The rap culture at NC State is growing more and more throughout campus. For Anderson Burrus, rap has become something he couldn’t let go of since his first rap battle in high school.
Burrus, a senior studying mass media communication, is heavily involved with music on campus. He is involved with NC State’s Cypher, a public freestyle jam held at the Free Expression Tunnel on campus. He also works at WKNC radio Saturday nights as a DJ along with close friend and fellow student Charles Morse, a senior studying communication.
Since his first rap battle in high school, Burrus has continuously worked hard to sharpen his craft.
“I just worked to become the best rapper in my school,” Burrus said. “I used that battle rap mentality to actually start writing stuff. Having to fight stuff like depression and those things, rapping has become a really good outlet.”
Burrus has used his personal struggles to help make him a stronger rapper, which in turn has made his music more relatable.
“I write a lot of punchlines, I rap about mental illness and trying to face those obstacles that I’ve had to face,” Burrus said.
Morse has collaborated with Burrus since they met at one Cypher. The two ended up becoming friends soon after.
“We ended up taking a class together on music industry studies and in that class we had to do a pitch session, which is how you make a pitch to a record label,” Morse said. “From then on we just clicked really well.”
Burrus and Morse started the NC State Wolftrax Music Group, a music club that helps promote and establish artists, in June 2015. They have also collaborated on three songs together: “Exhibition”, “So Far” (a Wolftrax mixtape) and an untitled track that’s still in the works. Some of Burrus’ works include “Calm Down!!” and “Break it Down,” two original raps he composed.
Burrus continues to strengthen his music by rapping about real subjects that students and other listeners can connect with.
“When he showed me his music for the first time it was clean, which isn’t bad, but there’s a little bit more to him than that safeness,” Morse said. “His works later on become a lot more genuine. Addressing his inner demons and his darker side shows listeners that everyone has things they struggle with. It’s more real.”
The many students who watch him perform at Cypher support Burrus, which inspires him to continue pursuing his passion.
“People who have been coming out to Cypher as long as I have, and seeing their dedication to the hip-hop culture has been really encouraging for me to keep pursuing and freestyling,” Burrus said. “All the local artists’ work ethic has inspired me to keep going.”
Burrus’ own work ethic has inspired others as well, such as Morse.
“He’s a really inspirational person to be around,” Morse said. “He helped me a lot. He helped me become more focused on my raps. He helped me get a lot of material recorded.”
Although Burrus has proven his success musically, his family is happy he is still in school and about to graduate after this year. He hopes to do something in the field of marketing, video production or graphic design.
The rap culture on campus has boomed as a result of Cypher, Wolftrax and artists like Burrus. Although musicians are a minority amongst the many engineers at NC State, they are not forgotten. Creativity and personal expression can help any campus grow and flourish.
Anderson Burrus, a senior studying mass media communication, performs a freestyle rap in front of the Free Expression Tunnel during NC State Cypher's five-year anniversary on Aug. 24, 2015. Burrus has been rapping for seven years, and he discovered Cypher three years ago. He said, "The Cypher is a demonstration of what hip-hop is designed to be. It's a safe environment where anyone is allowed to express themselves in any way they want. That's the side of hip-hop very few people see anymore, and it's the image we try to promote every Monday night."
