Since its creation, MUSIC Matters has brought an unbelievable array of big-name artists to campus, including J. Cole, Lil Yachty, Ben Folds, 2 Chainz, Migos and Louis The Child. In typical fashion, this year’s SpringFest 2019 brings the mighty A$AP Ferg to the University’s Hill Auditorium on Apr. 16 as a part of the organization’s annual lifestyle festival a la SXSW.
SpringFest, the largest student-run event on campus, is an all-day festival and nighttime benefit concert. By day, attendees can enjoy showcase work from over 65 other student organizations, providing numerous opportunities for demonstration and exploration of the student life that makes the University unique. In addition, SpringFest features an outlet for student start-ups and businesses to display their work to a wider audience. By night, attendees can experience an intimate, Michigan-only concert in Hill Auditorium.
Typically, Hill features orchestras and theatrical performances, but MUSIC Matters is breaking the mold with an unprecedented rap concert from one of the most iconic names in hip hop today.
A$AP Ferg gained notoriety with the rest of the A$AP Mob on the coattails of A$AP Rocky. (There are many A$APs.) A coalition from Harlem, the Mob ushered in a new combination of hard-hitting New York gangster rap and boomy Southern trap that quite literally took the hip-hop world by storm. While Rocky is certainly the poster child of the group, Ferg is a close second, developing a personal a sound that is particularly more aggressive than that of the Mob or its pretty-boy leader.
Since 2013, Ferg has released two albums, Trap Lord and Always Strive and Prosper, and one mixtape, Still Striving. In 2013, he was crowned Rookie of The Year for his single “Shabba” at the BET Music Awards. With a discography full of party-made bangers, Ferg is primed to deliver a tasty trap treat dipped in 808s and jocularly intimidating one-liners to SpringFest 2019.
“My goal is to create the best possible concert experience for the Michigan student body,” Talent and Concert Chair Marty Hubbard said. “A$AP Ferg as our SpringFest 2019 headliner lives up to that.”
On top of a day stage, food trucks and pop-up shops, SpringFest is also continuing its CoMMunity Partnership initiative, which provides a grant for philanthropic student ventures at the University. For this year’s SpringFest, MUSIC Matters joined with Heal-Move-Shift and Michigan Movement to encourage educational accessibility for underprivileged students. A variety of projects funded by these initiatives will be showcased this year.
MUSIC Matters Social Venture Chair Katie Schwartz said, “We are so thankful to have the opportunity to share in and contribute to their respective impactful efforts, from facilitating local high school seminars about the positive relationship of music and mental health with Heal-Move-Shift to lending a helping hand to the homeless population of Ann Arbor with Michigan Movement.” Part of the SpringFest proceeds will be used to support and grow the CoMMunity Partnership initiative further.
The festival’s social initiatives extend to all aspects, ranging from emphases on community outreach to zero waste. SpringFest 2019’s full daytime schedule is still to come.
Tickets for the show at Hill are on sale now, starting at $15 for students with valid UMID and $25 for the general public. They are available at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, which is located underground at the Michigan League during the Union’s renovation, or at the official MUSIC Matters website.