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Students huddled around on Monday during an event held by the student organization Hip Hop State of Mind along with a Bay Area Grassroots organization, HipHopForChange, Inc. Break-dancers performed, rappers free-styled and students and SF State alumni gathered in Malcolm X Plaza to bring attention the budget controversy in the College of Ethnic Studies.

“Yesterday was our kickoff event, and we really wanted to attract attention to the club as well as convey that hip-hop is not only about art, but also about a social movement, and right now with everything going on with the Ethnic Studies department and the Black Lives Matter movement, we wanted to provide a platform of expression for that,” said Kristen Storment, promotional representative of Hip Hop State of Mind.

Hip Hop State of Mind is a community of creative individuals that not only aims to educate others on the culture and the art of hip-hop, but to also keep people informed and engaged in political and social issues.

Hip Hop State of Mind will meet Mondays from 2-4 p.m. on the top of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, starting March 7.