Although Jeremy Strege questions the sanity of rapper Lil B, he can’t wait until he takes the microphone for the concert Wednesday in the Schine Underground.

‘He’s crazy but good,’ said Strege, a sophomore advertising and psychology major. ‘He may not be the most popular rapper, but he calls himself ‘The BasedGod.’ He’s such a sensation.’

Doors for the concert open at 7:30 p.m. and music starts with the opening acts at 8 p.m. The sold-out show created a lot of buzz on campus, said Kenny Consor, co-director of University Union Concerts and a junior in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries.

Lil B’s latest album, his second studio album titled ‘I’m Gay,’ peaked at No. 56 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart and stirred controversy because of its name. He released the album for free on his Facebook page. Lil B also released his studio debut ‘Angels Exodus’ earlier this year.

‘I’ve heard nothing but good things about Lil B’s live show,’ Consor said. ‘Shortly after the concert was announced, there was a rush to buy tickets, and it sold out quickly.’

Opening hip-hop acts IamG and Tayyib Ali will accompany headliner Lil B for the first show of UU’s 2011 Bandersnatch Music Series. IamG, an emcee from New Jersey, is currently promoting his latest EP, ‘Days in a Haze.’

‘I’ve seen IamG perform a few times, and he always has an exciting set,’ Consor said.

Ali is a Philadelphia-based rapper set to drop a new mixtape called ‘Keystone State of Mind.’ Strege said the rapper’s appearance at the concert played a big part in his decision to attend the show.

‘Pairing Lil B with Tayyib Ali in a smaller, more intimate place like Schine Underground can’t be anything but great,’ Strege said.

Kyle Kuchta’s roommate introduced him to Lil B’s musical style two years ago. Although the rapper wasn’t as mainstream-friendly as most artists in his scene, Kuchta, a junior film major, quickly caught on to his unique sensibilities.

‘He really started to blow up after releasing some real weird raps,’ Kuchta said. ‘That’s partially why I’m going, but his summer release ‘I’m Gay’ was pretty dope, too.’

Kuchta also said he hopes that the Californian rapper will balance his set with an even mix of new songs and older fan favorites.

Lil B has garnered a cult following by using popular social media websites. He recorded more than 1,500 tracks released on his MySpace pages and has developed into a successful Twitter mogul. The rapper helped popularize phrases such as ‘swag’ and ‘Thank you, BasedGod’ due to his extensive online presence.

The artist’s enigmatic persona should make the concert an interesting experience, Consor said.

‘I can honestly say I have no idea what concertgoers can expect. I’ve heard some funny and wild stories from Lil B’s past shows, so I’m curious to see how it turns out,’ Consor said. ‘This is going to be an interesting one.’

ervanrhe@syr.edu

Published on November 8, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Erik: ervanrhe@syr.edu | @therealvandyman