One minute you’re a student, the next minute a hip-hop star on the rise. That’s exactly what has happened to former Cerritos College student Roger Hills, Jr.

As part of his climb to the top of the hip-hop world, Hills will perform on Dec. 29 at the Knitting Factory and has started his own independent record label.

Hills, was studying history and psychology while at Cerritos in addition to being on the basketball team. He first fell into musical success when he brought a demo tape to a producer.

His interest in hip-hop began because he wanted to change the perception of the genre.

“Within that music the message gets lost,” he says, “and hip-hop is looked at as a bad thing. I hope I get to change that idea because what hip-hop is looked as is gangster type music.”

Furthermore, he says that he recently had a war of words with another rap star, but he declined to comment as to who it was, only that he took exception to what the other had to say about hip-hop having no need to be fixed.

However Hills is no stranger to change. He grew up in South Los Angeles and frequently moved as a teenager.

Over the course of the last three years since he journeyed into music, Hills feels that one of his biggest supporters is former basketball coach and current Coordinator of Student Activities Dean Ackland.

“He’s become a father figure and he and I still keep in touch.”

To being considered a father figure by Hills, Ackland feels that it is nice to know that someone like Hills would say that.

Ackland added that Hills level of maturity during his tenure at Cerritos was always impresive.

Hills, who played the guard position was a very good student, according to Ackland.

“I know that he initially wanted to play in the NBA, but I told him to always keep his options open.”

That’s where the music came in for Hills and now that he has his own the label, called Captger Entertainment, he says that options have been a great blessing.

Another person that he says supports him as well is men’s basketball coach and athletics instructor Gary Cain.

Cain met Hills during his first year at Cerritos and Cain says that even then Hills was a hard worker.

Now that he has found success in the music industry with his focus to change the message of hip-hop, Cain applaudes the.

“There are a vast majority of youth who listen to hip-hop,” Cain explained, “and if Hills is trying to do something positive about what the music is about then I admire that about him.”

Hills says that he hopes to continue his effort to change the minds of those who don’t like hip-hop music.

“There is a message of bring all ethnicities together throughout hip-hop music and I hope that is reflected on this album.”

Tickets for his upcoming performance at the Knitting Factory will be on sale on Dec. 12-13 at 11 a.m. in Falcon Square.