NIU’s Campus Activities Board has signed Nappy Roots to play at NIU.

The hip-hop group will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom.

And despite the fact that it’s nearly a month away, some students are already enthusiastic about the show.

“I’m excited. It’s nice to see that they’re actually gonna have a different kind of group here,” sophomore undecided major Rosie Drumgoole said. “It’ll be interesting to see them here.”

Tickets for the show will cost $17 for NIU students and $21 for the general public. They go on sale Wednesday at the Holmes Student Center ticket outlet.

“I think it’s very reasonable,” CAB Concerts Coordinator John Ugolini said. “Our goal isn’t to make money, our goal is to break even. We did the math, and $17 was enough to not lose an incredible amount of money.”

Osaze Oyegun, a junior biological sciences major, thought the prices were a bit steep.

“It’s OK. I mean, they could lower it a little bit,” he said. “Maybe about $10, then I’ll go. I’m a college student, I don’t have money.”

The Nappy Roots is riding the success of its hit single, “Po Folks,” which has received heavy airplay on MTV and BET. The group has had a successful run of singles since the release of its latest album, “Watamelon, Chicken, and Gritz.”

“It’s like an underground, hip-hop-type deal,” Drumgoole said. “I haven’t heard a lot of their stuff, but I’ve heard a little bit. I would definitely go see them.”

The ballroom holds a capacity of 1,500 people.

“I would expect roughly somewhere from 1,000 to 1,500 people, ballpark,” he said. “As long as we come relatively close to that, we’ll break even or come close.”

Oyegun did agree that the show will be popular.

“Yeah, I think people are gonna show up for it, because, Nappy Roots, right now they are hot, and more people will go,” he said. “The Nappy Roots are a good group.”

The show will allow a closer setting for fans than the Convocation Center, among other benefits.

“I like it because it’s a more intimate setting,” Ugolini said. “It helps you connect with the artist a lot more … The Convo Center costs more money to rent and to do production. We’d have to add more costs, and we’d have to increase ticket prices. We wanted to keep ticket prices down at all CAB concerts this year.”

Sarah Borucki, a junior business administration major, agreed.

“I think that’s better for the show,” she said. “I think it gives it a better atmosphere. And it’s all standing room, too, that’s good. Because when it’s seats, no one can move around.”

Ugolini and the 25-person CAB Concerts Committee arranged the show.

“We knew students would want the show,” the junior communication major said. “It’s a good fit, because it’s very college-based. They’re not overnight sensations. They’re gonna be around for a while. It’s cool that we’re catching them now, before they explode.”

Ugolini said Nappy Roots fit CAB’s plan for more diverse programming.

“People had complaints about us just having punk-rock shows,” he said. “We want to hit all over … The Nappy Roots were touring, they have a good buzz on campus, and the community’s behind it.”

CAB also wants to focus on promising acts, instead of groups that already are big stars.

“Our focus this year is up-and-coming acts,” Ugolini said. “Looking at the Nappy Roots, they’re moving up the charts, and we want to do diverse programming.”

CAB Concerts has an annual budget of just more than $65,000, and the Nappy Roots show required nearly one-third of that, Ugolini said.

“We have had the same budget since the early ’90s,” he said. “We’re operating with the same budget, but many years later. It hinders us in a lot of ways. Obviously, artist prices are increasing, while our budget stays the same.”