Thanks to a slew of musicians igniting the stage, a night of entertainment and rap was in full supply during Sibs Weekend.
Saturday’s concert began with local musician and Black Student Cultural Programming Board’s first-ever Battle of the MCs winner Jéan P, who said he was thrilled to have the opportunity and enjoyed every second of the concert.
“I feel great and blessed. All my prayers and hopes and wishes are being answered, even if I’m just the opener,” Jéan P said. “I just am humbled for the opportunity.”
As the show continued and the lights dimmed, a rap trio from the Ohio Takeover Tour kicked off their travels, featuring LeX for the Uncool, Ill Poetic and Stalley. Each took his turn wowing the crowd, but it seemed that Stalley, who had just returned from his world tour, created the most hype.
“I just hope that (the audience) took away something good from the show just knowing that there is different music out there compared to what any other musicians do,” Stalley said. “I hope that it opens their minds and their eyes to something new, that it is something they can relate and feel intimate with.”
After a short intermission where students danced on stage with the event’s hosts from BSCPB, Dom Kennedy took the stage.
“I just like quality and that’s what I want to represent and hope to be remembered as,” Kennedy said. “My music inspires a type of self-discovery, I constantly seek it and to better and learn about myself and others.”
After Kennedy’s act, audience members were clearly excited to watch Big K.R.I.T. in action as they rushed the stage, forming a mosh pit and sending security into a frenzy.
“Well, Big K.R.I.T. was awesome,” said Spencer Smith, a junior studying English. “But it was a bit rough to get through two hours of opening acts, but it was worth it in the end. Big K.R.I.T. was amazing.”
After the concert, the headliner said he hoped that he left a lasting impression on the audience.
“I’m down to give my all when it comes to my music. When I get on stage, I want to go out and do my thing, give out my all on stage so people remember me,” Big K.R.I.T. said. “I want to help people understand they aren’t alone. Others in my position have the chance to say so much but say so little, and I want to say something worth hearing with the voice that I have.”
To offset the overall cost of more than $24,000, which came out of the BSCPB’s yearly budget of $60,000, 471 tickets were sold. Nolan Alexander, a sophomore studying video production, thought that every cent spent was worth it.
“OU doesn’t really bring a lot of musicians that have a high amount of lyricism, and they brought these guys, which was great,” Alexander said. “They all did a great job, and I was just amazed.”
lf328610@ohiou.edu
