Big Sean ‘raps’ up the summer at Ohio State Welcome Week concert

Kyjah Coryat
Sat, 29 Aug 2015 19:16:02 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, big sean, Cash Cash, dark sky paradise, Kehlani, ohio state, Welcome Week 2015

Ohio State alumnus ‘DJ Sho’ performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Kehlani Parrish, otherwise known by her stage name of Kehlani, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Kehlani Parrish, otherwise known by her stage name of Kehlani, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Cash Cash performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Cash Cash performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Cash Cash performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Ohio State students and fans watch as singer Big Sean performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor.

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, better known for his stage name “Big Sean”, performs during Ohio State’s Welcome Week Concert on August 28 on the South Oval in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Thousands of students and fans gather on Ohio State’s South Oval during the Welcome Week Concert on August 28. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor

Big Sean performed on the South Oval as part of the Welcome Week Concert on Friday. ?This isn’t the first time he’s done a Welcome Week Concert at Ohio State, so he came prepared to make it a memorable performance.

Kehlani and Cash Cash performed as opening acts and got the students feeling hyped.

But when Big Sean took the stage at about 9:30 p.m., every head in the audience looked like a large shadow and standing space was nonexistent — you could only see the show if you were small enough to sit on someone else’s shoulders. Students used different methods to see Big Sean, like pushing through the crowd or using a selfie stick as a projection for others.

Big Sean appeared on stage behind a stimulating visual made of smoke, white lights and a LED screen, which was modeled after the cover art of ?his No. 1 album “Dark Sky Paradise.” He then proceeded to sing the song “Paradise,” one of the songs from the album.

As Big Sean waved his arms in the air, getting the crowd pumped up with the heavy bass sounds, he rapped the extended version of the song. The crowd was in awe as he rapped the rhyme schemes quickly with barely any pauses for a breath. Big Sean cut the lyrics short of the song to share his appreciation for OSU and Columbus after hearing the crowd’s cheers.

Big Sean’s set also included songs like “Blessings” and “I Don’t F— With You,” as well as songs that he was featured on such as “All Me” and “Gang Bang.”

Big Sean’s sincerity is why his fans love him so much. He started out his career with a series of mixtapes titled “Finally Famous.” It’s truly a testament of his success to see him now, performing at large-scale venues like OSU.

Despite the crowd being tired from standing and singing, the vibes grew heavy with enthusiasm to hits like “Clique” and “I Don’t Like.”

Big Sean didn’t just rap for a concert full of students. He also shared with them his own personal experience, adding that if you follow your dreams and do what you love, you can achieve anything.