After a horrendous reaction by students to Fall Fest 2011, the newly elected Student Association E-board has delivered what seems to be the redemption this school was looking for. According to Ticketmaster, critically acclaimed rappers J. Cole and Childish Gambino will headline this year's Fall Fest at Alumni Arena on Sept. 1.
Bronx rapper French Montana will open along with a potential local act, according to SA President Travis Nemmer. SA will formally announce the lineup within the next two days. Neither headliner is a stranger to Western New York. J. Cole most recently visited Buffalo as an act in Drake's Club Paradise tour at Darien Lake in June. He also performed at Buffalo State College's Spring Fests in 2010 and 2011 alongside artists such as Miguel and Young Jeezy.
Childish Gambino, who most recognize as comedian/actor Donald Glover, visited the Queen City's Town Ballroom last June with rapper Danny Brown.
French Montana is also no stranger to Buffalo, having toured with J. Cole and Drake on the same Club Paradise tour.
What makes the anticipation higher for this lineup, however, is the amount of progress these rappers have made since their last stops in Buffalo. While Fall Fest 2011 headliner The Fray was considered past its prime, this year's acts are rising rapidly.
J. Cole has recently released a new single, "The Cure," to kick off the new season of music. Childish Gambino's ROYALTY mixtape has received accolades from websites such as The Huffington Post and TIME, and French Montana's debut album Excuse My French generated a hefty buzz with songs such as "Pop That" and his infectious chorus on Rick Ross' "Stay Schemin'."
According to Ticketmaster, tickets for the general public will go on sale Aug. 2. Tickets for UB undergrads are free.
Fall Fest weekend will be an eventful one for UB, as the UB Bulls football team opens its season at the University of Georgia, arguably one of the best teams in the nation, the same day at 1 p.m.
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