Rapper Ludacris’ fraternity performance benefits IUDM

Ludacris fans were screaming when the Grammy Award-winning rap star walked on stage in the Alpha Tau Omega and Acacia parking lots Thursday night.

The gates opened at 6 p.m., and several opening acts – including Off-Beat, Hip Hop ConnXion and Hoosier Dance Team, all dance acts – performed before Ludacris took the stage. Singer Joby Wright, a senior, and Indianapolis rapper Yung Tone also performed.

The crowd went wild when Ludacris finally took the stage at 8:45. The audience was divided by a fence into two sections: One side was open for the general public, and the other side was open to the media and some members of fraternities and sororities.

Ludacris incorporated this division of the crowd into his program.

He told the people on his side of the stage to flip off the audience members on the other side.

Ludacris didn’t perform alone. With him were Players Circle and Shawnna, who originally sang with Ludacris for the hit track “What’s Your Fantasy.”

Audience member and junior Jack Lubeznik said he liked the fact that Ludacris performed with other entertainers.

“It’s sick,” Lubenzik said. “He brought a lot of people with him.”

Michael Shanker, part of the Vibe productions company that helped bring Ludacris to Bloomington, said part of the proceeds will go to benefit IU Dance Marathon.

Wright, one of the local performing acts, said he was not nervous to perform before Ludacris because he has been performing for a while and has opened for other famous names such as Jim Jones and DMX.

Another local act, Hip Hip ConnXion, found out it was going to perform 24 hours before the show, said co-director and senior Natalie Wenzler.

She said her dance team was excited to perform.

Yung Tone said he is a personal fan of Ludacris.

“He is one of my favorites,” Tone said. “I have all of his CDs.”

Throughout the show, Ludacris continued to incorporate the crowd into the concert, asking at one point all the smokers to lift their lighters up in the air.

He said no one should go to school Friday because IU is a party school.

He also commented repeatedly on the “fine” girls at IU, which was pleasing to hear for some crowd members.

Audience member and junior Taylor Wynne said she liked Ludacris’ attitude.

“He likes Indiana girls,” Wynne said. “He relates to a lot of people, especially at IU, and what he says before songs made an impact.”