Juice Jam 2011 will please hip-hop and house music aficionados, pairing a well-known rapper with an up-and-coming DJ that promises to be a lively set.
Grammy-nominated rapper B.o.B and Swedish electro-house DJ Avicii headline the event at Skytop Field on South Campus Sunday, with Philadelphia alternative hip-hop duo Chiddy Band selected as the event’s openers.
B.o.B exploded onto the music scene last year with his debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray [13], collecting five Grammy nominations for the album and his hit single, "Nothin' on You," which featured Bruno Mars. The star-studded cast on his album includes Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo in "Magic," along with Eminem and Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams on "Airplanes." After his breakthrough 2010 campaign, MTV put him on their list [14] of the current scene’s top 10 rappers.
Avicii [15], a name with less impact in the States, blends elements of electronic and house music to his live DJ performance. His hit song, "Seek Bromance," generated over 50 million views online and topped international charts in Belgium and the UK. Recently, he’s collaborated with David Guetta on a new song "Sunshine" and remixed tracks from artists such as Tiesto, Enrique Iglesias and Daft Punk.
The 20-year-old European dance music sensation looks to increase his prominence in the US, and his high-energy club music is hugely influenced and comparable to fellow European DJ Tiesto (also coming to Syracuse this month).
This year’s openers, selected by a University Union survey, will be hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang. The group matches the energy level of the headliners, and bridges the gap between B.o.B’s hip-hop leanings and Avicii’s electronic, fast-tempo dance beats.
Chiddy Bang, composed of rapper Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and rapper-producer Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin, use alternative hooks and samples from other popular electronic-influenced bands like MGMT and Passion Pit to deliver a fresh take on modern hip-hop, perfect for a college setting.
The group has one full-length album, Chiddy Bang: The Preview, and an EP, The Opposite of Adults, released through EMI records. They also released three mixtapes, including the most recent Peanut Butter and Swelly which is available for free download on the group’s website.
The headliners both bring a distinct sound — B.o.B’s soulful, R&B-influenced pop music is a completely different scene than Avicii’s Tiesto-like aesthetic assault — but each act, including openers Chiddy Bang, contribute to an overarching motif of young, ambitious, creative musicians who bring their own flavor to the show.
Tickets for Juice Jam are available for Syracuse University and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, faculty and staff at the Schine Student Center Box Office, or on its website, for $10. Non-SU college students can also purchase tickets for $20 with valid college identification. The concert is scheduled for September 11, 2011.
