Spring concert acts J. Cole, Gym Class Heroes to perform April 19

By Kristen Sekinger

Got a case of spring fever? You’re not alone. And this year’s spring concert featuring J. Cole and Gym Class Heroes only adds to the excitement of the season.

Nominee for “Best New Artist” at the 2012 Grammy Awards, hip-hop rapper J. Cole is an up-and-coming artist who is most known for his hit songs “Work Out” and “Can’t Get Enough.”

“I honestly think that J. Cole is one of the best new artists out, and his style reminds me a lot of Tupac,” Hannah Zingg, a secondary education sophomore, said.

Being a graduate from St. John’s University in New York is what makes J. Cole different from most rappers in the game.

“I like J. Cole as an artist because he doesn’t just rap about money and girls and all the things most mainstream artists talk about today,” Zingg said. “He tells stories to really paint a picture.”

Many believe that J. Cole is going to be one of the biggest rappers in the future.

“I like that he’s an up-and-coming artist and he’s successful so far,” Brandon Curry, an integrated strategic communication sophomore, said.

Gym Class Heroes, a rap rock band from New York, formed in 1997 when head singer Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class, hence the band’s name “Gym Class Heroes.”

The band’s first hit single, “Cupid’s Chokehold,” featured on the album “The Papercut Chronicles” in 2005, became No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its most recent single, “Ass Back Home,” featuring Neon Hitch, has become one of the most popular songs on the band’s latest album, “The Papercut Chronicles II.”

Student Activities Board Director of Concerts Seth Murphy said he is proud of this year’s concert committee for “keeping up with the challenge of producing a duel headlining show like J. Cole and Gym Class Heroes.”

Floor seats are sold out, but bleacher seats can still be purchased at the Student Center ticket office for $10 for upper level and $15 for lower level for students.

The concert is at 8 p.m. on April 19 in Memorial Coliseum.