By Marissa Bruno
Staff Writer
Get ready for a major genre change for the Spring Weekend acts this year. WSBU-FM 88.3, The Buzz, will host this year’s hip-hop and R&B artists. So Fly Smooth will perform at noon, Jade Alston at 2 p.m. and Matt Patterson at 4 p.m. tomorrow in the parking lot between the Richter and Reilly centers.
“I think the shift to a hip-hop themed spring weekend will be great for the students, mainly because the music will make for great background noise for the other events going on,” James Riley, assistant programming director at The Buzz, said.
Former Bonaventure student Marcel Brown will return to campus as Smooth from Brooklyn, who attended Bona’s as an accounting and marketing major on a full scholarship from his academic success in high school. Coming from the birthplace of Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, Brown dreamed of a successful music career. He began rapping at age 8 and said his songs speak to his life and his successes as the first member of his family to attend college, according to his website.
“I’ve known him for some time now since he came into Bonaventure in the same year as myself,” Riley said. “I was friends with him our freshman and sophomore years, before he left school to pursue music more rigorously.”
According to Brown’s website, soflysmooth.com, he chose the name So Fly Smooth because he felt it reflected what he would bring to the rap game. He released his mixtape, “Bring It Bakk,” which featured a remake of Foxy Brown’s “Gotta Get You Home” and The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Warning.” He will be releasing his debut album, “Before the Beginning,” this fall.
“I’m sure each artist performing will have a solid crowd, because each of them know a great deal of students here. Overall I think the tone of the music will meld together well with the games, food and other activities that circle around the weekend,” Riley said.
Matt Patterson, a Queens native, recently debuted “The Getaway EP” and hopes to bring a new sound that will separate him from the rest of the hip-hop and R&B industry.
“I met Patterson through a few of my close friends from Rockaway who grew up with him,” Riley said. “He was eager to perform here when we asked him if he would. It just worked out that he could actually be here for Spring Weekend.”
R&B recording artist Al ston visited campus last semester as an in-studio artist for The Buzz and finds her way back for Bonaventure’s final festivities as another artist for Spring Weekend.
“(Alston) was touring colleges promoting her debut album in the fall and contacted us to see if we could host her in-studio,” Jess Rehac, station manager of the Buzz, said. “We saw how talented she was, and we were really excited when she said she could come up for Spring Weekend.”
A Philadelphia native, Alston worked on the video show “Urban X-pressions.” Artist Kelis picked up Alston for her album’s radio promo tour. Alston even performed on BET’s “106th and Park.” According to her website, jadealston.com, Alston describes her music as “a female version of Kanye West and/or Drake. … My music is smooth and soulful, while still being young and modern. I am extremely excited for the world to hear it.”
“I hope that campus will have as much fun at the shows as we will,” Rehac said. “We have three talented artists that I could see making it big in the near future. I think that they are going to be three great concerts that a lot of people are going to enjoy.”
Sophomore Sofia Imperoli agreed.
“I can’t wait to hear hip-hop & R&B this year. I think it’s a change for the better,” Imperoli said. “It’s personally my favorite genre, and most people I know would agree.”
brunomc10@bonaventure.edu
