Thanks to the Youtube video “Da Kid Wrek – Oberlin” going somewhat viral on the Oberlin campus last semester, Da Kid Wrek’s Feb. 10 appearance at the ’Sco was highly anticipated by Oberlin students. The video, which features Da Kid Wrek accompanied by a dozen or so friends, takes place in the city of Oberlin which the lyrics praise as “Da Zone.”

The video got both positive and negative feedback: some mocked the lyrics as ridiculous, while others respected Da Kid Wrek for wanting to represent the town. Either way, the campus was excited for this long overdue show. It delivered; The first ’Sco show of the semester united Oberlin students and townspeople alike, and all were blown away.

To some people’s disappointment, Da Kid Wrek himself was only a very small portion of the show. Friday served more as a showcase of hip-hop artists from both the immediate Oberlin area and the rest of Lorain County. These artists included G.P. Young O, Half, Yo Teezy, CT and Da Kid Wrek, all accompanied by various other artists. Each performer did a 20-minute set, which kept the audience entertained and efficiently displayed a variety of styles and artists.

The show turned out to be a major success. People started trickling into the ’Sco as soon as it opened and it remained packed from beginning to end, despite some minor issues with Safety & Security concerning the room’s capacity. All of the performers were able to get the audience pumped up and dancing through the show’s finale, which had all the performers and some students dancing together onstage to the song praising their hometown and their college town.

The show served its purpose as a meeting ground for musicians from the school and the city. While Da Kid Wrek has performed at venues of the same size, he said it was a blessing to be able to play at one of the most unique and top music colleges in the world and to present the city’s rich history to such a varied audience.

Furthermore, the show was not just about music, but also about a much needed integration of the College and the city. This is the third event organized by David B.I.G Hopkins II, who works at WOBC and is trying to create an underground music scene for Lorain County along with a new record label called NDO (No Days Off). He would like to do this with some help and backing from Oberlin College, making the success of this show even more important for him and the performers.

B.I.G. believes collaboration between the school and the city will be beneficial to both parties and will create a unique musical network and forum for new talent. Thanks to his hard work and the success of this show, it is likely that there will be more performances similar to this one throughout the semester showcasing neighborhood talent and further bridging the gap between the city and the College.