The rafters of the Husky Den shook Friday night as beats from some of Seattle’s freshest hip-hop talent lured students still on campus to The CASA Latina Show.

The UW Latino Policy Association and other UW groups rallied together to throw the concert to support Centro de Ayuda Solidaria a los Amigos (CASA) Latina, which is a nonprofit organization that provides support services to low-wage Latino immigrant workers and families in the city.

The event was held on campus from 7 to 10:30 p.m. and featured performances from local bands Dyno Jamz, Sol and Common Market.

Daniel Kaufman organized the show on behalf of the UW Latino Policy Association, which connects Evans School of Public Affairs graduate students with the Washington’s Latino community to form collaborations that give strength to public policy affecting that community.

“While I believe all music — and arts in general — have the power to educate, hip-hop is unique both in its historical and contemporary significance,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman also chose hip-hop music for the event based on its style and content, he said.

After purchasing a ticket — $12 for students, $15 at regular price — you were greeted by two tables of doughnuts, yours for the taking with a small donation.

“Tonight was not about money, but awareness and education of the community,” said Hillary Stern, executive director of the 15-year-old CASA Latina program.

Although CASA Latina has a number of programs that range from women’s leadership to language education, the focus of the night was on the Worker Defense Committee.

The committee works to reclaim unpaid wages and protect the rights of workers against unfair practices. Its one-year grant is ending.

The host of the show, Rahwa Habte, owns an East African restaurant called Hidmo, which neighbors the CASA Latina center.

“Music in general is an important tool; especially in Seattle, it is used to organize youth, the poor, people of color and all different forms of oppression,” Habte said. “It’s a tool used for empowerment.” Hidmo, which means “home,” has become a hub for social justice work in the area.

Habte and the musicians in the show shared a vision.

“Tonight just shows how important grassroots organizations are when they are just working with the people on the street level,” said Sol Moravia-Rosenberg, one of the performers. “And with 100 percent of the funds going to support the cause, we know that nobody’s pocket is getting lined. Continuing to put on events to find a way to put on a good show for a good cause — that’s inspiring and keeps me motivated.”

Zac Millan, emcee of Dyno Jamz, had a personal connection with the work set out by the CASA Latina program because of his father’s transition from Peru to the United States.

“My father being an immigrant, I know people who don’t speak English are taken advantage of in their jobs, or just about anything that requires hard work,” Millan said.

Along with the ability to relate, communicating a message effectively requires an element of dialogue with an audience.

“I just like to socialize with the crowd; you have to let people relate to your message, not lecture,” said Moravia-Rosenberg, who has been rapping since he was 11 years old. “I like to bring up an idea and start a discussion.”

Although the groups were compensated by ASUW for their performances that night, all of the money from ticket sales for the concert and the donations went to aid CASA Latina.

The show had about 200 attendees and brought in more than $1,500 while raising awareness about CASA Latina.

Moravia-Rosenberg, who is a sophomore at the UW, has worked with Common Market in the past and called the band, which was the final act of the night, “pioneers in Seattle hip-hop.”

Highly-anticipated Common Market took over the stage with politically charged lines that fit the night’s energy.

“I’ve been following Common Market, and they are definitely charitable, which isn’t very common in the hip-hop scene,” Bojie Mageo said.

Mageo, a fan of Common Market, felt that the CASA Latina Show was a rare opportunity to witness the breaking of stereotypes surrounding hip-hop culture.

“This night was multipurpose; it encompassed multiculturalism,” Mageo said. “You didn’t just see white or black people rapping out there. It was a little bit of everything in between. The hip-hop movement is a place of different colors.”

Many of the songs performed that night resonated a message that differed from mainstream culture.

“Our music is not about cars, women, guns and smoking blunts,” said Colin Pulkrabek, Dyno Jamz resident trombonist and beat boxer and a sophomore in the Jazz Studies program.

For Pulkrabek, the event was a chance to contribute what they could as musicians.

“We have the power to bring people here to pay money to help organizations like CASA Latina. That’s what we do,” said Pulkrabek.

The show concluded with a freestyle jam, which brought all the artists back up to the stage for a final performance that seemed to embody the collaborative theme of the night.

One of the biggest desires of the performers and organizers was to distance hip-hop from being pigeonholed to a single demographic.

“Hip-hop has become a universal movement,” Kaufman said. “[It is] embraced by youth from across the globe and is seen as a medium to give marginalized communities a voice.”

Reach reporter Adrienne Kishimoto at features@dailyuw.com.