Student group gets ‘kicks’ bringing urban flair to campus

Bass thumping, original emceeing, fresh sneakers and flamboyant fashions all could be found recently inside Cantrell Hall of the Tom H. Jackson Building at MTSU as the Urban Entertainment Society student group hosted an event to not only showcase hip-hop culture but to also help a worth cause.

The “Kicks on Campus” tour is the brainchild of MTSU alumnus Ivan Andrews, a fall 2016 music business graduate who wanted to bring his alma mater a version of his annual “Speakers and Sneakers” music festival in his native Nashville.

Hip-hop artist and MTSU student Yonna Jones of Chicago performs April 17 during the “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

“Being a student here, I always felt it could be more that students could do here on campus,” Andrews said. “I’m very huge into sneakers and music and I know a lot of other students are as well.”

But he wanted the event to also “give back,” so he partnered with Nashville-based Soles4Souls, which distributes donated shoes and clothing in a mission to combat poverty. Collection boxes inside Cantrell Hall were brimming with donated shoes of all styles dropped off by event attendees.

The event allowed area emcees — student and nonstudent — to spit their latest rhymes, while upstart urban apparel entrepreneurs set up booths to display their goods and get feedback from browsing students. In one corner of the hall, a video game contest also drew plenty of competitors.

MTSU senior Mason Allen, president of Urban Entertainment Society and an audio production major in the Department of Recording Industry, said the organization’s goal is to help members develop their craft and “move to the next level.”

“We live off what we call the four C’s: to connect, collaborate, create and critique,” said the Louisville, Kentucky, native. “We invite anybody who has a passion for any aspect of the urban entertainment industry — artist, producer, engineer, photographer — just anything that has to do with the entertainment industry.”

Andrews said this is the second year of the Kicks on Campus tour, which expanded this year to include last year’s inaugural stops of MTSU, Belmont and Austin Peay plus additional stops at Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and UT-Knoxville.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)

The donation box starts to overflow with collections at the April 17 “Kicks on Campus” event inside the Tom H. Jackson Building. The shoes will go to the Nashville-based nonprofit Soles4Souls. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

MTSU Urban Entertainment Society President Mason Allen of Louisville, Ky., left, and MTSU alumnus Ivan Andrews of Nashville pose for a photo at the April 17 “Kicks on Campus” event inside the Tom H. Jackson Building. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

Vendors show their goods at the April 17 “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building hosted by the Urban Entertainment Society student organization. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

Hip-hop artist Tyrique Shahmir of Johnson City, Tenn., performs April 17 during the “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

“Kicks on Campus” founder and MTSU alumnus Ivan Andrews, left, chats with attendees at the April 17 Kicks on Campus event inside the Tom H. Jackson Building. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

MTSU students and attendees enjoy a video game competition at the April 17 “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The event was co-hosted by the Urban Entertainment Society student organization. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

MTSU students Malik Williams and Kyrus Williams of Clarksville, Tenn., perform as the hip-hop duo S.W.O.L.E. during the April 17 during the “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)

Vendors show their goods at the April 17 “Kicks on Campus” event in the Tom H. Jackson Building hosted by the Urban Entertainment Society student organization. (MTSU photo by Jimmy Hart)