Students crowded the Coffeehouse on Livingston campus on a typical Tuesday night for the Hip Hop Open Mic hosted by RUPA (Rutgers University Programming Association). Many came just to watch, but there was also a variety of talented artists from the student community who were ready to show off their vocal talent. The participating students got to show off their freestyle rapping to beats provided by DJ Justin D.
Tom Amadroto and Emil Seveve, friends and fellow rappers, were two of the many students who took the stage that night. This Open Mic was not only their first time freestyling – it was also the first time they would hear each other perform.
Both Amadroto and Seveve have been rapping for some time. Both of them have their own inspirations, goals, and direction for their music. For Seveve, the main source of his inspiration comes from his family.
“It was sort of a family thing,” explained Seveve, “All three of my brothers rap and I started to get interested at the age of eight. As a kid I would listen to the radio and record songs I would like on cassettes. I guess I was sort of a DJ at ten. When I entered high school, I started to take it seriously.”
Amadroto, on the other hand, just “found himself in it” and his interest grew over time. When it was his time to perform at the Open Mic, he was initially a little reluctant; but, once DJ Justin D provided him with a beat he liked, Amadroto got into the zone and showed his skills.
Amadroto said, “I was nervous since this was my first time performing live and experimenting with freestyle rapping. Usually the words flow a certain way and you write with a specific beat in mind. With freestyling, it’s more difficult because a different beat can make the words sound horrible.”
This may have been their first time freestyling but Amadroto and Seveve killed their performances. Seveve says, “I’m proud of our performance. We did freestyle rap and we didn’t rehearse or anything.”
As for their future, both students hope to make rapping a part of their lives. Seveve hopes to graduate Medical School while also pursing a career in music. “I hope to get my own recording company more than anything else,” he explains.
Amadroto treats his interest in rapping as a simple hobby. “I might not make it into a career but I won’t stop.”
By: Vanessa Romero
