A$AP Rocky dives into electric set, jolts crowd
The crowd shouted in unison waiting for the concert to begin, standing in patches around the auditorium. They grew louder, repeating lyrics by A$AP Rocky, the show’s headlining act.
‘I be the prettiest motherf***ker,’ the audience chanted.
On Friday night, up-and-coming hip-hop artists A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q took over Goldstein Auditorium in front of more than 600 students. The concert kicked off Greek Unity Fest, a week of events hosted by the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council consists of nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities that always strive to do community service, said Donald Saint-Germain, the council’s president and a senior policy studies and African-American studies dual major.
An hour and a half behind schedule, opener ScHoolboy Q came onstage, covering his eyes.
‘What’s up, Syracuse?’ he said. ‘I can’t see sh*t with this f***ing light.’
The crowd was less than enthusiastic during his set. Some rapped along, and others leaned against walls and sat on railings. The audience struck up conversations, passing time before A$AP Rocky’s set.
ScHoolboy Q performed a mix of new songs while digging into older material, playing tracks from his first album, ‘Setbacks.‘He played fan favorites ‘Druggys Wit Hoes’ and ‘iBetiGotSumWeed.’
The Los Angeles rapper wrapped up his set with ‘Hands on the Wheel,’ a collaboration with A$AP Rocky. The crowd came to life, waiting for the headliner to appear.
When A$AP Rocky came onstage, the audience rushed to the front of the auditorium. Cellphones flew out, snapping pictures of the rapper.
‘Are y’all ready to party tonight?’ A$AP Rocky asked.
He started with ‘Purple Swag’ and ‘Palace,’ and he played songs from his two mixtapes. Before leaving the stage, he ended with ‘Peso.’ The entire crowd happily rapped along with the hit.
Mohammad Diallo, a junior fashion design major, was thrilled with the show’s headliner.
‘A$AP not only brings mainstream listeners, but also indie ones, too. The event was hyped,’ he said.
A$AP’s disc jockey continued playing as A$AP jumped off the stage, over the barricade and into a swarm of spectators. He crowd surfed, catapulted by screaming fans.
‘I wanted to be in whatever mind state he was,’ said Troy James, a sophomore advertising major. ‘It was definitely a night to remember.’
By the end of the night, A$AP wasn’t the only one who was successful.
‘This was a great opportunity for the NPHC to show we can come together on campus and rock out to some new music,’ said Brennan Savage, a senior public health major.
Published on April 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm
