Siguen luchando
Finally.
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Finally.
The mass exodus of college students might begin within the next few weeks, but with six universities in Buffalo, there's no doubt the student population will still be present. Locals will return to life without classes and those who are staying for summer sessions or employment have the opportunity to roam the Queen City.
A word that UB students overlook on a daily basis will come alive in downtown Buffalo at the hands of 35 talented members of the Class of 2013.
Smoke, sweat and a sea of thousands filled Alumni Arena for one of the most successful Spring Fests in years.
Blame the "yes" men. Blame Rocko. Blame feminists. But God forbid you blame Rick Ross.
After the announcement of Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki as headliners for this year's Spring Fest, one question remained despite the heightened anticipation: Who were the supporting acts? The Student Association finally announced its finalized lineup.
Last Friday felt like any other Friday. I went to class, picked up some Wendy's afterward and sat on my couch for the rest of the afternoon sending silly memes to my roommate while he was at work. It wasn't until I saw my friends posting pictures of their delectable home cooked Latin American meals that I felt my Baconator and Sprite with no ice just wasn't enough. It had suddenly dawned on me that this Friday wasn't just any Friday. My peers were all headed home for spring break and this lonely Long Islander would be "stuck" in Buffalo for a week of boredom, snow and depression. Don't get me wrong - I love the Queen City. She's given me amazing friends and memories, but everybody deserves a vacation and not being able to physically leave Buffalo felt as though I wasn't granted one. That night was tough for me. My Twitter feed was full of complaints from people stuck on a cramped Megabus and my Instagram feed was flooded with amateur pictures of various planes and airports, all of which I envied. What really got to me, however, was a harmless picture my cousin posted on Facebook of her, my sister-in-law and other friends and family I normally see during my excursions in Brentwood, N.Y. It sounds melodramatic, yes, but the picture made me cry. The build-up of unfortunate events that plague me every semester, along with the fact that I'm just an emotional person, were all triggered by a picture of five women holding up cups having a good time. Aside from my roommate and his best friend, I keep an extremely low profile in Buffalo. I've made friends here but kept very few, so the one week I had to go home and be with my support system, I didn't. That might not mean much to most college students, but it does to me. Unlike a lot of my peers, I speak to my mother every day for hours and if you come across me walking the halls at UB with my head buried in my cell phone, it's because I'm texting my cousin at Alfred University or my friends at home. Once I accepted my reality and quit perpetually complaining to my annoyed roommate, I made a list of things I could get done with my free time. Needless to say, most of the work I planned to do was put off, but I did have the opportunity to enjoy Buffalo for a week with no responsibilities. I had no class, which meant I was excused of my responsibilities at The Spectrum and when I stopped thinking about it, I felt relaxed. I was lucky enough to have my friend Ayla back in town from Washington, D.C., and the time I spent with her helped bring me back to Earth and recalibrate my mind for the second half of my final semester. I was able to go to church, sleep in and do what I wanted, when I wanted - a luxury I know will be scarce once I begin my post-graduation grind. I also spent a lot of time with my roommate, whom I'll sadly have to say goodbye to after I move out of Buffalo in July. I've spent the last few years growing closer to these friends of mine and spring break was an opportunity to enjoy the last free moments I had with them. Once again, I know this sounds melodramatic, but this was my final spring break. I've been in college for five years; not one of those years went without a hitch and I spent my time Struggling and striving instead of partying and enjoying myself. But my final spring break as an undergraduate gave me time to reflect on this current phase of my life. It might have never been easy, it might have never been ideal, but it's my life and I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else. Even when I complain, it's all Buffalove. Email: elva.aguilar@ubspectrum.com
