Hip-hop organization hosts 4 elements event
Stephanie Wilken
Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: News
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More than 1,000 people attended Battle of the Elements III Saturday night in the Ferrell Auditorium at UCF.
The event, hosted by the Elements hip-hop student organization, aims to represent four elements of hip-hop culture: break dancing, deejaying, emceeing and black book - a.k.a. graffiti art. The event also included a popping and locking showcase.
"It's a great hip-hop competition, really," said Edgar Massoni, senior business management major and president of Elements last year. "Lots of talent that otherwise goes unnoticed [is here] at these events.
"You know they're not really in the mainstream."
The event, open to all members of the community, brought in more than 1,000 people from Gainesville to Miami, said Andres Caceres, senior molecular and microbiology major and president of Elements.
Ariel St. Hilaire, the event's host, said he was glad to have a chance to help the public understand hip-hop culture.
"There's going to be a lot of spectators that have never been to an event like this," St. Hilaire said. "So, they're going to learn a lot."
Last year, Battle of the Elements II won Knights of the Round Table's Event of the Year award.
The DJ battle is unique to see, Massoni said, because the DJs use their turntables as instruments.
The first round of the b-boy/b-girl battles, which included both one-on-one and three-on-three, began around 9 p.m.
"That's where the real competition comes out," Massoni said, "because the crews like to have bragging rights and stuff."
Caceres enjoys watching the three-on-three battles.
"When I first saw a three-on-three, my mind was blown away by it," Caceres said. "The abilities these people have, that breakdancers have, to manipulate as well as choreograph so well and in sync with each other, it's ridiculous."
Starr, a 20-year-old b-girl and University of South Florida senior, entered the one-on-one competition, representing her dance group, Enigma, from St. Petersburg.
The event, hosted by the Elements hip-hop student organization, aims to represent four elements of hip-hop culture: break dancing, deejaying, emceeing and black book - a.k.a. graffiti art. The event also included a popping and locking showcase.
"It's a great hip-hop competition, really," said Edgar Massoni, senior business management major and president of Elements last year. "Lots of talent that otherwise goes unnoticed [is here] at these events.
"You know they're not really in the mainstream."
The event, open to all members of the community, brought in more than 1,000 people from Gainesville to Miami, said Andres Caceres, senior molecular and microbiology major and president of Elements.
Ariel St. Hilaire, the event's host, said he was glad to have a chance to help the public understand hip-hop culture.
"There's going to be a lot of spectators that have never been to an event like this," St. Hilaire said. "So, they're going to learn a lot."
Last year, Battle of the Elements II won Knights of the Round Table's Event of the Year award.
The DJ battle is unique to see, Massoni said, because the DJs use their turntables as instruments.
The first round of the b-boy/b-girl battles, which included both one-on-one and three-on-three, began around 9 p.m.
"That's where the real competition comes out," Massoni said, "because the crews like to have bragging rights and stuff."
Caceres enjoys watching the three-on-three battles.
"When I first saw a three-on-three, my mind was blown away by it," Caceres said. "The abilities these people have, that breakdancers have, to manipulate as well as choreograph so well and in sync with each other, it's ridiculous."
Starr, a 20-year-old b-girl and University of South Florida senior, entered the one-on-one competition, representing her dance group, Enigma, from St. Petersburg.