Screaming "Lazooz!" DJ Guy Mar of Israeli hip hop group Hadag Nahash motivated the crowd to shake the floors of HUB Alumni Hall last night.

Although the Hebrew lyrics were foreign to most, the crowd responded willingly in unison, jumping along with the group.

After 24 hours of traveling, the eight members of Hadag Nahash brought their beats and rhymes to Penn State, the first stop on their second tour in the United States.

"We hear 30 seconds of who killed whom on the news," said Tuvia Abramson, executive director of Hillel.

"This is not a political event, it brings a spiritual aspect of the culture."

About 200 students and community members gathered to hear the group.

"A lot of people are here from the Jewish community. Since we are a small minority, it's nice to be able to come together. It's also something that my kids will enjoy," State College resident Susanne Marder-Pincus said.

When asked to describe their musical style, members of Hadag Nahash had trouble assigning a genre.

"We don't stick with one sound," MC Shaanan Streett said.

The group incorporates various elements of rap, rock, jazz, and reggae into their music.

"We take a stand on current events. We don't turn away," Streett said. "The biggest message we would like to give is that life is stronger than anything."

Arthur Urman (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) sat in the back of Alumni Hall with friends, waiting for the show to begin.

"I was really surprised when I heard they were coming [to Penn State]. Their popularity in Israel is equal to Guns n' Roses in the U.S." he said.

Hadag Nahash, which translates into "Snake Fish" in English, released their latest album last year and will record their fifth in California after the tour.

"They have an awesome, unique sound that crosses cultural barriers," Ross Diamond (junior-information sciences and technology), Grinspoon Israel Advocacy intern, said. "They are modern European with a mideastern twist."

The event was co-sponsored by Penn State Hillel, Penn State Students for Israel, the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia, the AVI CHAI Foundation and the University Park Allocation Committee.