Booming speakers and a cheering crowd were the sounds that greeted hundreds that entered the BankUnited Center on Friday night for the much-awaited Homecoming concert featuring Ludacris.
Bringing Ludacris to campus created a lot of buzz from fans and non-fans alike.
“Ever since News Vision first announced Ludacris was our Homecoming concert act, I’ve been excited. It is the perfect way to end a great Homecoming week before the game,” senior Kelly Killian said.
Before Ludacris took the stage, DTP (Disturbing the Peace) member Rudy Currence sang classic songs and tried to amuse the crowd. Currence had an extraordinary voice but his music was lost in the anticipation for Ludacris. His set mostly consisted of covers of hit songs but he ended his performance with a track of his own.
Ludacris began his performance about 40 minutes after Currence. As he walked on stage the crowd went wild fueled by a combination of Homecoming excitement and other substances. The energy of the crowd was contagious. The whole stadium rocked with Ludacris’ first song of the night. The reaction of the crowd is surprising after the debate of bringing a more current rapper to campus instead of Ludacris, and the change of venue from the Green to the BankUnited Center.
“I wish we would have gotten a recent artist like Waka Flocka, we needed a more up-to-date rapper,” freshman Michael Cetoute said.
Despite some dissenting opinions, other students seemed content with the new layout of the concert.
“I like the fact that it is in the BUC, you have the option between sitting and standing. Also fewer things can go wrong such as the sound system,” alumna Katie Palme said.
Ludacris commanded the stage and made the whole audience dance and rap his verses. He rapped almost all of his hit singles, taking the listener through a tour of his career. Crowd favorites included “My Chick Bad,” “What’s Your Fantasy” and “Move B***h.” The energy of the UM community made this performance memorable. The whole stadium cheered and dance to their favorite songs, and no one was sitting.
The hard worked of HP and the Homecoming Committee paid off. Ludacris electrified the stage and made the UM community stand up.
“HP is very glad to see the enthusiasm of the student body and that everybody enjoyed the concert” HP chair Shannon Barlett said.
This concert is a sign of improvement after Lauryn Hill’s performance last year. Hopefully, Ludacris will serve as a platform to bring more current and popular artist to Homecoming. For now, we can all relive the night spent rapping, dancing and rolling with Ludacris.