Seven students will put their rapping abilities to the test in a competition based on a television dance competition on Thursday.

The University Board is presenting “So You Think You Can Rap?” where students can showcase their rapping ability.

Khelan Todd, the mainstage coordinator for the University Board, said a previous University Board member has organized this event for a couple of years.

“It’s a tradition for the mainstage coordinator,” Todd said. “It’s a spin off of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and the campus has responded well to it, because it gives students a chance to showcase their musical ability.”

Todd said the seven competitors will be performing two three to four minute raps for the judges.

The performers were picked after auditioning the week of

Nov. 14.

Todd said the competitors will be judged in five categories, including creativity and stage

presence.

The contestants will be judged by a University Board graduate adviser, an Eastern professor and a student.

Todd said each performer will have a third song prepared in the case of a tie.

Each contestant will be performing raps that they have created, Todd said.

“There is not a specific genre or theme to the music, it’s just what they write,” Todd said. “They each have written their own songs for the competition.”

Todd said it give students a chance to see the talent of their fellow classmates and to see their original raps.

“I cannot wait to see what they come up creatively when it comes to their music,” Todd said.

The first-place-winner will receive recording time in a professional studio and a photo shoot for their album.

The second-place-winner will receive studio time.

The third place winner will get a gift card.

“So You Think You Can Rap” will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the 7th Street Underground in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Todd said he thinks the competition will be fun for students to see other students perform.

“It’s going to be a fun time and I can not wait to see the diversity of the music,” Todd said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.