COLUMBUS OH: Playboi Carti brings his “Die Lit” energy to the campus of The Ohio State University, headlining the FYG U Festival powered by Amazon Prime Student, Total Assault, and Tik Tok.
The event, free for students, kicked off the beginning of Ohio State’s homecoming, a student member of The Ohio Union Activities Board informed Def Pen. Activations from Amazon Prime included perks for students holding Amazon Prime Student accounts. All students, however, enjoyed an evening of performances, screenings and video game tournaments.
Before Playboi Carti performed, local artists and rising acts from across the country took the stage. Luh Kel, a 17-year-old singer and songwriter from Tennessee seemed to already have fans in the audience as many girls sang along and screamed for the young musician. For rapper Supa Dupa Humble, the collegiate crowd proved to be the perfect audience to convert from strangers to fans.
At the top of his set, Supa Dupa Humble asked the crowd “be honest, if you’ve never heard of me, raise your hand.” As countless hands swayed in the air, Supa Dupa Humble took the opportunity to introduce his sound and vibrant personality and gain supporters from the Big 10 university. The longer he performed, the more the admiration grew. Using call and response phrases and crowd participation, Supa Dupa Humble proved to be the carefree fun the college students desired on their Friday evening.
For rising rapper Teyonahhh however, her dedicated performance had the opposite effect. Taking the stage twice, once on a side stage and again later on the Tik Tok main stage, the New York artist struggled to get the spirited crowd enthusiastic about her music. She repeatedly asked the crowd “where is yall’s energy” and a few repeated the question back to the stage. Despite a lack of interest, a few audience members engaged with Teyonahh’s set, dancing to the beats and nodding their heads to her lyrics.
After a late afternoon of opening acts, brand activations and food-truck treats, a stampede of chunky FILA’s and dirty all-white Air Force Ones stormed to the front. Hundreds of coeds attending the fall festival from food lines and outdoor activities rushed to the Tik ToK mainstage joining a crowd of thousands already awaiting Playboi Carti’s arrival.
When Playboi Carti emerged on stage, screams from all areas cheered on his presence. Performing multiple songs such as “Wokeuplikethis*” the crowd sang along and did their best drunken interpretations of dances popularized by Fortnite. Playboi Carti’s cartoonish voice matches his animated stage presence. While the FYG U Festival did not set up an elaborate stage with intricate special effects, the lighting, colorful smoke, branded backdrop and Playboi Carti himself were enough.
Beforehand, I immersed myself in Playboi Carti’s music, surveying fans for the best songs in preparation for the show. Attending the fest, the now-familiar beats paired with a live performance enlightened me on why people decide to be Playboi Carti fans. Playboi Carti may not deliver groundbreaking introspective raps but his brand of Hip Hop is fun.
For those who are not fluent in Playboi Carti’s musical language, understanding the songs may not come easy. Playboi Carti uses sounds mimicking short versions of words and slang sometimes, more than actual words. But it was perfect for fans, as many of the Buckeye crowd proved to be.
