There were varied reactions when the lineup for the 2015 Fall Fest was announced at the end of August.
There was excitement for Big Sean, confusion for Tink (not the singer Tank) and mixed emotions for Jeremih. There’s a lot to learn about these artists, from the larger-than-life Big Sean to the newcomer Tink.
Let’s start by ending some of the confusion about Tink:
1. She’s a 20-year-old Chicago native from Calumet City.
2. She’s under the mentoring wing of mega-producer Timbaland.
3. She’s been nominated as Best Female Hip-Hop Artist for this year.
4. Her real name is Trinity Home.
5. She got the nickname “Tink” when she started freestyling as a teen
6. She’s released six mixtapes and is set to release a debut album this year.
7. She’s been a singer and songwriter since the age of 12.
8. She first started singing in church.
9. Before a recording artist, Tink had aspirations of being a radio show host.
10. So far she’s collaborated with Jeremih, Charlemagne Tha God, Kelela, Future Brown and Sleigh Bells.
11. Her favorite subject in school was English.
12. She doesn’t have a driver’s license.
Jeremih, the rising star out of the Windy City:
1. His debut single “Birthday Sex” went platinum and hit number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US – it was also recorded in French.
2. He’s somewhat of a recluse, rarely being seen out and about on camera.
3. His real name is Jeremih Felton.
4. He’s 28 years old, born on July 17, 1987.
5. His mother and grandmother were both musicians and would give him musical instruments for Christmas growing up.
6. By the time he reached high school he had already taught himself the sax, drums, piano, bass guitar and the quads – a type of drum.
7. He started singing when he got into college.
8. He studied engineering for a time at the University of Illinois.
9. He consistently works with producer Mick Schultz, who he met at the University of Illinois.
The Motor City Titan, Big Sean:
1. His real name is Sean Michael Leonard Anderson.
2. He’s a part of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label.
3. He was born on March 25, 1988. He is 27 years old.
4. He was born in Santa Monica, California but grew up in Detroit, Michigan.
5. He has his own publishing company called Sean Michael Anderson Music and is looking to start his own music label as well.
6. He has one double-platinum and two platinum tracks: “Dance (A$$),” “Mercy” and “Clique,” respectively.
7. He’s recorded three studio albums and is currently working on his fourth.
8. He built the Sean Anderson Studio of Infinite Possibilities for the Cass Technical High School after students collectively raised their ACT scores.
9. He predicted Kanye’s 2020 Presidential campaign back in 2012.
Kenneth Kashif Thomas is the arts editor and can be reached at kenneth.thomas@ubspectrum.com
