March 22, 2023
Waka Flocka Flame, Rubi Rose coming to SIU in April
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Rapper-songwriter Waka Flocka Flame is coming to Southern Illinois University Carbondale on April 28 with Rubi Rose. The 7 p.m. concert will be at Shryock Auditorium.
Tickets go on sale to the general public March 29. SIU students can purchase up to two tickets beginning today (March 22). Buy tickets at the Banterra Center Box office. Pit area tickets are $60, while the floor level is $40 and balcony seats are $20. The doors open an hour before the concert.
The performers
A native of South Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Flame, whose birth name is Juaquin James Malphurs, grew up in Georgia. He acquired the “Waka” nickname as a child after the Muppets Fozzie Bear saying “wocka wocka.” He got his first record deal in 2009 with Warner Bros. Records and hit the mainstream with singles, including “O Let’s Do It,” “Hard in da Paint” and “No Hands,” which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album, “Flockaveli,” debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 charts, and he was named the “Eighth Hottest MC of 2010” in conjunction with a list of the top 10 hip hop artists as compiled by MTV.
Rapper Rubi Rose will open for Flame. Also a songwriter and model, she was born Rubi Rose Benton in Lexington, Kentucky, but has lived in several locales, including Switzerland and Georgia. Her credits include appearing in Cardi B’s music video for the single “WAP,” and she was signed in 2019 to the record label Hitco Entertainment.
Seating limited
Tickets will be sold on a first-come basis, and availability may be limited for the Student Programming Council event. For more information, visit email studentprogramming@siu.edu or call 618-453-5714.