HS87 - All I've Ever Dreamed Of He created Jay-Z and Kanye West's "In Paris." He produced "Clique," "Goldie" and "Drop the World." And most recently, he brought you the vicious return of Beyonce as she told you all to "Bow Down." Rapper/producer Hit-Boy has been birthing hip-hop hits for the last two years and the mainstream couldn't be more unaware of his presence until now. Last summer, he released his first rap "Jay-Z Interview," along with his first solo mixtape HITstory, and the gem went over the heads of hypebeasts everywhere. All I've Ever Dreamed Of is a collaborative mixtape featuring Hit-Boy and the artists on his HS87 record label. While obscure, the artists show no fright; they deliver like veterans, giving listeners doses of hardcore, heavy bass trap music, soft piano-ridden R&B and even the pop-infused rap music that most artists tend to stay away from. "Enormous," featuring Hit-Boy, Travi$ Scott, Cocaine80's and Kenny M$NEY, works as the quintessential bravado rap. Hit-Boy enlists Travi$ Scott, who most recently has been featured on G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer, the sweet sounds of Cocaine80's and rapper Kenny M$NEY for an ode to "money, music and marijuana." "T.U." and "Fan" are the two standout tracks on the mixtape, mainly for their notable features. Hit-Boy collaborates with his G.O.O.D. Music cohort 2 Chainz on "Fan," a track that could easily soundtrack a Twerk Team YouTube video. "T.U.," featuring Juicy J, Hit-Boy, Problem and Audio Push, serves as one of many club bangers, a feat Hit-Boy crushes on the regular and having Juicy J on the track only solidifies that. "Juicy be keepin' that trap right/Got a bad b***h, that ass tight/Smoking on kick and my eyes tight/And I don't do no talking, man, cause bandz gone make her act right," Juicy J raps. The most pleasant surprise on the mixtape is "Tonight," featuring K. Roosevelt. The sound sticks to rap basics with the light snare drum and metronome ticks Hit-Boy is known for but with pop and R&B fusion mixed in. All I've Ever Dreamed Of is the ideal rookie tape for a group like HS87. The artists might not be fully developed and their lyricism might still focus on predictable topics but they do "predictable" flawlessly. It's safe to say Hit-Boy's influence is painted all over the mixtape, and his beats might've been better off given to established artists, but like his mentor Kanye West, he probably forgets better beats than we've ever thought of. Mac Miller - Run On Sentences Vol. 1 Mac Miller has had a great 2013 so far. His MTV2 show Mac Miller and The Most Dope Family has made its way into 20-something-year-old men's Tuesday nights and winning Complex's Man of the Year isn't something anybody should look over, either. Miller's newfound confidence led him to release his first mixtape of the year, Run On Sentences Volume 1, an instrumental tape with tracks Miller produced under the alias Larry Fisherman. The eight-track project serves as a portfolio of sorts for how far Miller has come as a producer. And while it is essential for rappers to learn the ins and outs of mixing, it seems Miller can only produce for himself. Run On Sentences embraces the sounds we typically hear for Mac Miller, quirky, sometimes serene but always charismatic. All but one track on the mixtape obtain no lyrics, just from soundbytes used as samples, (think the conclusion of Frank Ocean's "Lovecrimes") and the track names do not pertain to any type of theme, despite flowing together decently but awkwardly, like most run-on sentences do. The majority of the tracks on the mixtape would resonate better with Miller's rambunctious rhymes, so they come across very lackluster. "Birthday," "Novice Space Travel," "I Am Actually a Fish Alien" and "She Used To Love Me" each complement their titles nicely. Oddly enough, each instrumental helps portray the mental image the title presents, but with no lyrics the songs still fall short. New Mac Miller fans likely would skip forward to songs with more upbeat tempos. On "If Poseidon Had a Surfboard," Miller incorporates a simple drumbeat, synth sounds and random soundbytes that include profanity turned into a musical element. "Gelato Party" would make for perfect background music in a Forever 21 or H&M store with its upbeat tempo, space synths that serve as a melody for the song and more random soundbytes. The most redeeming factor about "Gelato Party" is its length. Timed at six minutes and 11 seconds, "Gelato Party" takes a trance-like turn at approximately the two-minute mark as a break for listeners (and possibly a sick guest verse) and then another switch up two minutes later to close the song. It's obvious Miller put a lot of thought into Run On Sentences; the outcome wouldn't have been so short had he not done so. And although Miller has been exposed to the genius of producers like Pharrell Williams, it's still not safe to say whether he could ever measure up to his collaborator. If Miller's experimentations with sound stem from a desire to create his music entirely, then he's in luck. However, his beats should remain in-house until he's honed his