The mind behind “Mr. Clean,” “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot” and “oops!” is coming to Binghamton University.
On Thursday, Oct. 6, BU’s fall concert — hosted by the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) — will see American rapper Yung Gravy bring his creative and comedic songs to the Events Center. Opening for Yung Gravy is singer-songwriter Sophie Cates. The show will open its doors at 6:30 p.m., and officially begin at 8 p.m.
General admission tickets, which are for bleacher seats, will begin at $25 for students, $30 for graduate students, faculty and staff and $40 for the public. Floor tickets will begin at $35 for students, $40 for graduate students, faculty and staff and $50 for the general public.
Matthew Raymond Hauri, more commonly known as Yung Gravy, has been on the rap scene for several years since releasing “Mr. Clean,” which gained quick popularity on SoundCloud. He began pursuing music full-time in 2016, after quitting his job to fully dedicate himself to his rap career. Yung Gravy’s style is unique for his mix of modern rap music with soul and funk reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s. His lyrics are often comedic, describing various exploits that convey a satirical and outlandish mood. The rapper has built up his repertoire of hits and, as a result, has teamed up with artists like Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, Chief Keef and bbno$. Yung Gravy has released three albums, including “Gasanova,” his most recent album, which featured the likes of Ski Mask the Slump God, TrippyThaKid and Young Dolph.
Shira Geula, concerts chair for the SAPB and a senior majoring in business administration, said Yung Gravy was the highest ranked artist in their semester survey that fit within the budget. Geula described how this year’s fall concert will differ from last year’s concert, which had WILLOW as the headliner. The WILLOW concert had specific guidelines for reserving socially distant “pods” on the arena floor.
“I’m happy to say that there will be no pods this year,” Geula wrote in an email. “[BU] has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions. There are no specific rules, just standard concert ones like bag policies.”
Geula also felt that Cates, the opener of the concert, would be the best choice to pair up with Yung Gravy.
“Once we knew Yung Gravy was our performer for the fall, we knew that we wanted a balance,” Geula wrote in an email. “Sophie sings both pop and pop ballads, which I know many people love, including myself. We thought that rap and pop would complement each other well.”
Cates — formerly named Silver Sphere — is an indie pop artist with electronic and lo-fi sounds as the main characteristic of her music. Her debut EP “yikes!” was independently released in October of 2019. Afterward, she was signed to RCA Records and released her second EP “all my boyfriends” in 2020. This year she has released two singles, “Nasty” and “Cardigan,” in anticipation of her next EP, “Basement Party.”
Geula said the future looks bright with Yung Gravy as the headliner.
“I want people to have fun,” Geula wrote. “Yung Gravy is a high-energy performer and I know people will recognize it. My hope is for the Events Center to turn into one big dance party!”