Lupe Fiasco is set to storm the NIU Convocation Center and the NIU campus on Tuesday, October 4th at 7:30pm. Special guest Tinie Tempah will open the show. 

Tickets for Lupe Fiasco and Tinie Tempah go on sale to NIU Students Friday, September 2^nd at 10:00am with the General Public tickets available to purchase at noon. NIU Student tickets are $32.00 at the NIU Convocation Center box office (limit 2) with a valid NIU OneCard. Tickets for the general public are $37.00 at the NIU Convocation Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.

Lupe Fiasco- On March 8th, critically acclaimed rapper Lupe Fiasco returns with one of the most heavily anticipated releases in recent years, a revolutionary album called LASERS, reaching new heights of lyrical and musical mastery, while aiming to reach even bigger audiences.

The album has already spawned an exuberant hit single, “The Show Goes On,” which re-introduced Fiasco to fans after a four-year absence. It will undoubtedly continue to earn attention over the next year and beyond with mind-expanding and ear-catching singles like the incendiary “Words I Never Said” featuring Skylar Grey and produced by Alex Da Kid (Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie”), the thought-provoking “All Black Everything,” and “Out of My Head,” a collaboration with labelmate Trey Songz.

LASERS is an acronym for “Love Always Shines Everytime: Remember to Smile,” and the album is a reflection of a 14-point manifesto the Chicago-born MC composed to guide him on the project, including items like “We want substance in the place of popularity” and “We will not compromise who we are to be accepted by the crowd.”

“I want to start a popular uprising,” says Fiasco. “The music is the bait to get people to come in and listen to what I’m saying.”

On his first two albums, Food & Liquor (2006), and The Cool (2007), Lupe Fiasco earned his reputation as a rap philosopher, a sharp, dynamic lyricist, and an MC who could shock you, make you think, make you dance, and make you laugh, all without resorting to vulgarity or tired hip-hop alliterations.

Food & Liquor would go on to reach No. 8 on the Billboard 200, spawn subsequent singles “I Gotcha” and “Daydreamin’,” featuring Jill Scott, and end the year with multiple Grammy nominations.

A year later, The Cool reached even greater heights selling over 500,000 copies and spawning the top-ten hit “Superstar,” featuring Matthew Santos. It’s been four years since The Cool—a long wait during which Fiasco squabbled with his label, endured some personal turmoil, and debated whether or not he even wanted to release another album.

“I kept asking, ‘What’s the point? What does all this lead up to?’” he recalls. Ultimately, he says, touring, meeting fans, and being able to do things for his family reminded him of why he wanted to make music in the first place. “You keep smiling, you keep looking for that happiness,” says Fiasco.

Tinie Tempah – The undisputed breakout star of 2010, Tinie Tempah has had an incredible year. Few debut artists boast two hit singles, a Glastonbury performance on the Pyramid stage and an appearance on Jonathan Ross. Yet this 21 year-old South Londoner has captivated music fans, celebrities and critics alike in just a matter of months.

Tinie began the year as a newly signed artist in the melee of other musicians hoping to make an impact on the UK music scene. By February, his major label debut single Pass Out had received over 4 million views on YouTube. Three weeks later it hit No.1, and has since had in excess of 11 million views. Its follow-up, Frisky shot straight to No.2 and has been viewed over 8 million times. Combined, both singles have sold upwards of 750,000 copies. Tinie looks set for yet another smash with the forthcoming third single, Written In The Stars.