craft more. Gucci Mane - Trap Back 2 Coincidentally, the same night Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame got into their minor Twitter beef, the sequel to 2012's Trap Back was unleashed on the people via mixtape website Datpiff.com. Trap Back 2 is a reminder for those who are about that "trapping ain't dead" life. Metaphors and high-grade wordplay are never the primary focus for this here trap music; what's going to stand out are the beats that'll rattle your loose trunk and recipes for cooking up that powder. Compared to when the trap first came back, Trap Back 2 is a sophomore slump - it tries hard to live up to last year but doesn't reach that bar. Gucci can always find good beats, but he at least had decent bars plus a few guest features thrown into the original Trap Back. This tape either had beats that didn't do the job of covering up the funk from the lyrics or lyrics so atrocious that there really was no saving to begin with. The opening track, "Don't Deserve It," is probably the toughest song on the whole tape. The first verse was cool, starting off with Gucci setting his own rules and doing as he pleases: "I walk in wit' my skrap, I give a f*** if n****s searchin'/Don't keep it in the car, I got that pistol on person," Gucci raps. Second verse is all about Gucci and gunplay. After getting off with self-defense after killing a hired gunman, Gucci has been letting the people know that he'll pull that trigger if anyone comes and tests him. The hook and these unfiltered lines just reinforce that he isn't playing: "Put that on my squad, I ain't gon' let no n**** hurt me/My gun do all my talkin' and I know you n****s heard me," Gucci raps. For the next 11 tracks - yes, 11 - finding a song worth playing from start to finish becomes a struggle. "Playin With the Money," "Thirsty," "Hood B****es," "Can't Walk" and "That Pack" are the only songs worth listening to. Beats that could pass for a jingle from an ice cream truck are what easily get passed over on this tape, which is exactly what happens when "Like I Used 2" comes on. The first notable mainstream feature arises toward the end of the tape with French Montana on "Done With Her." Not that it's much of a feat, but French actually came out victorious with the best verse on the song: "She be tweeking, we be s***ting on your furniture/Christopher Rios, backshots/ Im'a punish her," French raps. This is good riding music with the windows down, but it will never hit radio or nightlife. It might be, however, the best bar that French has rapped in his entire career with his reference to the late Big Pun. The last four songs are where all the legendary beats and energy reside. Ending on a good note must've been the plan the whole time. Is Trap Back 2 better than the original Trap Back? No, but it is tolerable. There is only so much to expect from listening to the Gucci Mane, so standards are already low. For the most part, the tape does its job. The middle gets shaky, but that's what the "next" button is for. The tape finishes strong, but let this be the last time the trap rises from the crypts. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
After a short period of speculation, the Student Association has confirmed two headliners for Spring Fest 2013. Rapper Kendrick Lamar and electro-house musician/DJ Steve Aoki will perform at the annual event on April 14 at Baird Point as part of the Karmaloop presents Campus Verge tour. Aoki was a highly requested act for this year's concert and the coincidence that he would be touring along with Lamar was beneficial, according to Cory Riskin, talent coordinator for SA. The usual Spring Fest talent budget ranges from $150,000-$200,000, according to SA Entertainment Coordinator Marc Rosenblitt, and because Aoki and Lamar are touring together, SA remains well below its talent budget and plans to use the remaining money to book supporting artists. Despite rumors that post-R&B group Bad Rabbits and alternative rock band 5 & A Dime would be joining Lamar and Aoki, the supporting acts for Spring Fest have not been announced. Spring Fest 2012, which featured rappers Rick Ross, Fabolous, New Boyz and Tyga, attracted an audience of approximately 5,000 - almost the maximum capacity for Alumni Arena. Last semester's Fall Fest brought 7,100 people to Baird Point for rappers French Montana, Childish Gambino and J. Cole, according to SA Communication Director Ned Semoff. Despite the influx of rap acts in the past two fests, the student reaction to the partial lineup has been positive. Rosenblitt believes the balance in music genres between Lamar, Aoki and Bob Dylan within the three-week period at UB will keep the community content. "Normally we get negative feedback by somebody at some point by now and I have yet to get one email saying, 'Hey, we're not happy about this,'" Rosenblitt said. "I think we're