The Events Center was filled with students ready to bounce on Thursday night as Big Sean headlined the fall concert.
Cozz, who recently toured with J.Cole, opened with a set that was prompt and generic. Many of the 22-year-old’s lyrics were typical — “I’m the motherf*cking man, you should ask around” — and his themes included murder and side bitches.
The rapper had a much greater stage presence than the night’s second opener, Adrian Lux, a DJ from Sweden. Lux’s sound was strikingly mild, but the transitions between songs were fluid and the artist’s light show was impressive and transfixing. The DJ sampled radio hits like “How Deep Is Your Love” and played his biggest hit, “Teenage Crime.”
Perhaps it was the conflicting time schedule with the Mets playoff game, but the Events Center floor seemed to be mostly full of only dedicated Big Sean fans. It was clear that much of the audience knew the words to most of the songs — though attendees not as familiar with the rapper were able to sing along to some of his biggest hits like “Clique,” “Dance (A$$)” and “Blessings.”
Bobby O’Connell, a resident of Endicott and long-time fan of Big Sean, was excited to hear that the rapper was performing.
“I knew that when Big Sean came, I had to let my boy Jay know that we gotta go to this concert because [Big Sean] is the dopest dude out there right now,” O’Connell said. “He’s up there with Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick, man. He’s top five right now.”
Big Sean did not disappoint. The rapper began his set with “Paradise,” the second single from his most recent album. The crowd, whose energy had grown slowly since the openers, erupted when Big Sean enthusiastically appeared on stage. As the show went on, the rapper’s star power became clear.
During one of Sean’s slower hits, “One Man Can Change The World,” the audience held up cell phones and lit up the Events Center. The rapper dedicated the song to his grandmother, who passed away a few months ago and was one of the first female African-American captains in World War II. The song hit a sentimental note, as Big Sean reminded the audience to never give up on their dreams.
Neha Krishnan, a senior majoring in business administration, got the opportunity to meet Big Sean after winning a Facebook contest held by the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB).
“It was amazing,” Krishnan said. “He was so sweet and down to Earth and I still can’t believe I got to meet him.”
A highlight of the night came during Sean’s performance of “Guap,” when a man in a lion suit and Red Wings hockey jersey — which was featured in the song’s music video — ran on stage to remind the crowd of Big Sean’s Detroit roots.
Nolin Castor, a sophomore majoring in music, was excited to hear songs from Big Sean’s older albums, like “Hall of Fame.” And though he had hoped that the performer would have had a longer set, he enjoyed the show regardless.
“It just had me lit,” Castor said. “The energy was real.”
Big Sean was not afraid to make some bold statements. As he closed the show, he had choice words for the crowd.
“Yo, security get off their d*ck,” he said. “Police we appreciate what you do but let’s just all have a good time in this bitch.”
Hannah Hersch, the vice chair of concerts for the SAPB and a junior majoring in accounting, felt good about the performance.
“I thought the show was great,” Hersch said. “We had a really good turnout from the students and it looked like everyone was enjoying it a lot.”
Sean ended the night with his hit song, “I Don’t F*ck With You,” encouraging the crowd to throw up their middle fingers.
He clarified, however, that he did, in fact, f*ck with the audience at Binghamton University.