There is a place on Grambling State University’s campus where students go to freely express themselves as they share their gifts and talents with fellow peers. This place is the student-ran Lyrical Quest.
Lyrical Quest (LQ) is a spoken word driven organization composed of poets, rappers, singers, and musicians.
“(LQ) was founded to give students an opportunity to grow as artists and provide a platform for individuals to express themselves,” said Reginald Mask, the president of the club.
Last Thursday at 7 p.m. in Charles P. Adams room 200, the respected organization held its last open mic show of the semester, which drew a large audience of students that heated up the spacious lecture room.
New and recurring artists took the audience on an adventure that led them to many laughs, conversations, and finger snapping.
Students who performed for their first time were a little nervous such as Patreysia White, a freshman psychology major from Dubach, who performed a poem. Jeffery Harris II and Saudia Scott, both freshman singers, also performed. Harris is a psychology and music education major from Houston.
Scott, a Shreveport native and theater major, explained that she sings because it is a gift from God. “I sing to inspire anyone I can because my gift is not for me it’s for others,” he said.
In addition, DeMirion “Lil Shreveport” Jenkins entertained the audience with his stand-up comedy act that he started performing last September.
“I always have material based on every day life here at Grambling,” said Jenkins. “I just want people to feel me and relate to where I’m coming from whether it’s funny or not.”
Rapper, Ellis “Dray” Young a junior business management major, who is also from Shreveport said, “I like the fact that people can express themselves here. Every artist should be free, no restrictions.”
Two former students, Jerome “Pimp” Williams and Aoko Jordan in 2008, founded Lyrical Quest. The organization began with three members entertaining shows averaging 10 people and now audiences measure up to more than 50 people, as told by former LQ president Hasani Banks. Banks, a May 2014 graduate of GSU from Sacramento also performed two poems. One of his poems was based on his life story and his mother who had him at the age of 16.
When asked about the organization today Banks replied, “I love the fact that it is a positive place where people can come and be theirselves.”
Today, LQ has 15 members, including a student from Louisiana Tech, and is led by Reginald Mask, a senior criminal justice and business management major from Houston. In efforts to end the semester off in LQ style, there will be a showcase on December 3. The showcase will include a guest appearance by poet Michael E. Reid from Philadelphia.
Reid, also known as “Just Mike the Poet” is a poet but an author, philanthropist, inspirational speaker, and play writer.