By Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern
Three-time Grammy Award-nominated rapper Lupe Fiasco will perform at this year’s Dillo Day festivities on May 26, representatives for the artist told The Daily.
A receptionist at the William Morris Agency, the talent agency that represents Fiasco, confirmed he would be coming for the celebration.
Joe Schneider, a representative at Atlantic Records, said the booking was “showing up on both my calendars.”
“As far as I know, it’s happening,” he said.
Music information database JamBase.com showed Fiasco as scheduled to perform at Northwestern on May 26 as of Tuesday afternoon.
By Tuesday night, that information had been removed.
Mayfest Co-chairman Dan Grossman said the group hasn’t confirmed Fiasco’s performance, but he said Mayfest has explored rap and rock artists to be headliners.
“There was an original rumor that he was coming,” said Grossman, a Music senior. “We checked it out, and we were amazed because we hadn’t confirmed it yet.
“If he is (coming), then that’s great news to me. We’d be really happy.”
The Chicago-based rapper’s album “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor” made its debut at the top of Billboard’s “Top Rap Albums” chart.
The Muslim African-American recording artist earned a Grammy nomination for his album, plus two more for his hit song “Kick, Push.”
Grossman said members of Mayfest “checked (the availability of) over 100 people” and “put out a bunch of offers” to artists, including Fiasco.
“We started (our search for performers) a lot earlier this year,” he said. “Usually we announced (our performers) halfway through Spring Quarter, but we hope to announce earlier this year.”
Funk group Robert Randolph and the Family Band and pop-rock artist Ben Folds headlined last year’s Dillo Day. Rock ‘n’ roll and funk legend George Clinton and his group Parliament Funkadelic performed in 2005, and The Wailers, a reggae band, headlined in 2004.
Grossman said Mayfest is trying to “change it up a little this year” in terms of the variety of its performers.
“We want to do something different,” he said. “We’re not going to have a headliner be The Wailers again. Our goal is to have something different, as in not reggae or funk.”
Weinberg junior Mark Feygin likened Fiasco to Kanye West. He said he likes Fiasco’s “intelligent lyrics and really cool beats.”
“I would be extremely excited if he came for Dillo Day,” he said. “His sort of music would be incredible during a nice spring day because it’s really upbeat and really exciting music.”
Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].
