If you've ever been at a UB Orientation Session or a Student Association-backed event, chances are you heard the term "diversity" tossed around at least a dozen times. You're going to hear it dozens more if you're planning on staying enrolled at UB.
You're probably going to have a list of complaints about UB by the end of the month - as is the case with any college - but the institution is going to make damn sure diversity isn't one of them.
Three out of the last four SA music festivals have been hip-hop based, prompting many students to question if SA has forgotten the fans of other musical genres. So was SA counteracting the diversity movement when it planned the recent fests?
But this couldn't be the case. SA President Travis Nemmer said in an interview I had with him a while back that his administration had been planning this Fall Fest since the end of last spring semester. So I doubt they could've simply forgotten about diversity - he's a senior, so the concept has to be drilled into his skull by now.
Consider this: Perhaps the best way to be diverse is not attempting to be diverse at all.
Hip-hop is one of the only genres that is widespread and malleable enough to bring together such a large student body in one festival. It's no secret that the genre has slowly tightened its grasp on mainstream since its birth, but its influence on today's popular music is more understated and nuanced.
Popular hip-hop revolves around rhythm - whether it be rhyming acrobatics or a drum pattern - and a climax, a point of instant gratification that may come via drug tales from Rick Ross or an aggressive hook. This climax is the foundation of hip-hop; DJs back in the '70s would often replay the best parts of a record to hype up parties.
This climax and repetition is what dominates some of today's biggest hits: "Call Me Maybe," "Lights," and "Where Have You Been" (albeit in a less street-wise tone). It is wild abandonment, purposely repetitive, and gets the crowd hyper. Ellie Goulding and Carly Rae Jepsen don't have enough hits to sustain a full-blown set, though, so they're out of the question.
Here's the thing about rock: It takes a very specific type of taste, I think, to be able to dance to hours of guitars, drums, bass, and your typical assorted instruments. It can get too linear to keep such a diverse crowd going, whereas popular music and hip-hop sample everything from power chords to synths. To put all those ingredients together and have them meld into a rhythm makes the payoff just that more exciting.
An even bigger problem with trying to book a rock band is trying to find one that will satisfy everybody. From an inside-looking-out perspective, hip-hop has a more centralized community than other genres.
We debate and argue about who's the best lyricist, who's got the best flow, who has more "popping" (hip-hop speak for energetic) songs, etc. It's a community discussion, and sometimes a community consensus. We elect artists like J. Cole and Childish Gambino as our genre's representatives, and outsiders take note.
Rock, on the other hand, feels a bit fragmented. You have your alternative fan base, your punk followers, and even your metal faithful. Right now, I don't see a rock band that has a wide-enough popularity to attract all fans, hip-hoppers included. For instance, my idea of a perfect rock Fall Fest has Fleet Foxes opening, followed by Japandroids with Cloud Nothings as the headliners. But there's no way 10,000-plus students would come to that concert because either they've never heard of the bands or just don't care.
I'm mostly a hip-hop follower so these are an outsiders' observations. As such, I'm more than happy to respectfully debate with someone more familiar with the fan base via the below email.
It's hard to argue one thing, however. If you're SA, you just want to give a good show. Diversity comes second.
Email: brian.josephs@ubspectrum.com
