Omikron

Omikron stands alone on the stage, head down, bobbing along. Pulling the mic up to his mouth and spouting his rap, he lets his hand roll along emphasizing each word he uttered last Friday at Raw Space.

The crowd's jumping with the beat as the wave of bodies crashing with the rhythm playing out over the heads of fans. The wide array of fans group near the stage, crowding against one another.

Omikron credits a wide range of musicians and rappers for inspiration, including Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails (NIN). He hopes that, like NIN, his raps, which are not about the usual topics of partying and money, garner emotional responses from his fans.

"I always respected how [Reznor] expressed his pain and emotion in his music, and I aim to be able to touch people and share my story as well as he does," Omikron said. "Music today, especially hip-hop, is fi lled with mindless fl uff, really, and it's unfortunate."

While some of the raps he showcased were more serious, he also showed a fun, party-style kind of rap that got the crowd bouncing around. As Omikron shouted "Hip," the audience screamed "Hop."

"It was fun they had high energy. It was an interesting change from the usual Raw Space music," said Kaleigh Day, senior environmental science major.

Omikron used music as an escape from his troubled childhood in New Jersey. His raps created an avenue through which he could express himself. Omikron hopes that bringing diverse musicians to perform in Ellensburg will help expose kids around town to music other than rock and country.

"Ellensburg has such a small country-town mentality," Omikron said. "There defi nitely is a good demand for hip-hop from the youth."

As the youth rolled with the punches on the dance fl oor, the people drinking next door in Bertine's were even feeling the good vibes.

"I can feel the beat through the walls, even though I'm not there to catch the stage presence," said Jenn Cooley, senior graphic design major. "It sounds pretty legit."

As Omikron ended his set and the crowd took a breather from the mounting swells of the music, he bowed his head, taking in the buzzing energy.

"My favorite thing about performing is the energy," Omikron said. "There is no drug that can touch that." - Sophia Worgan - The Observer