It is safe to say that South High has its fair share of hip hop fans. Throughout the years, South has also had a handful of hip hop artists. One could even find hip hop in the hallways of the 2nd floor every Friday.

“Freestyle Friday” was an event, commandeered by 2010 graduate Bryce “BDaMan” Foster, where students (and sometimes even a teacher) could rap battle one another or just rap about whatever they wanted. Freestyle Fridays attracted a crowd that was often accused of congesting the hallways. But now there isn’t any hip hop in the hallways. And for the first time in the memory of the current student body, there is no hip hop star.

The question here is: will there be a new generation of South hip hop artists? And if not, is South High really missing anything? Senior Chace Russell fears that “everything is going downhill. I don’t really foresee any other people [emerging].” Russel was an avid supporter of Freestyle Fridays, and could be found most Fridays in the circle around BDaMan. Thus far this year, nobody has emerged as South’s next star.

Senior Nick Bates believes that rapping “gives a person a unique confidence.” Though he does not have much of a fan base, Bates has been rapping for four years, starting when he was a freshman. But contrary to Russell, he fully expects a new generation of hip hop artists to emerge.

“Freestyle Fridays was an oasis of musical happiness in the middle of school,” said Senior Mitchell Erickson, an “oasis” that would be banned by the administrators because of the hallway congestion it created, causing some students to be late for their classes. BDaMan continued rapping, keeping his connection to the student body, rapping at the annual talent show.

Maybe the halls are missing something with the absence of Freestyle Fridays. Or maybe the hallway noise is just the same as ever. But only time will tell if South’s hallways will hear hip hop again. So how about it, South; is anybody going to “BDaMan”?