Hip-hop artist Hoodie Allen coming to USD
The University of South Dakota Campus Activities Board will be hosting a Hoodie Allen concert March 19 in Aalfs Auditorium after a campus vote chose the hip-hop artist over more than 10 other artists.
The concert was announced Feb. 28 during the 92nd annual Strollers performance.
Hoodie Allen was the top-voted artist in a student poll that CAB put out this summer. Other top contenders were Juicy J and Iggy Azalea, CAB adviser Doug Wagner said.
Senior Katty McNeal, president of CAB, said the organization finalized the concert only days before it was announced.
CAB will be selling a total of 1,100 tickets. More than 400 have been purchased so far.
The cost of the concert is roughly $42,000, not including items requested from the hospitality portion of Hoodie’s writer, Wagner said. The concert takes up around half of CAB’s total budget, which is $86,000.
“Other names from the list were roughly the same amount of money, if not, in some cases, like Iggy Azalea, a little more,” Wagner said.
So far, McNeal said she’s only seen a positive reaction to the artist choice.
“I checked Twitter a bunch when we released the name to see what people’s feedback was and I didn’t see any negative comments on Hoodie — people just seemed overall excited,” McNeal said. “And so that made me happy, because we’re doing it for the students.”
Sophomore Jack Schuver said he would have rather seen Juicy J come to USD.
“Juicy J is a bigger artist,” Schuver said. “I feel as though he would have made more hype and would have produced a better quality of music to have for a college atmosphere concert.”
Despite that, Schuver said he will likely end up attending the concert.
Sophomore Casey Matthiesen was one student who voted for Hoodie Allen this summer.
“When I saw that Hoodie could potentially come to campus, I was stoked,” Matthiesen said. “His hit song ‘No Interruption’ is a hands-down favorite of mine, and I wanted to make sure that he would be coming to Vermillion.”
Matthiesen was also one of the many students who got replies on their tweets from Hoodie Allen’s official account.
“I think I might have cried a few real tears, of joy,” Matthiesen said. “I know that I am not the only student on this campus that feels that way, so I know the concert is going to be a hit.”
This year’s concert will not be held in the DakotaDome because there were no dates it was available, McNeal said.
“I think Aalfs is a terrible place to have the concerts,” Schuver said. “Especially when you are bringing in artists like Hoodie.”
Matthiesen said she was initially skeptical of the fact that the concert wouldn’t be held in the Dome, because student interest is so high.
“I have faith that CAB chose Aalfs for good reason, and I look forward to the concert,” Matthiesen said.
About the artist
Hoodie Allen is a 26-year-old hip-hop recording artist, but started his career out of college as a Google account executive. He quit after only four months to pursue his true dream — making music.
He’s also made it a point to communicate directly with his fans, especially those who have purchased his album. He’s still making calls to keep a promise he made in 2012 — to personally thank every person that bought his debut album, “All American.”
