Rapper and singer Kid Cudi will headline this year’s Block Party in the Carrier Dome, University Union officials announced Friday. Nas & Damian Marley will be one of the opening acts, and another opening artist will be announced at a later date.

Block Party, Syracuse University’s annual spring concert hosted by UU, is the biggest show of the year and will take place April 29 at 7 p.m.

‘We’ve been trying to get Kid Cudi since I was a freshman, but it never worked out,’ said Andrew Beyda, president of UU and a senior television, radio and film and music industry major. ‘We’ve had four years of built-up anticipation, and now we can finally make it happen.’

Online presale tickets for the lower level of the Dome will be available for purchase Tuesday on the SU Athletics website at 11 a.m. Student tickets cost $15. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Schine Box Office on March 8. The price for general public tickets, which also go on sale March 8, is $25. 

SU students have expressed interest in seeing Cudi for more than four years, Beyda said. In an annual UU artist survey sent to the entire student body through SUmail, Cudi received the highest number of votes for any artist. UU received 3,100 responses, its highest ever, with 36 percent of students ranking Cudi as their top headliner choice and another 30 percent placing him second, Beyda said.

‘The student demand for Kid Cudi simply blew the other options out of the water,’ Beyda said.

UU officials expect tickets to sell quickly due to high demand and the campus-wide appeal of this year’s lineup. Because last year’s Block Party, headlined by Drake, sold out, approximately 2,000 additional tickets will be available for sale, said Harry Roberts, director of UU concerts.

‘Last year, Drake broke the attendance record, and we want to build on that success,’ Roberts said. ‘Our goal is to one-up that this year.’

Cudi’s first single, ‘Day ‘n’ Nite,’ hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009. His first album, ‘Man on the Moon: The End of the Day,’ features popular singles ‘Make Her Say’ and ‘Pursuit of Happiness.’ Cudi’s second album, ‘Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager,’ peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts. Cudi is signed onto West’s G.O.O.D. Music label, as is rapper Big Sean, who performed at SU on Feb. 23 as part of UU’s Bandersnatch Music Series.

American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley, collaborated on their May 2010 album, ‘Distant Relatives,’ after creating and performing the song ‘Road to Zion’ together in 2005. The album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Rap and Reggae charts. ‘As We Enter’ hit No. 10 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap charts, and ‘Strong Will Continue’ is featured in the 2010 FIFA World Cup video game. Both songs appear on ‘Distant Relatives.’

The other opening artist will be announced within a few weeks, Beyda said, and will round off the acts for one cohesive show.

‘Nas & Damian Marley, combined with Cudi, will make for a really solid hip-hop show,’ Beyda said. ‘The opener is a very interesting pick that has been garnering some attention lately and will add a nice element to Block Party.’

mainthia@syr.edu

Published on February 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm