UMass Boston welcomed West Coast hip-hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar to the stage for the 2013 Spring Concert, sponsored by the Student Arts and Events Council (SAEC). This was one of the last stops on a long tour in which Lamar performed at multiple college campuses across the country.
Before Kendrick Lamar even got to the stage at UMass Boston, there was a huge buzz surrounding the show for the past three months. Tickets went on sale March 25 and were sold out by the very next day. SAEC made an additional 500 tickets available for sale later in April for those who weren’t fortunate enough to get tickets during the first two days.
The buzz surrounding the show was definitely warranted. Lamar’s most recent album ‘Good Kid M.a.a.D. City,’ which was released in October 2012, has sold over 800,000 copies and is well on its way to reaching platinum status. Over the past three years, he has released numerous studio projects, represented his independent label Top Dawg Entertainment, and signed major deals with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
The massive lines leading up to the Clark Athletic Center indicated the successful turnout for the show. Doors opened at 5:30 p.m., and people arrived on time to get up close to the stage.
At 6:35 p.m., Boston-based hip-hop artist Say Blanco kicked off the event and delivered a set that seriously pumped up the crowd. She performed remixes over some classic throwback hip-hop instrumentals and performed some original songs with a live band.
With some huge roars and chants from the audience, Kendrick Lamar hit the stage at 7:35 p.m. He performed quite a few songs off of his most recent album ‘Good Kid M.a.a.D City,’ including “Money Trees,” “Swimming Pools,” and “Poetic Justice.”
“What got me on the stage was the real essence of hip-hop, and it had nothing to do with songwriting; it had a whole lot to do with freestyling,” said Lamar, right before transitioning into “BackSeat Freestyle,” another hit off of his latest album.
Lamar performed his verses on hits such as Young Jeezy’s “R.I.P. (Remix)” and ASAP Rocky’s “F**kn Problems,” and the crowd went crazy. He also took the opportunity to showcase some of his older songs as well. “Hol’ Up,” and “ADHD” off of his ‘Section.80,’ album, as well as “P&P1.5″ from his ‘Overly Dedicated’ 2010 release brought together his set and showcased the work he has contributed to the music industry.
“If you’re fans, you would know I been doin’ this for a long time. You would know I been in the studio…a lot of songs…a lot of choruses…a lot of bridges…ideas and concepts,” Lamar said to the crowd. “If I can see my dreams through, so can all of you in here.”
Kendrick Lamar Performs at the 2013 Spring Concert
Kendrick Lamar greets the crowd in the Clark Athletic Center.
