By Alexandra GrayRegister Contributor
If you thought the 2000 hip-hop convention and alumni concerts topped all past Homecoming events then you might says this year’s concert is apart of a running trend.
Students Government Association, in collaboration with Diamond Life Concerts, has secured Sean P. Diddy Combs as the headliner for this year’s Hip-Hop convention.
The soulful lyrics of Patti Labelle will also be heard at the Alumni Concert entitled “A Homecoming Evening with Patti Labelle.”
After an initial conversation with the staff of Diamond Life Concerts, SGA put in a bid for Combs to appear. “From there it took a great deal of talking to get him to come,” said Chester Williams, SGA Vice President of External of Affairs.
Patti Labelle was determined to be the special guest at the Alumni event because she came for many years to perform at the Miss A&T coronations. Since Labelle had not visited for the past four or five years, it was time to bring the legendary singer back to Aggieland. “I think this will be one of the best concerts A&T has ever seen, and I hope from this it will grow in years to come,” said Williams. Some of his fellow Aggies are in high hopes of this concert as well.
“I think this concert will be a better combinations of performers than last year”, stated junior John Kornegay.
“It’s a better combination of people because they’ve all reached the prime in their career,” says sophomore Toni Fulton.The Homecoming Hip-Hop Convention 2001 will be October 13, and will also include rappers Ludacris, Jadakiss, with Funkmaster Flex, and Lil’ Mo.
Tickets went on sale Friday, Sept. 7, and are priced at $23.50, $25.50, $27.50 and $30.00. The Patti Labelle concert will be Friday, October 12th at the Special at Events Center. Tickets are on sale to now for $29.97 and $50.00. LaBelle, a contemporary music legend, has been recording and performing on stage since 1961, when she led the Blue Belles to a million-selling hit with “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman.” Since that time, the Philadelphia native has been a chart staple with a half-a-dozen hits.