Though basketball stars may typically hold claim to the title of Duke royalty, the "King of the South" will reign over Cameron Indoor Stadium April 7.
Grammy-winning Atlanta-based rapper T.I.-whose 2006 album "King" reached the top of the Billboard 200-will headline this year's Cameron Rocks! concert, Duke University Union officials confirmed Sunday.
"T.I. is huge on the rap scene," said sophomore Chamindra Goonewardene, head of production for the Major Attractions committee and next year's chair of the group. "It's going to be an amazing concert because he's known as an awesome performer."
Opening act Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, an indie rock group out of Brooklyn and Philadelphia, will also perform at the show.
Current Major Attractions Chair Rob Carlson, a sophomore, said the combination of rap and indie acts will make the concert a hit for fans of a wide range of musical genres.
"If one artist isn't that appealing, I think the other will be more appealing," he said. "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is an up-and-coming artist, and we [wanted] to introduce the student body to some variety, not necessarily bands that have passed their prime as has been a complaint in recent years."
Goonewardene added that T.I., who is best known for hits "Bring Em Out" and "U Don't Know Me," will offer students a musical experience quite distinctive from last year's concert, which featured indie rock bands Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand.
"We thought we would go with something different this year," he said.
Reduced ticket prices mark another change from last year's show, Carlson said.
Tickets-which will go on sale Wednesday-will cost $20 for Duke students, compared to last year's $25 price tag. At $25, ticket prices for non-Duke college students have also been lowered, and Carlson added that he hopes to see students from a range of local schools at the event, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Central University.
"It will be good to have mingling of students from the area," Carlson said.
Incoming Union President Katelyn Donnelly, a junior, praised the work of the Major Attractions committee and said she looks forward to the concert.
"They're going to put together a really good show," she said. "Bringing a concert to campus is one of the great events in one's Duke career that I hope everyone has a chance to experience."
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