In the Marley Marl-produced “Hip-Hop Lives,” renowned intellectual emcee KRS-One raps, “Hip and Hop is more than music / Hip is the knowledge / Hop is the movement.”

With that in mind, the knowledge of hip-hop is alive and well at NIU, and the movement doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

On Thursday night, the basement of the Lincoln AB wing was the place to be, as the NIU chapter of Hip Hop Congress hosted “Hip-Hop @ The Dorms," an event held to showcase the talent of local hip-hop enthusiasts and promote networking and love for hip-hop culture.

The session kicked off at 7:30 p.m. and wrapped up about 11. Time flew, though, as the entertainment remained at a maximum level throughout the night. The basement was a B-Boy’s paradise, filled with people from the DeKalb area and beyond. They breakdanced, DJ-ed, “ciphered” (freestyle rapping) and engaged in conversations of all things hip-hop (“knowledge spitting”).

Among the guests was DJ Franco DeLeon, who showcased his amazing talent by performing a live break. He produced music, mixed it as he played it and even managed to incorporate a little live guitar into his set. It was breathtaking work that can’t be found just anywhere else.

The highlight of the night came when the entire crowd formed a giant circle in which individuals flexed their breaking skills, sometimes calling one another out to the floor to battle. From windmills to back flips and moonwalks, the atmosphere was like static electricity, as the reaction from the crowd was frequent with awe-inspired outbursts.

Several smaller circles of emcees formed off and on, breaking out into spontaneous ciphers. Anyone who wanted to get a rhyme in did, and when the music wasn’t playing, there was always somebody there to beat–box as backup.
Overall, the night was one of excellence and progressiveness. The moves were smooth, the flows were incredible and the music was righteous.

Hip-hop isn’t dead. It just lives at NIU.

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