Jidenna and iLoveMakonnen Perform For Spring Party Weekend

Hip-hop+and+R%26amp%3BB+artist+Jidenna+visited+Colgate+and+performed+at+the+annual+Spring+Party+Weekend+concert.

Hip-hop and R&B artist Jidenna visited Colgate and performed at the annual Spring Party Weekend concert.

On Saturday, April 22 at 7 p.m., Colgate University held a concert sponsored by the Spring Party Weekend Committee featuring iLoveMakonnen and Jidenna. The concert was the main Spring Party Weekend feature and was held in the Sanford Field House following performances from student DJ’s, senior Raffi Khatchadourian and junior Austen Smith. Free food and beverages were provided, including pizza, mozzarella sticks and cupcakes, as well as beer for those who were over the age of 21. 

Every year Colgate brings artists to perform during Spring Party Weekend, with the musical performance often acting as the main event during the weekend. First-year Kerr Patrick Braza was intrigued by the lineup posted by the Campus Activities Board the week prior.

“I only knew one song by Jidenna, the ‘Classic Man.’ I still went because it was Spring Party Weekend and I was curious about how the concert was going to be,” Braza said.

iLoveMakonnen performed before Jidenna’s act. Born in South Los Angeles, iLoveMakonnen was first discovered by famed record producer Mike WiLL Made-it, releasing his first self-titled album iLoveMakonnen in 2014. In 2015, the artist released a second album iLoveMakonnen 2, which was produced by OVO and Warner Brothers.

iloveMakonnen is best known for his song “Tuesday”, and rose to fame after Drake released a remix of this song. Makonnen is an American rapper from Georgia and is also known for other songs such as “I Don’t Sell Molly No More,” “Swerve,” “Forever” and “Trust Me Danny.”

Jidenna, the second performer of the night, was born in Wisconsin and attended Milton Academy, a Massachusetts boarding school. After Milton, Jidenna attended Stanford University where he fostered a love for music, graduaing with a bachelors degress in “ritualistic arts” in 2008.

Jidenna is best known for his song “Classic Man,” which was released in 2015 and nominated for a Grammy in 2016. His debut album, “The Chief” was released in February 2017. He is also known for other songs such as “Little Bit More” and “Long Live the Chief.”

Doors opened for Saturday’s event at 6:30 p.m., and the opening acts began shortly afterwards. Students began trickling in from this time until Jidenna’s performance, and proceeded to congregate in front of the stage.

iLoveMakonnen’s performance began at 7:30 p.m. He performed numerous songs, including his hit songs “Tuesday” and “I Dont Sell Molly No More.”

Jidenna came onto the stage at 9:15 p.m. to a fairly large crowd and applause. He proceeded to thank Colgate for inviting him. Jidenna then performed several songs, including one called “Bambi,” which  he complemented with some dance moves, some of which involved a cane. In between each of his songs, he gave a short talk that acted as a transition. Near the end of his performance he jumped off the stage and ran around the crowd to cheers from the audience. He performed until 10:15 p.m. and ended with his hit song “Classic Man.”

Braza, who was in attendance, was conflicted and somewhat displeased by the performances.

“I thought his music was pretty good and I liked his song ‘Bambi,’” Braza said. “There were too many people though and it was hard to dance without getting pushed.”

First-year Xander Berry was quite impressed by the concert.

“I liked the music, the atmosphere and Jidenna was a cool dude,” Berry said. “I was surprised when he ran into the crowd because it seemed like he was running straight towards me.”

Similarly, First-year Daniel Shea echoed Berry’s positive sentiments. While she knew less of Jidenna’s songs, she appreciated his performace more.

“While iLoveMakonnen was definitely fun and I knew more of his songs, it was clear that Jidenna was a true performer and he put out a great show,” Shea said.