Rapper Tyga, borh as Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, will be the first opening act for Spring Fling this year. Tyga is known for his hit song “Rack City.”
Credit: Courtesy of Creative CommonsSpring Fling just got a little more “Dope.”
Rapper Tyga will be coming to Penn on April 12 as the first Spring Fling opening artist. Tyga, born Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, came to fame with songs like “Faded,” “Roger That” and the megahit “Rack City.”
Tyga is the second opening artist released by the Social Planning and Events Committee. Janelle Monae, the first artist announced last week, will take the stage after Tyga.
Wharton senior and SPEC Concerts Director Ronnie Disimone said about the choice, “We didn’t get a rapper last year, and we thought that having something along those lines would help to be more well-rounded.”
“It’s dope. It’s about to be live, for sure. I’m glad that that West Coast sound is getting big enough that it’s coming over here now,” Kelechi Okereke, a College freshman, said of the choice.
Last year, Tyga’s album “Careless World: Rise of the Last King” debuted at number 4 on the Billboard charts, to positive reviews from critics. Tyga will be releasing a new album, “Hotel California,” on April 9, just days before his performance at Franklin Field.
SPEC Concerts Director and College senior Dorian Mendoza described Tyga as “a pretty natural choice for a Fling opener.”
The artist was hinted at through a classified advertisement published in the print edition of The Daily Pennsylvanian Thursday. SPEC Concerts wrote the ad, which contained clues like “Faded hardwood floor” and “The view is Dope,” ending with the email “ymcmb@specevents.net.” Those clues are references to Tyga’s songs and the email is a reference to the record label he is signed to, YMCMB, headed by Lil Wayne.
Some students are very excited for Tyga’s performance.
“I’m so excited, I want to tattoo my whole body to look like him,” College freshman Jake Lechnir said.
Others aren’t necessarily happy about the choice.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun when ‘Rack City’ comes on, but that’s his only hit,” College freshman Carolyn Grace said. “What else is he known for?”
However, some remain excited for Tyga.
“I’m so ready to get ratchet with Tyga,” Engineering sophomore Irene Jadic said.
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