Seven hip-hop artists will take the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium stage Saturday for the Sibs Weekend Concert.
Big K.R.I.T., Dom Kennedy and Jéan P will be joined by the Ohio Takeover Tour artists Stalley, LxE for the Uncool and Ill Poetic.
The diverse set of artists was selected partly based on an on-campus survey conducted by The Black Student Multicultural Programming Board, which organized the event.
More than 200 students were surveyed for their preferences. Potential artists on the list included Big K.R.I.T., Frank Ocean and Diggy Simmons.
“We ended up choosing K.R.I.T and Kennedy because they had the most buzz right now — the most hype — it fit our budget and we liked them,” said Jareed Robinson, a board booking agent. “We also liked the fact that they weren’t too dirty.”
The board works hard to book not only popular acts but also affordable ones, said Seyi Odunaiya, the board’s president.
“We wanted to give the students something that they wanted,” Odunaiya said. “Something affordable and fun for both students here at OU and their sibs.”
Dom Kennedy, one of the concert’s main acts, is releasing an album, The Yellow Album, this summer — but the songs are not yet ready for the public.
The audience should expect some of his best and more personal songs to date including the track, “Me Again.”
“I’m just a guy from L.A and it’s just music from my perspective,” Kennedy said. “The music has been mine. I don’t really have to try, it just comes out.”
Fellow musician and past collaborator, Big K.R.I.T. from Mississippi, has worked on the albums of Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne and Ludacris. He was also featured in Rolling Stone Magazine and his album, 4evaNaDay, will be released in March.
“The overall project is really conceptual, it’s based on the idea to just keep going to get to that dream… It has a lot of energy, honesty and soul,” said K.R.I.T., who plans to play some of the new tracks at the concert.
The Ohio Takeover Tour — featuring Stalley, Ill Poetic and LxE for the Uncool — is kicking off with OU’s Sibs Weekend.
“My show has become a lot more interactive,” Stalley said. “My goal for each show is to wow the audience, making a few non-believers believers and gaining a few fans along the way.”
OU will be represented onstage with Jean P, who won the MC battle Jan. 27.
“I’m just so excited,” Jean P. said after winning the competition. “I’m going to make sure I take advantage of (the opportunity), work my hardest and get the crowd ready.”
lf328619@ohiou.edu
