I AM Music & Media (IAMM) hosted their first annual DJ and producer beat battles on October 15. It was held in Exhibit Hall of the Memorial Student Union in front of a packed audience.

The DJ battle was the first to kick things off. DJ J-Hood, DJ Weatherman, and DJ JD each took a turn on the one’s and two’s. There were three rounds where each had a chance to display their skills on the turntables.

In between each DJ round is where the producers had a chance to put their beats on display. A large number of beat makers showed up for this event and made it difficult for the judges to narrow down the final contestants. 

It was a lively audience and crowd participation played a large role in deciding the winners of each contest. While some participants had a huge following, there were some that would’ve seen the sandman tap dance across the stage, had this been Showtime at the Apollo.

The hosts DJ and DJ Merv, kept things smooth in between rounds with segments of music to keep the crowd involved. There were break-dancers in the back giving everyone a show away from the show.

“It’s a lot of people who look up to rappers and producers and they want to do the same things,” said DJ Weatherman in response to why this event was important. “This gives them the outlet.”

It turned out to be a very upbeat event, considering it is was the first from IAMM. There was a small delay at the beginning due to some logistics that had to be straightened out with the university, but it wasn’t a big deal.

The final participants will get exposure at the homecoming pep rally. The overall winner will be introduced at the concert, claim a trophy and be featured on the IAMM TV and radio shows.

Formerly known as SWIM (students with interest in music), this is the first year the group has been under the name of IAMM.

“We changed our name at the beginning of this semester to broaden our focus not just on music but also media,” said Chris Crenshaw a member of IAMM. They will be hosting events throughout the semester.  

• Prince Askew