Smino, Drezo headline Welcome Back Concert

USC’s annual Welcome Back Concert entertained students over the weekend with performances by Smino, a hip-hop artist from St. Louis with a soulful rapping style, and Drezo, a Los Angeles-based electronic dance music DJ and artist.
Organized by the USC Concerts Committee, the Welcome Back Concert is one of the first school-wide affairs of the semester, and draws a crowd of approximately 5,000 attendees each year, according to Concerts Committee co-director Carina Glastris.

Tufan Nadjafi, co-director of the Concerts Committee. said the organization chose Smino and Drezo as headliners because they believe the up-and-coming artists hold potential to be big hits in the future.

“Because it’s our smallest show, we use the least amount out of our budget [compared to Conquest and Springfest], so we look for artists who we think are about to pop off,” Nadjafi said. “Two years ago, we had Post Malone and Cashmere Cat. [Now], they are really big names in music. So we’re kind of looking for that same thing in [Smino and Drezo].”

Smino, who is currently on tour with singer SZA, opened the show by performing songs from his debut album blkswn. Smino engaged the crowd throughout the performance after paying homage to his hometown in St. Louis, leading the crowd with chants, dancing expressively on stage and even throwing Backwoods cigars into the audience.

During Smino’s set, students began throwing tortillas into the air and onto the stage, which came from promotional gift bags handed out by Ralphs at the various booths stationed nearby the concert.

Smino’s performance was shorter than he anticipated,after his set, he returned on stage and said he had 15 minutes left in his performance. During that time, he interacted with the audience, entering the crowd to dance with students and even joining in on throwing tortillas.

A half hour later, Drezo’s electronic beats enhanced the audience’s excitement with his dance remixes of popular, chart-topping songs. Drezo opened his set up with Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” as the audience jumped to his beat.

Drezo’s familiar tunes with his own unique twist created a collective, palpable energy that spread across the crowd. In between songs, the DJ mentioned that his birthday was mere hours away, which was met with cheers from the audience.

“It’s my birthday at midnight,” Drezo said, “Thank you, USC, for giving me a good birthday present tonight.”

After the performance finished around 10:45 p.m., students sang “Happy Birthday” for the DJ.

Some students felt that this year’s performance differed from last year’s Welcome Back Concert, with a less recognizable lineup and a varied sound.

“It was different — not as much rap, more EDM,” said Sloane Martin, a sophomore studying international relations. “Kind of more about beats, and less about the lyrics. I had never heard of [Drezo] before, but he was pretty good.”

Regardless of their views on the musical acts though, students were able to enjoy the concert.

“We were all dancing together and we all felt connected to each other,” said Isabel Fernandez, a freshman studying business administration. “Because of the concert, because of the music that was being played, we formed bonds with each other.”

Glastris said this sense of personal connection is what the organization hopes for in putting on the Welcome Back Concert every year.

“We do it for USC,” Glastris said. “We put our heart and soul into these shows, and we do it for the student body. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.”