After bringing the likes of Migos, J. Cole and Common to campus, MUSIC Matters’ SpringFest will be hosting headliners 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty and Desiigner at the Crisler Center for the organization’s largest planned concert to date.
MUSIC Matter’s sixth annual charity festival will take place on Friday, April 14 and will consist of a day-long festival with live performances from local and emerging talent, a pitch competition, food trucks and a closing performance at the Crisler Center from a headlining trio of 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty and Desiigner, with proceeds going toward a summer camp for Detroit youth to be hosted at the University of Michigan this coming summer.
Grammy-winner 2 Chainz will be making his second appearance on campus, last performing at Hill Auditorium for SpringFest in 2014. Additionally, in a change from SpringFest’s usual single-headliner concerts, 2 Chainz will also be joined by hip-hop artists Lil Yachty and Desiigner.
The two artists both boast meteoric rises to fame, immediately finding themselves in the public eye after breakout projects released early last year. “Broccoli,” Lil Yachty’s collaboration with R&B artist D.R.A.M., thrust the 19-year-old artist into hip-hop’s limelight after achieving quadruple-platinum status, while Desiigner’s surprise feature on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo resulted in Def Jam signing the previously unknown rapper to a record deal. His hit single “Panda” also achieved quadruple-platinum status in the United States.
SpringFest’s announced headliners come on the heels of a hallmark partnership between MUSIC Matters and record label Universal Music Group. All three artists are signed to an imprint of UMG: Both 2 Chainz and Desiigner are signed to Def Jam and Lil Yachty is a recent addition to Capitol Records’ roster. UMG’s partnership with MUSIC Matters also marks the label’s first foray into newfound campus-centric initiatives, according to a statement released by MUSIC Matters.
Per the release, starting this year, UMG plans on hosting campus festivals nationwide, modeling them after SpringFest’s format. In the statement, LSA senior Austin Dixon, talent and concert chair of MUSIC Matters, notes the partnership has made it possible for the Crisler Center to host its first concert since 2002.
“I think 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty, and Desiigner all bring an energy that will really excite the student body, so to be able to give that experience to our fellow classmates and peers is truly incredible,” Dixon said.
Unlike past events, MUSIC Matter’s latest SpringFest concert also marks a notable shift from its usual venue of choice. Unlike Hill Auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 3,500, the Crisler Center boasts an ability to host up to 12,707 people; additionally, this year’s SpringFest concert will be the Crisler Center’s first student-produced concert since 1994. In the statement, MUSIC Matters’ president Matt Fisher, an LSA senior, said the audacious acts and change in scale illustrates the organization’s intent to build on its long-standing ambition.
“SpringFest is an incredible vehicle that unites campus through one event, combining the passion and energy of Michigan students with the academic and entrepreneurial spirit of the University,” the statement reads. “We are all ecstatic about the growth and magnitude of our festival year after year.”
Tickets to the performance will start at $19.99 for students with valid UM IDs and $29.99 for the public. Tickets will be available both online on the official MUSIC Matters website and at the Michigan Union Ticket Office beginning Thursday at 12 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively.