Rap Battles and Radio Shows

For this entry we chose a partner to interview and then write a profile on. I did mine on Lansing senior Jojo Buck.

Rap Battles and Radio Shows

On October 22, 2015 Moore 105 was completely packed with standing room only. Pushed against the walls people chattered eagerly, anxiously waiting for the show to start. The large crowd had gathered for the second annual rap battle. One contestant stood out from the rest though, and that contestant was Lansing senior Jojo Buck. At first glance, Buck looks like an average college student. He’s smart, confident, and has his career in front of him. When you dive into his personality, he is a kind hearted soul who cares for those that society does not necessarily always accept.

Jojo was supposed to host this year’s battle but was asked to participate instead. He says “I wasn’t really trying to focus on rapping since I had these big projects for school due. That was tough.” While only having a short time to prepare, Buck ended up being one of the main contestants in the battle. His competitor? A rival rapper from the previous year. Eventually Jojo became more willing and at ease. He recalls thinking, “Those beginning battles were the light weights, but this right here? This is the heavy weight! This is what it feels like? This is so cool!”

While he enjoyed being on stage, Jojo does not necessarily want to stay in the rap industry for his entire career. He realized that writers block can make or break a career, and instead plans to focus on either radio or television broadcasting. Inspired by his younger brother with Aspergers, Buck shares “You never know, that little kid with autism could end up being smarter then me!” He intends on hosting a broadcasted marathon and fundraisers to benefit different causes such as Autism or cancer.