Samuel Simmons has come a long way since rapping about bubble gum in preschool.

Since he was 5, the NIU sophomore has dreamed of becoming rap’s newest sensation. With the help of the Peer Mentoring Program on campus, he hopes to be on his way.

“My vision is to not only look out for rappers, but to look for hidden talents,” said Simmons, a 19-year-old communication major. “People haven’t had the power on this campus or much of a voice, so this can be their talent outlet.”

What Simmons, better known as “Sam-I-Am,” is referring to is an open mic night from 9 to 11 p.m. tonight in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Carla Carr, program coordinator for the CHANCE Peer Mentoring Program, said she hopes tonight’s event can become a regular showcase for student talent.

“Some of the other programs, and there are lots of other mentoring programs, have started with lyricist lounges and poetry,” Carr said. “But there hasn’t been a real outlet for emcees or rappers. This is the first outlet for that.”

Carr and Simmons first started to organize the event after a lyricist lounge-type event held two weeks ago garnered almost a 300-person audience jammed into the Stevenson Towers multi-purpose room. Carr approached Simmons in her CACH 490 class, which pairs upperclassmen with incoming freshmen in kind of a big brother/big sister atmosphere.

“He came by, networked with some other students, and I realized he had quite a following that I was not aware of,” Carr said.

That following stems from Simmons’ breakdancing performances all over campus, where he says people remember him by his orange hat just as much as his name.

He’s also involved with United Productions, a group of “business-minded individuals” that also goes by the name of H-Click on campus. Besides opening doors for talent at NIU, Simmons hopes that his organization will expand in membership.

“A lot of people don’t have a chance to show what they have,” Simmons said. “There are tons of talented people. Rappers aren’t the only ones with hidden talent on this campus. I hope this gives them a chance to come out of their shells and have more political power.

“I plan to be a very huge rap star. If I can’t hold it down on campus, what makes me think I can be popular all over the world? I’m taking aggressive steps to achieve my dreams.”

After the last lyricist event, Carr said she and Simmons worked on bringing more diversity to the next open mic night. She knows there are more females and more segments, such as spoken word, poetry, vocalists and singers, that need a chance in the spotlight.

“I told him that whatever it takes to get you guys out there, I’m willing to do,” Carr said. “It can get larger and show the support of students not just in this program, but all over campus.”

Both Simmons and Carr stress that tonight’s performances must be tasteful. That’s why those who wish to go on stage must show up at 8 p.m. so organizers can look over material before it’s performed.

“I just sent a message out to many of the emcees performing that since they’re at a university of higher education, they need to keep the performances at a higher level,” Carr said. “Quite a few students have their own CDs out of their own work, and I totally commend that. If we can help get that out, great. It’s the integrity of their words and what they’re saying that means the most.”