That's My Club

Rhymelab

By Jennifer Kostka '04
Photos by Philip Scalia

Several times each semester, Café Opus transforms from a place to enjoy a cappuccino and quiet conversation to a lively forum for self-expression, whether it be thoughts on politics, love, America or feminism. But the opinionated students don't just climb up on soapboxes and make speeches. Instead, emcees, poets and DJs work together to create an evening of throbbing bass, exciting music, powerful words and audience interaction.

Ben Critton '06 and Ann Horwitz '06 perform to the hip-hop beat at Rhymelab.

"The performances are hip-hop at its best: powerful, political, fun, exciting and unifying," said Emily Kerr '05, who conceived of Rhymelab as part of an independent study she was doing in conjunction with the Kirkland Project. "I knew so many tremendously creative and thoughtful people who didn't feel comfortable expressing their talents. I also felt that people from different backgrounds and social groups remained separate on campus, rather than collaborating and learning from each other. This is a process that isn't easy or automatic, but one that's extremely important both on campus and in a broader context."

Rhymelab brings together students with a common interest in hip-hop music as well as creativity, diversity and social action. At any given show, as many as 25 students stand up and share their poetry or spoken-word pieces with audiences that range from 100-150 people. Performers sometimes prepare a piece in response to something they heard at a previous Rhymelab, proving that the exchange of dialogue is happening.

Because Kerr is studying abroad this year, Ann Horwitz '06 and Ben Critton '06 coordinated and emceed the shows this year. Critton believes that Rhymelab is empowering for the performers because Café Opus provides an intimate setting of universal support in which everyone feeds off the energy generated by the group. "Not all members of the audience may agree with what each performer is saying," Critton explained, "but they respect what the performer is doing."

The bottom line? "Even though it is important to enjoy Rhymelab on the level of good music and a fun show, it is also important to identify the ways it is working to fight cultural separation, apathy and inaction," Kerr said.

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