Some are:
Leaving a legacy…
Being their own boss…
Changing the world…
Teaching the next generation of entrepreneurs…
Sharing their knowledge…
Creating something new…
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Profile: Joe Martinez Philips,
Clark Alumnus, '07
ONSLAUGHT BATTLE CIRCUIT
 Hip hop has undoubtedly taken over the music industry in recent
years, and for a time in 2004, it took over Clark University on Thursday
nights in the form of Onslaught Battle Circuit (OBC). OBC, created by
Joe Martinez Philips, now a Clark senior, was a premier battle rap
competition drawing performers from the New England area, New York City
and California, Joe’s home state. OBC became an extremely popular event
on Clark’s campus, attracting over 300 students to each show, and
expanded to include break dancing and beat battles along with the rap
competitions. Over 16 performers entertained students for about four
hours at each event, providing them with a night of free entertainment,
prizes, and the chance to see up and coming talent in the hip hop scene.
Philips, a Spanish major and Innovation & Entrepreneurship minor,
comes from an entrepreneurial family, and is involved in the jewelry
business they currently operate. He was looking for another new business
idea to try when the idea for OBC “just came out of nowhere while I was
riding back on a bus from Boston.” That same night he wrote a five page
business summary laying out his whole plan, including a budget.
The following week he shared the plan with the members of the student
entrepreneurial group,
Initial Advantage (IA), which he describes as a “think tank.”
Philips said IA was integral to getting OBC started, along with help
from friends on campus and the Clark Student Council. His involvement
with George Gendron’s class, The Art of the New, at the same time was
also valuable. He focused his course projects on hip hop and
entrepreneurship, and had the chance to interview young entrepreneurs
involved in the business and learn from their experiences.
Philips feels college is a great time to take a risk and create
something all his own, but feels that too many college students can be
averse to trying new things. “To attempt something new you have to be
willing to take a risk and accept failure if it were to come along,”
said Phillips. In this case, he has only met with success, and now that
OBC has wrapped up, he looks forward to future projects which will
optimally continue to combine his interests in music and
entrepreneurship.
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