Following the release and success of his debut studio album “Islah,” Baton Rouge rapper Kevin Gates will bring his infectious beats and rhymes to The Lyric in a completely sold-out show.
General manager of The Lyric Lindsay Dillon said that tickets for this year’s show sold much faster than Gates’ first appearance at The Lyric in 2015, and that less advertising was needed for ticket sales this year.
“This is definitely a younger crowd,” Dillon said. “It’s easier to target when they’re that young because they’re always on social media and you don’t have to do as much promotion.”
One of the opening acts for the show, up-and-coming New Orleans rapper Young Greatness, is excited to share the stage with his friend Kevin Gates.
photo courtesy (http://www.amazon.com/)
“We have a good relationship,” he said. “We just met through me grinding on the streets of music in New Orleans.”
After some conversation between the two Louisiana rappers, Gates presented the opportunity for Young Greatness to open on his tour. Young Greatness, whose hit single “Moolah” is currently No.14 on the Billboard charts, is looking forward to his first time performing in Oxford.
“I’m just looking forward to excitement, the response from the crowd and the energy,” he said. “They can expect a lot of excitement and good music. We’re gonna have fun because that’s what it’s all about.”
As for what brings artists to Oxford, Dillon believes it is simply the city itself.
“A lot of people really like Oxford so it kind of attracts people,” she said.
With the growing hype surrounding both artists, it’s easy to see why the show has sold out so quickly in the college town.
Freshman integrated marketing communications major Landon Chapman has been a fan of Kevin Gates for three years and said he was pumped to be going to the concert. As a mailing list subscriber for concerts at The Lyric, Chapman bought tickets as soon as he got the e-mail that Kevin Gates would be performing.
“I am so excited to see his energy in person,” he said. “It is one thing to hear such insane energy on the radio, but to see it live is going to be so awesome.”
-Alexis Neely
