De Anza students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Euphrat Museum of Art for a fusion of spoken word, poetry and hip hop at the First Thursday Open Mic.

The event was sponsored by the African American Studies Department, Black Leadership Collective (BLC), Euphrat Museum of Art and De Anza’s Equity Office.

McTate Stroman, leader of the 4 Elements Hip-Hop Club (4E), has organized an Open Mic on the first Thursday of every month for the last seven years.

“This particular one is special because it’s occurring on National Poetry Month,” he said. “It’s just a comfortable environment for people to come and perform.”

Stroman also performed poetry in honor of National Women’s Month and National Poetry Month. Even as the audience dwindled, he continued to play catchy beats on which amateur singers harmonized.

“It’s really just a safe space where you can come up to the mic and try out your stuff without fear of judgement,” he said.

A live debut of the track, “Self-Reminder,” by Emcee Black Jesus garnered loud applause, in which he rapped about his intense relationships and struggle to stay committed to his art.

Although many of the performers were from 4E, a number of inexperienced rappers and poets also showcased their talent live for the very first time.  After the Open Mic, several members of 4E announced they would be performing at the GVA Café Bistro in Morgan Hill at 8 pm the same night.

The sponsors for the event also provided refreshments such as brownies and samosas, a traditional Indian snack.