Where are the beats and bars in Burlington?The Burlington hip-hop scene is, to the artists involved in it, an underutilized but vibrant community of positive vibes.Local emcee Justin Boland, also known as Wombaticus Rex, runs the blog ?Vermont Hip-Hop News.??It?s weird, it?s not nearly diverse enough for me, more in terms of sound than complexion,? Boland said.?I think it really counts when people feel there?s a certain bar they have to meet, to go out and perform in public. That does not exist here,? he said.Boland said he sees the emphasis on conscious rap and positivity as huge factors in the scene?s openness. ?You can?t preach peace and community and then tell a motherfucker they?re wack, but we should, we definitely should,? he said.He said he sees local rap group Bless the Child, especially member Rajnii Eddins, as helping to create a dialogue between the Burlington hip-hop scene and campus culture.?I believe there is [a dialogue], and that it is entirely because of the herculean efforts of Rajnii?to any extent that it?s happening, it is literally on the shoulders of that man,? Boland said.Bless the Child themselves believe that there is more to the Burlington music scene as a whole than merely ?EDM and jam bands.?To them, part of how hip-hop brings itself into the local scene is through ski and snowboard culture.?Hip-hop and snowboarding have always been linked up, it?s always been a part [of it],? Jeff Phillie of Bless the Child said.?Just look at the dress of a snowboarder y?know, which is also now ironically the dress of skiers too,? he said.However, according to some students, there appears to be a divide between the cultures of downtown Burlington rap and campus.First-year Baird Parent has been producing hip-hop beats for years under the moniker B/Air. ?Is [the local culture] a scene? Sure. Is that a scene I want to be a part of? I?m not entirely sure,? Parent said.Local rap duo The Aztext, consisting of rappers Brian McVey, also known as Pro, and Devon Ewalt, who goes by Learic, also spoke on the matter. ?I feel like there?s a little bit of a stigma around hip-hop and around hip-hop shows; venues probably think it?s going to bring a certain type of audience,? McVey said.?I think a lot of the clubs, just by nature, are more rock-friendly, just ?cause that?s been the predominant scene over the years,? Ewalt said.Despite this, Boland said he is optimistic. ?I feel like in the last [year], this has definitely been changing, and I feel like it?s not because of the local scene at all but by the success of big names coming through here,? he said.Bless the Child recently opened up for DJ Rashad at Signal Kitchen Feb 8. Wombaticus Rex and The Aztext both played at Nectar?s Bar on Feb 7.