-to-late 1970s,” Hip Hop Congress President Tim Zawada said. “Back then, there would be a DJ spinning, an MC on the mic, and kids breaking and writing graffiti.”
The event starts at 7 p.m., but Zawada said there is no time breakdown for the various performances and battles. This is because the four elements will be blended together throughout the night to present each one equally.
WEEKEND has provided the highlights of the Elements Gallery, as well as ways to get more involved with the IU hip-hop community.

Performances
Illogic
According to allmusic.com, the MC Illogic “almost single-handedly put Ohio on the map in the world of hip-hop.”
Remixmag.com has noted him as an “indie hip hop staple” and said he possesses “beautiful writing with unsettling music.”

Twilight Sentinels
According to its Myspace page, Indianapolis’ Twilight Sentinels is reminiscent of the “golden era” of hip-hop, a “refreshing departure from the keyboard sonics and synthetic drums of today’s hip-hop.”
Sentinels member DJ Alan “Topspeed” Roberts performs often in the group’s hometown of Indianapolis, including at nightclubs Spin and Casba. One of its two MCs, Joe Harvey, told WEEKEND he hopes events such as the Elements Gallery will help hip-hop receive the respect it deserves. He believes the genre as a whole perpetuates unprecedented negative publicity. He said he could not speak for everywhere, but that this is the case for Indianapolis.
Career-wise, Harvey hopes to continue making a living doing what he loves while being able to support his family.
“I know that may sound cliche, but we still feel that way after all these years,” he said.

Battles
Emcee Battle, $300 prize
Any individual who can freestyle can participate in this battle. A DJ will begin spinning, after which the MC has 30 seconds to conquer their opponent.
“It’s kind of like a 30-second ‘yo mama’ joke except more creative and talented,” Zawada said.

B-boy battle, $200 prize
Depending on how many “b-boys” or “b-girls” attend, the battle will either be 1-on-1 or 2-on-2, Zawada said. Officers of IU’s Breakdance Club will be judging the battle.
To sign up for the battles, one must register at the door of the event or RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

Graffiti
Several graffiti artists, including Bloomington’s own Jet One and the artist Ulser, will be showcasing and selling their work.

Hip-Hopcracy
The IU Hip Hop Congress is a university chapter of the nonprofit national organization Hip Hop Congress.
According to its Web site, the national Hip Hop Congress’s mission is “to use the culture of Hip Hop to inspire young people to get involved in social action, civic service and cultural creativity.”
The IU chapter hopes to involve members with events and the community.
“You don’t have to be very interested in hip-hop music to be in HHC, but the culture of hip-hop is something a lot of people can relate to, and we use that as our bridge.” Zawada said.
Zawada also noted that he stresses the term “congress” because it means each member has the right to vote and to their opinion in regard to planned events. No matter what a member’s rank is, they can organize an event.
“You can do whatever you please, and if it coincides with our overall goal, we will back it,” he concluded.
The Hip Hop Congress holds meetings at 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday in Kelley School of Business Room 327.