Balogna Beats and Lunchroom Rappers
Thursday, June 07, 2007

I laughed so hard at lunch today I almost choked on my sandwich.

It all started when I was sitting with the 4th grade class of Hope Academy in the cafeteria. The class is only 11 kids, so we easily fit around one large lunch table. On a normal day these lively 10 year olds make enough noise to rival a freeway and carry on enough lunch food trading to give Wall Street a run for their bologna.

At some point after a slight lull in the cafeteria noise, as if on cue, Daniel starts beat-boxing like a madman, spraying saliva all over his, and his friends' lunches. Elijah is sitting next to me and adds his own beat and background rapper commentary. As soon as these two get going, Collin runs around from the other side of the table and starts freestyle rapping behind them like his life depends on it. (Not before taking a few deep whiffs out of an empty Lay's chip bag for added effect.)

Now the whole table is getting into it, jumping and swaying. Even the girls who usually just roll their eyes at the boys' antics join in. I glance over at Shanna, the teacher, and we just smile and shake our heads at what we are letting happen in the lunchroom. Tomorrow is their last day of school, so we let the dam burst. Just when the frenzy of energy is reaching it's crescendo, Marqeece finds an open slab of floor by the table and starts attempting to break dance. I throw in a couple of turntable scratches as Collin finishes up his fourth verse, something about walking down the street in the hood and other mostly unintelligible yet rhyming lines.

And just as soon as it started, it is over - the first ever 10 year old hip-hop show in Minneapolis, and I'm rolling on the floor laughing.

Posted by Benjamin Washam 6:20 PM  

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4 Comments:

  1. threetwentyone said...
    11:06 AM  
    Hello! I'm a talent scout from Lil' Thug Records and I was wondering if I could have the contact info for these young artists. We specialize in young MCs and DJs and our goal is to help them change the world through their art. Call me at 215-555-4432. I will be in the Minneapolis area with one of our hottest acts, S.M.A.L.L. Let me know if you want some tickets.
    claire said...
    11:32 AM  
    so good :)
    Mark said...
    5:35 PM  
    That's awesome. I wish I could've been there.
    Mike and Sarah said...
    6:11 PM  
    Sounds almost as good as the Coddington family singing Kirk Franklin. i hope you get more moments like that.

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