Mississippi State’s Music Makers Productions will host rapper A$AP Ferg Feb. 23 at the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville.
Tickets are on sale for $25. Any tickets left on the day of the concert will be sold for $30. Doors for the event will open at 7 p.m., and the concert will start at 8 p.m..
Tommie Jo Barnett, the publicity chair for Music Makers Productions, said the preparation for this concert began at the beginning of the fall semester when Music Makers Productions surveyed campus to determine what music genre is most appealing to the students.
Barnett said after much deliberation, everyone agreed getting a rap or hip-hop artist would be the best decision since those genres appeal to a diverse fan base.
Since A$AP Ferg was announced as the spring concert artist, Barnett said they have received primarily positive feedback.
Barnett said the team felt this was the perfect time to get A$AP Ferg to come to Starkville since his career is on an upwards trajectory. A$AP Ferg was raised in Harlem in New York City, and many of his songs are inspired by his journey to international success and acclaim. While he is still a member of A$AP Mob, A$AP Ferg is focusing on his solo career.
Music Makers Productions are selling tickets every day in the Colvard Student Union, advertising the concert and setting up for the concert the night before. A team of 20 college student is devoted to making this concert an enjoyable experience for every individual who attends.
While it is hard work, Barnett said every member of the team really enjoys what they do.
“When I left the Alabama Shakes concert last spring, I remember feeling more sore than I ever felt before,” Barnett said. “It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth every minute of it. The whole team is exhausted by the end of it all, but we don’t take any of it for granted.”
As part of the concert, Music Makers Productions is offering two DJs a chance to boost their professional career. Holly Beatz, the winners of a DJ competition on campus, will be the opening act for A$AP Ferg.
Justin Peele, a sophomore computer science major from Gulfport, said he is looking forward to attending the event with his friends and knows he will not be disappointed. Peele said he wishes he was here when Rae Sremmund performed a few years back but now feels like he will have a similar opportunity.
“When Rae Sremmund came a few years back, he was definitely not as big of an artist as he is today. He was popular, but not in the same way,” Peele said. “I feel like a similar process will happen with A$AP Ferg. The way his career is going makes me feel like getting tickets this cheap is the deal of a lifetime, since they are bound to only get higher from now on.”
Barnett said the Music Makers Productions team had a similar thought process about A$AP Ferg’s popularity, but beyond this, she said they believe students will really have a wonderful concert experience.
“This is convenient, well-priced and something you will never forget if you make the choice to go,” Barnett said. “A$AP Ferg is an amazing artist who you will immediately love if you don’t already.”