finally making as many people happy as we possibly can at once." Junior nursing major Clayrys Tavarez is one of many students excited for Lamar and believes students put off by the lineup should attend for the positive atmosphere and festivities. "[Kendrick Lamar] was who my friends and I listened to last semester when his album came out, so the fact that we get to see him [perform] these songs live when they're still premature is great," Tavarez said. And while it seems the majority of students seem to be content with the rapper/house headliners, some still feel SA is ignoring a large portion of its student base. "There has been a lot of rap and hip-hop in my opinion. There [have] been no good rock acts, [or] high energy that everyone can get into," said Joe Carelli, a senior communication major. "The Fray is a downer; I get why people would like them. Bob Dylan's a legend, so [it's] understandable people would be excited, but again, it would be nice to have high energy for Spring Fest from a rock act." Kendrick Lamar, most recently voted as MTV's Hottest MC in the Game, is still considered somewhat of a new comer to the hip-hop and rap community. The Compton, Calif., native began gaining popularity after his mixtape, Overly Dedicated, dropped in 2010, but it wasn't until his first independent album, Section.80, was released that Lamar's following multiplied. The buzz surrounding Section.80, along with Lamar's ability to combine a mainstream sound with deep lyricism, helped Lamar's first major label release, good kid, m.A.A.d. City, become a classic. The album has found radio hits in tracks "Swimming Pools (Drank)" and "B***h Don't Kill My Vibe." Steve Aoki is a renowned DJ and electro-house musician who has worked with the likes of Kid Cudi, Travis Barker, The Bloody Beetroots and Afrojack during his career. He has remixed tracks from artists like Drake, Jackson 5, Kanye West, Chester French and All American Rejects. His house music is internationally popular in clubs and his live performances are notorious for their high-energy and raucous antics. Aoki has even gone as far as crowd surfing on a raft with fellow DJ and dubstep artist Skrillex. Between Lamar's rap following and Aoki's stage presence, UB is locked for a potentially legendary Spring Fest. Doors will open at Baird Point at 5 p.m. and the show will begin at 6 p.m. Entry for UB undergrads will be free and tickets will soon be available for general admission. The Spectrum will continue to follow up on Spring Fest developments, including which artists will be chosen as the supporting acts for the show on April 14. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Rumors circulating on the internet claim Kendrick Lamar, Steve Aoki, Bad Rabbits and 5 & A Dime will be performing at UB on April 14, the confirmed date for Spring Fest.
Cultures clashed as a room of raucous applause, name-calls and shout-outs rang inside an almost-packed out Mainstage Theater inside the Center For the Arts.
UB is the SUNY school with the largest international population, and harmony among the various backgrounds is crucial. But once a year, UB's international and American students come together to compete and showcase their cultures in the International Fiesta.
Up-and-coming musicians don't need to leave the comfort of campus to shoot an aesthetically pleasing music video.
I'm 22 and I've seen my parents kiss less than a handful of times. I hate public displays of affection and find them to scream insecurity.
I'm not ashamed of my body, but my past four months have been an uphill battle with fitness. I've learned how to keep a healthy lifestyle, but between my busy schedule and my perpetually empty wallet, it's been hard keeping myself on track.
On any given day, a group of young Latinos can be seen walking down Lisbon or Minnesota Avenue. It would be easy to assume they're on their way to cause trouble. The laughing, joking and anxiousness surrounding them can be easily mistaken as a recipe for disaster, when in fact, the group is only on its way to get a taste of home.
When I arrived back to UB two weeks ago, my colleagues who told me their stories from their travels and holiday festivities greeted me. They told me about their crazy drunk uncles who ended up on their behinds after a raucous New Years Eve and their trips to various theaters and states to visit family.
"Don't calm me down! I don't like it when people calm me down!"
Prepare yourselves for booze, cannabis and infinite amount of phallic and anal anecdotes because Blake, Anders, Adam and the reckless Workaholics crew have finally returned.
Rap music has been notorious for its correlation with violence since its birth, both socially and lyrically. In 2011, two men were stabbed during rapper Lloyd Banks' concert at Town Ballroom, and since then, very few rap acts have returned to the Queen City.