Chancelor Bennett, known professionally as "Chance the Rapper," will headline Penn's 2016 Spring Fling concert, joining opener Las Vegas-based DJ 3LAU. | Photo Courtesy of SPEC
This year, the Social Planning and Events Committee will bring some “acid rap” to the Spring Fling concert on April 15 at Franklin Field. And there won’t be “one gosh darn part you can’t tweet.”
Chancelor Bennett, known professionally as “Chance the Rapper,” will headline Penn’s 2016 Spring Fling concert, joining opener Las Vegas-based DJ 3LAU.
“He’s an amazing artist,” SPEC Concerts Co-Director and College senior Spencer Jaffe said. “We think not only is he socially relevant, he’s also just an incredible artist and performer.”
SPEC announced Chance as the headliner on Saturday afternoon by unfolding white banners at the backyard on Pine Street between 40th and 41st, the Quad, Huntsman Hall and on Locust Walk.
Shortly after the unveiling on Pine Street, SPEC updated its Facebook event page, which previously had listed “Insert Headliner Here” alongside 3LAU.
Chance the Rapper is a 23-year-old rapper from Chicago who first came to public attention with the release of his song, “Windows” in 2011. He was later featured as the opening act for Childish Gambino’s 2012 concert tour.
Chance, who previously came to Penn for the SPEC-TRUM fall show in 2013, will be the first rapper to perform at Fling since Tyga, also in 2013.
That same year, he released his second mixtape, “Acid Rap,” finding both critical and commercial success. His mixtapes and one studio album, as part of the band, “The Social Experiment,” have all been self-released for free online.
As a guest artist, he has been featured on songs by performers ranging from Justin Bieber to Madonna.
Most recently, Chance co-wrote and was featured on various songs in Kanye West’s album, “The Life of Pablo.” He performed the record’s opening song, “Ultralight Beam,” with West on the Feb. 13 episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
The album’s release, originally slated for Feb. 11, was delayed until the early-morning hours of Feb. 15, something West not-so-subtlety attributed to Chance, who urged him to tinker with the final tracklist.
The Spring Fling concert will take place on Friday, April 15 at Franklin Field. General admission tickets this year are $40 for Penn students. Floor passes are $50 and restricted to only students while non-Penn attendees must pay $70.
SPEC said on the event Facebook page that more information about how to acquire tickets will be released on Monday.
Enterprise Editor Jessica McDowell contributed reporting.
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