The Morgan State Homecoming concert of 2015 was one that will be long remembered for its events on and off the stage.
After Houston rapper Travis Scott backed out, the Umoja Council was able to book superstar Rick Ross in a matter of hours. Ross and New York chart-topper Fabolous headlined the concert, sharing the stage with several opening acts hoping to achieve their levels of stardom.
Students and outsiders filled the Hill Field House from the floor to the bleachers to see two of the biggest stars in music perform.
Morgan State’s own The Keenan System hosted the event, keeping the crowd hype while keeping his balance on his Hoverboard 360.
Morgan State student and signer Mornin’ After kicked off the show, crooning to the ladies. He showed off his vocal range while cultivating a female guest on stage.
D.C. area singer Maya Milan got the crowd warmed up with her renditions of several popular songs, including Bryson Tiller’s chart-climbing hit “Don’t”. Milan was accompanied by a quartet of dancers, whose choreographed steps blended perfectly with her performance.
West Baltimore artist and Youtube sensation “GMG Tadoe” got hometown students riled up when he performed his hit songs “Ballin on a Bitch” and “YSN”.
As the crowd began to get antsy in anticipation of Fabolous and Rick Ross hitting the stage, singer “Skylar” was the final opening act for the evening. What Skylar lacked in stature he made up for in style and performance, as he gracefully crooned and danced to several hits. He showed off his lyrical prowess, dropping a free-style to rapper Kendrick Lamar’s hit single “Alright”.
Concertgoers began to get impatient as the wait for the headline artists to perform nearly exceeded an hour.
Legendary rapper Fabolous made up for lost time, energizing the crowd with a slew of hits dating back nearly two decades. Spreading out his set through his entire catalogue, Fabolous performed songs from several albums and mixtapes. Hits like “So Into You” and “Breathe” allowed Fab to take a break, as the crowd sang word for word in unison.
He mixed up his set to appeal to fans from the beginning without isolating new ones. His hour set was filled with enough variety to appeal to everyone from the prissiest female to the most hardcore thug.
Several quarrels broke out during the intermission, but Morgan police were able to take control of the situations in a timely manner.
Dade County’s own Rick Ross wasted no time, hitting the stage and bringing a guest – new fiancée Lira Galore. Ross managed to touch the emotions of the females in the crowd, as he proudly showed off the lady in his life. Ross showcased the extensive catalogue of hits he has produced in the last decade, as the crowd sang entire songs word for word for his entire set.
Ross performed hits from his first album “Port of Miami” to his most recent mixtape “Black Dollar”. Songs like “I’m not a Star” and “Hustlin” raised the energy in the Hill Field House as the building shouted in unison.
“Whip it real hard, Whip it Whip it real hard!”
Ross captivated the crowd with his blinding jewelry and swagger on stage. He even took the time to give Morgan students some word of advice.
“Everybody in here is going to college to one day be a boss. The first step to being a boss is you got to have that confidence.”
For an event that was a nightmare for all those involved just hours ago, the Morgan State Homecoming concert was a success.
