Hip-hop fans were willing to get soaked Friday night in order to see Kid Cudi and Common perform at the Flavet Field Bandshell.
The concert, which was put on by Student Government Productions, attracted a crowd of about 5,000 who stopped by throughout the cold, rainy night.
Aaron Crespin, chairman of SGP Music and Entertainment, said SGP brought the musicians to UF for a total cost of $75,000.
Crespin said SGP anticipated a crowd of about 10,000 to 15,000 people. Although he knew students would be out of town due to the Southeastern Conference Championship game, he attributed the lower turnout to the weather.
The concert also featured opening acts by Shay-J and Boy Wonder.
When Kid Cudi appeared, the stage lights flashed red and white as he asked the audience if there was a big game coming up.
Kid Cudi’s performance included his hit “Day ‘N’ Nite” and other songs such as “Man on the Moon” and “Soundtrack 2 my Life.”
Kid Cudi danced back and forth across the stage, moving in time to the music.
He encouraged the audience to join in and dance along.
Jimmy Milone, a Florida International University student who came for the concert, said he’s been listening to Kid Cudi for about two years.
He said he likes how Kid Cudi talks about feelings that people don’t normally want to talk about, like many young people’s uncertainty about their future.
“I feel like he talks about, yeah, the feelings that people hide,” Milone said.
Common finished up the concert with a 45-minute performance that kept the crowd pumped.
He encouraged people in the audience to wave their cell phones as he sang “The Light,” dedicating the song to the deceased hip-hop artist J Dilla and “all the ladies” in the audience.
“We’re gonna dedicate this to all the light out there who is shining bright,” Common said.
Wearing a gray Gators hoodie, he also performed a five-minute freestyle with references to University Avenue, Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and Carlos Dunlap’s DUI.
Kid Cudi and Common rapped together for about 10 minutes.
Nique Etienne, a University of South Florida junior, said she wished Common played more of his own songs, but she liked how his performance flowed very naturally and incorporated the freestyle.
Brittiney Stroy, a UF anthropology junior, said Common’s lyrics have stories and substance behind them.
“He’s really talking about something real, not just about money and bling and stuff,” Stroy said.
