If Marquis Woolford's choice of apparel is any indication of the objectives of the Hip Hop SA, UB can be prepared to get an ear and eyeful from the HHSA this year.
A button on his shirt states, "I am the future of America - be afraid, be very afraid." According to Woolford, the president of the HHSA, the "Know your roots" printed bolded across his t-shirt can speak for his organization.
"'Know your roots' - that's what Hip Hop is about," he said. "Knowing your roots as a people and as a person, that's what life is about, if you don't know where you've been you can't know where you're going."
According to Woolford, "roots" is not specific to any ethnicity, and that all are welcome in the organization.
" The biggest thing about hip hop is diversity," he said. "It's a culmination of all the music that existed before it, there are elements of all music in Hip Hop. I see Hip Hop as something everyone should be comfortable with."
While highlighting diversity is a major objective of the HHSA, along with creating a forum for those with an affinity for the genre of music called Hip Hop, members of the organization say the HHSA represents more than what most people think at the first mention of it.
"It's the most diverse club on campus in more ways than one," said Jamil Crews, a senior majoring in music business and African American studies and former president of HHSA. "It's not just about Hip Hop in the commercial sense with the 'bling-bling.' It speaks about a lot of issues that concern not just minorities but people in general."
"People get the best of both worlds," Crews added. "We do a lot to give back to the community and things to uplift UB's community, and at the same time there are a lot of fun things to do as well."
According to Woolford, HHSA has been effective in its efforts to be a positive influence in UB and in Buffalo, such as working with New York Public Interest Research Group to enhance voter registration.
The HHSA, along with the Black Student Union, Educational Opportunity Program Student Association, Latin American Student Association, Poder: Latinos Unidos and members of some Greek organizations organized a march against the tuition hike last semester.
"We walked from North campus to ECC," Woolford said. "It was 16 degrees and I had glass in my shoe ... but it was all towards raising student awareness."
Woolford spent some of his summer vacation promoting and representing the HHSA at a three-day conference at the Jobs for Justice Annual meeting of the Coalition of Economic Justice on June 19-22.
"There were speakers from all over the world," said Woolford. "We kept Hip Hop SA going strong over the summer and we hope to keep the momentum."
While the HHSA boasts a host of philanthropic and community service efforts, members say that is only a part of what the organization is about. Woolford summed up the group's dual missions by saying, "There's a time for work and there is a time for play."
And they do play, as observers of their first meeting of the semester on Thursday saw.
Woolford walked into the flag room on the second floor of the Student Union, and with him came the music. About ten people sat leisurely in the room as a radio blasted a popular rap song. The music played, as preliminary announcements were made about upcoming events. These included an upcoming political debate where The College Republicans and members of the HHSA, called Hip Hop interpreters, will hold a forum to discuss issues in politics.
"Marquis confronted me about it, (he) and I got together and collaborated and realized that it would definitely be something different," said Matthew Pelkey, a sophomore political science, international relations and international business major and a member of the College Republicans. "Incorporating the hip-hop aspect will make it informal but formal at the same time. I definitely think the students will take to it."
A major SA sponsored free-style "battle," where UB's emcee's will face off against each other in hopes of winning cash prizes, is also in the works.
Free-styling, a huge part of the HHSA meeting, takes many forms as members in the meeting rap to a hip-hop instrumental playing on the radio, then without music, then to the smooth tunes of a guitar.
When Devan DeCicco, a sophomore English major, started strumming a soft melody on his guitar during the meeting, other members took the microphone and let clever lyrics flow in soft conversational tones - and a number of people in the Student Union were drawn into the flag room to listen and look.
What they see is DeCicco, a blond and somewhat alternatively dressed man, strumming his guitar to the free-styling of young men who look and sound like they can be the next big stars of hip hop.
Woolford said the unique combination is what HHSA aims to accomplish - bringing diversity and love of music together.
"I met (Woolford) about a year ago, he was very enthusiastic about (HHSA) and told me to come by and check it out and I did," said DeCicco. "One day we were hanging out and I was playing guitar and he started free-styling to it, and he said 'why don't you come play at a meeting?'"
Representatives from other student organizations were also present at the meeting.
"We try to stick together and support other minority groups on campus," said Maryann Fraser, BSU treasurer. "I actually don't listen to much hip-hop music but (HHSA) makes you think about other issues."
Dela Yador, a junior communications major and a member of the Student Association sat in on the meeting.
"I'm here to show support to the HHSA and to let them know that SA is here for all the clubs, to help make their clubs better, and to give them the resources they need," he said.
The Hip Hop SA is planning to make a lot of noise this semester, and according to Woolford it will be a noise that can be appreciated by everyone.
"We keep it ghetto," he said as he sat next to DeCicco and prepared to free style. "Ghetto knows no color."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
