By Maggie Doherty, Staff Writer
Hofstra Concerts and 6th Element presented the 3rd Annual Hip Hop Competition in Hofstra USA Saturday night. The event gave original Hofstra hip hop acts a chance to open for the upcoming Wale concert to be held Saturday, March 13. Hosted by Brian Shoicket of Hofstra Concerts, the event featured five competing acts, two of which secured a spot at the Wale show. Staff members sold tickets for the Wale Concert and $5 beer in the back.
Kicking off the show was solo act C-Bash, a talented rhymer who made use of a soulful R&B track. References to ” ‘Pac” and “B.I.G.” were made throughout the performance, connecting his influences with his work. Lyrically honest and seemingly passionate, C-Bash connected well with the crowd and revved them up for the rest of the performers.
Second to perform was another solo act, Mike Petrow. His performance featured clean rapping and a chorus which he sang himself, a refreshing touch in a genre where the auto-tune has become an irritatingly dominant standard. Petrow’s performance paid tribute to females with a song about “good girls,” flattering the ladies and getting the gentlemen to nod appreciatively. His slow, precise delivery made the material relatable to the crowd and the audience gave an enthusiastic response.
Next was Lt Headtrip, a more experienced veteran on the local hip hop scene. His usual partner Samurai Banana was missing in action, so it was another solo act for the Lt. According to his Myspace, Lt Headtrip “yells, presses button and bends guillotines,” and he certainly didn’t disappoint his fans Saturday night. Delivering well-crafted lyrics with aggressively high energy and a bad Hellen Keller joke between songs, Lt Headtrip was provocative but nothing short of entertaining.
The clear standout of the night was the well-known group C-4, a collection of talented Hofstra personalities with an acute sense of the artistry that goes along with hip hop music. Although one of the members, Corey “Aphiliated” Abisdid was at a wedding bringing the group down to C-3, the remaning three carried their weight, not missing a beat. Each member had a natural flow, and an ability to entertain an audience clinging to every word, a mark of true hip hop elite. An a capella break down demonstrated each group member’s ability to stay on beat without a backing track, supply catchy vocals, and individually as well as collectively thrill their fans.
The final group was Short Notice, also missing a member of their group.
Wale is a signed recording artist with Mark Ronson’s Allido records. His debut album Attention Deficit was released this past November. The first single off the album is “Chillin” featuring Lady Gaga.

Giovanni from the Hofstra Hip Hop group The C-4 Movement perform at the Hip Hip competition this past Saturday. (Josh Zager/The Chronicle)