The Cerritos College amphitheater played host to performances by several hip-hop artists courtesy of the Music Club on Thursday.

The first artist to perform was J-Roz, a female rapper who has already had her share of experience, including performing in Moscow, Russia.

J-Roz, a 10-year emcee, says that self-competition has been her inspiration for her work.

“It’s like a game. I try to put down in lyrics what someone hasn’t put before, but still try to reinvent the past.

“I always try to find something new that someone hasn’t done.”

Undecided major Gerardo Esparza enjoyed J-Roz’s performance, saying that her music was able to draw a crowd.

“I’m impressed that she’s able to come out like this and start rapping,” Esparza said, “I’m pretty sure this crowd wasn’t here waiting for her. I’m sure they came when they heard her rapping.”

Another artist that was featured went by the name of J-Flash, a rapper hailing from the city of Whittier.

After his performance, he shared his motives for performing.

“The concepts that I’m trying to get across are not to subject yourself to anyone’s opinion on how music should sound or trying to fit in to the music lifestyle.”

J-Flash also explained the path that led him to where he is today, including his beginnings as a freestyle rapper to his desire to begin recording albums.

“I just wanted to write songs and write verses and it just evolved from freestyling to wanting to make albums and put a message on a full-length track,” he said.

Theater student Tremel Stewart also gave a brief performance, despite not having everything he needed to perform.

“I actually had this song pre-written and I didn’t really have the beat (the instrumental track) or anything with me, so I asked the DJ to play something and I went off with it.”

Stewart also elaborated on his reason for performing, saying, “Hip-hop has always been a part of everything that I do, so when I heard [the other performers] up there, I just felt like I had a message that had to get across and it went across pretty well.”

Music Club President Rusty Kennedy saw the concert as an opportunity to use the club as a means to gain recognition for these up-and-coming artists.

“I don’t know how much of what we did had the Music Club attached to it versus having the Music Department presenting it. It’s all about them (the artists). It’s about us giving them an opportunity to perform for other people.”