The Student Association Programming Board brought NLE Choppa, a beloved American rapper, to Binghamton University on Thursday to headline this year’s fall concert. Choppa is known for his hit songs like “Walk Em Down (feat. Roddy Ricch)” and “SLUT ME OUT.”
Opening for Choppa was Baby Tate, known for her diverse discography that includes a blend of pop, R&B, rap and hip-hop tracks.
Ryan Miller, SAPB’s concerts chair and a senior majoring in English, reflected on bringing NLE Choppa to campus.
“NLE Choppa is a great performer and artist who we thought students would love to see as a result of his recent rapid growth in popularity,” Miller wrote in an email. “Over the summer, we sent out a survey for students to vote on for the upcoming events this semester. The majority of votes went to NLE Choppa, so he was the obvious choice!”
Many students entered the Events Center when doors opened at 7 p.m. to acquire a good spot on the floor or a seat in general admission.
At 8 p.m., the concert DJ took to the stage to remix hit songs like “goosebumps” by Travis Scott and “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. As the set continued, the crowd sang along and expressed excitement for the artists’ sets.
Around 8:15 p.m., Baby Tate took to the stage to students screaming in the audience, singing and dancing along to her songs “I am (feat. Flo Milli)” “Hey, Mickey!” and “Rainbow Cadillac.”
Tate danced throughout the entirety of her set and even covered Choppa’s song “SLUT ME OUT,” which grew the crowd’s anticipation for the rapper’s set.
By 9 p.m., Tate left the stage and the DJ returned, remixing songs like “FE!N (feat. Playboi Carti)” in preparation for NLE Choppa, who came out around 9:10 p.m., filling the crowd with excitement.
The crowd moshed to the beat while Choppa performed songs like “Bustdown Rollie Avalanche,” “WE SEE YOU” and “IT’S GETTING HOT.” His high energy had students screaming every lyric and as every song passed, the crowd’s energy only increased.
The moment many had been waiting for finally arrived when Choppa began to sing “SLUT ME OUT” and “SLUT ME OUT 2.” The energy in the crowd was palpable, as many attendees were on their feet, thrashing to the beat.
He then sang a few of his older songs and even brought out his parents on stage for a song. He closed out his set with “SLUT ME OUT 3 (feat. Carey Washington),” when many in the crowd gave every last ounce of energy they had.
Madison Perdue, the vice chair of SAPB’s Concerts Committee and a junior majoring in business administration, described the importance of bringing live entertainment to campus.
“I hope events like the Fall Concert allows students to be able to take their minds off of their work for a few hours to live in the moment,” Perdue wrote in an email. “Attending such an academic rigorous institution can be stressful, that’s why I believe it’s so important for people to participate in these events to build a stronger sense of community. We’re all in this together.”