Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Jamaican-American hip-hop artist Sean Kingston will be the featured performer at Stephen F. Austin State University’s SpringFest planned for 8 p.m. April 14 in Johnson Coliseum. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
The concert will be hosted by SFA’s Student Activities Association and will serve, in part, to make up for the last-minute cancellation of the fall Homecoming concert.
“Sean Kingston is a remarkable artist to headline SpringFest and will undoubtedly provide a performance that will be remembered by students, faculty, staff and Nacogdoches community members for years to come,” said Michael Onuchovsky, Student Engagement coordinator. “This event is an opportunity to bring us all together and celebrate our first hip-hop concert in the spring.”
Born in Miami as Kisean Paul Anderson, Kingston’s family moved to Jamaica when he was 7 years old. He’s a dedicated singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer who fuses elements of his Reggae heritage with his unique rapping abilities.
In May 2007, he made a name for himself at 17 years old with his debut single “Beautiful Girls,” which went double-platinum and rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for three weeks. In June 2007, the song was included in his self-titled debut studio album. Kingston then followed with his sophomore studio album “Tomorrow” in September 2009, which featured such hit songs as “Fire Burning” and “Face Drop.”
His third album “Back 2 Life” was released in 2013 and included noted guest artists T.I., Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa, among many others. On the album, the singer-songwriter blends his strengthened vocals with fiercely inventive effects and hard-hitting live instrumentation.
In September 2022, Kingston released his most recent studio album “Road to Deliverance.”
Kingston also has made an impact with his philanthropic work, appearing in a public service announcement for the nonprofit organization Do Something that encouraged teenagers to help their communities by forming a service chapter. In 2010, he appeared in an advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, better known as PETA, to encourage dog owners not to chain their dogs outside.
SpringFest is an annual keynote spring event hosted by the SAA as a way to offer an entertaining occasion for students, faculty, staff and community members. This year’s concert marks the first hip-hop concert the SAA has produced for SpringFest.
The event is open to the public, and admission is free for SFA students. Students will, however, need to “purchase” the free tickets through the ticketing portal as a form of event registration. Tickets for faculty and staff are $15 for concourse-level seating or $20 for pit-level seating. For Nacogdoches community members, tickets are $20 for concourse seats and $25 for pit-level seating. Tickets can be purchased at gosfa.com/springfest23. For groups and organizations that would like to buy a block of seats, contact the SFA Athletics Ticket Office at (936) 468-5225.
For more information about SpringFest, contact Onuchovsky at (936) 468-6292 or michael.onuchovsky@sfasu.edu.