They play their music in front of large college audiences across the country. They get their names out, sell CDs and give away fliers. They do everything normal musicians on tour would do.

But these hip-hop groups and solo performers also share a message: Save Darfur.

The national Save Darfur Tour, which drew more than 300 people to the MSU Union Ballroom on Tuesday, came to raise awareness and money for reported genocide in Darfur, a remote and impoverished region in Western Sudan.

"My motivation for doing the tour was how I remember Rwanda in 1994, when I was 8 or 9 years old," said Alex Hallett, who goes by "Alexipharmic" on stage. "I just remember that the news showed a lot and I thought to myself, 'As soon as I can help in anyway, I have to do something.'

"I didn't know I was going to do music at the time, but I knew I wanted to help. When I heard this was for Darfur, I didn't think twice about it."

Since 2003, more than 200,000 people have been killed and another 2.5 million refugees displaced in Darfur, according to the United Nations Web site.

All proceeds from the hip-hop tour are sent directly to nonprofit organizations that promote awareness about Darfur.

"I thought it was a great opportunity to bring awareness to MSU about the genocide and it was a concrete way to try and end it," said Lindsey Hutchison, president of MSU's chapter of STAND, a national anti-genocide group with more than 600 chapters in high schools and colleges.

"I think one of the most tragic things as far as the world's response to this genocide is it has happened since 2003 and not much has been done for the people in Darfur."

East Lansing was the third stop of the tour, following shows in Chicago and Indianapolis. The 19-stop tour, which features more than 15 groups and musicians, ends Feb. 7 in Las Vegas. Its sponsors include Scion, Playboy, the Genocide Intervention Network and STAND.

Pamphlets about Darfur were available on the sponsors' tables in the Ballroom lobby. While some students were educated on these issues, others were more interested about listening to the musicians warm up. Some students wore T-shirts that read, "Help Save Darfur."

"An event like this can open people's eyes that there is still a big effort that needs to go into Darfur," said Matthew Akerley, an international relations senior. "It's not going to go away anytime soon unless we try and help — and music makes it fun to try."

Sean Ely can be reached at elysean@msu.edu.