Risley Hall removed its appearance as a charming dining hall and presented itself instead as an intimate and tasteful venue for a concert for Doja Cat and Boogie on Saturday night. High ceilings accented with low hanging chandeliers, a 20×16 foot stage, large speakers with a deep base and a large floor for bopping and dancing to the music occupied the hall.
The event, organized by The Multicultural Concert Funding Advisory Board, led off with Boogie — a soulful, lyrical and talented rapper from Compton who recently signed with Shady Records, Eminem’s record label, in 2017. Boogie’s performance was proof of why Shady Records signed him, showing that he’s a multifaceted rapper with great stage presence that will make a distinguishable mark on the industry. His set swayed from utilizing hard and rhythmic trap beats to melodic and reflective instrumentation. He called two people from the audience onto the stage to dance alongside him to his music. After, he brought an additional two people from the audience onto the stage — this time to participate in a freestyle battle. Then later, he even came off the stage to join the audience and had everyone circle around him as he passionately rapped “Self Destruction” with no shirt on. Overall, his performance was animated, entertaining and impressive. Boogie is definitely an artist to put on your radar.
After Boogie’s exciting performance, Doja Cat was up to bat. Personally, Doja Cat was just an amusing singer who sung the viral hit “Mooo!” on YouTube, having garnered a rich 44 million views. To others around me, Doja Cat was much more: She was a queen. After watching her performance, I was convinced of her royalty. As soon as Doja Cat walked on, I was stunned by her beauty and then awed by her flawless falsettos. Her music was fun, making the crowd jump and shake their hips. Her dancing was hot, fluid and very skillful. The crowd lost themselves in wonder when she somehow managed to seductively move her way up and down in platform boots. The experience was unforgettable. Doja Cat sang “Happy Birthday” to one girl in the crowd, and the whole audience proudly filled in verses to parts of Doja’s songs. At the end of the set, Doja Cat called up nearly 20 people from the audience onto the stage to dance and sing alongside her.
Boogie and Doja Cat are two special artists who deserve the recognition that they are gaining. If MCFAB decides to host another event, be certain they’ll attract more fantastic performers right and you’ll have a fun time attending. If either Boogie or Doja Cat decides to come back to Ithaca, I’ll definitely be attending and you should too.
Jeremiah LaCon is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at [email protected].