On Friday, the UNC Hip Hop Ensemble performed at The PITCH on Franklin Street, showcasing the original songs that they have been working on this semester.
Founded in 2022, the UNC Hip Hop Ensemble is a group that performs under music professor Suzi Analogue. The ensemble consists of rappers and singers, as well as a producer and an instrumentalist. It is open to UNC alumni, staff and students, and practices every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. in the Hill Hall Beat Lab.
This show, titled “Who Dare,” was inspired by horror and southern gothic themes, Ayla Baker Kural, a vocalist, rapper and the group’s outreach lead, said.
“We wanted to tell a story this semester and we wanted it to be something real, so we thought, OK, we're in the South,” she said. “There's been a lot of horror going on just in general life. How can we take inspiration from actual horror films, but also southern roots, and put on this show right around Halloween time?”
To amplify the theme, scenes from the horror movie “Us” were played in the background and bright red lights lit up the room while the group performed. Baker Kural said that for this performance the ensemble took inspiration from artists such as Doja Cat, Three 6 Mafia, Doechii and 21 Savage.
Donavan Moonie, also known by his artist name, Don Atlas, is a rapper for the group and a UNC alumnus. Moonie said that this performance was particularly impressive because it was the earliest in the semester the group had ever performed.
Before he joined the Hip Hop Ensemble, Moonie spent much of his time in his dorm room, producing his own music. But after discovering the ensemble, he realized he could extend his skills to a larger community.
“That's the greatest thing about the community here at UNC, the hip hop community, is just collaboration,” he said. “It's less competition focused as it would usually be in other hip hop spaces.”
