Brick City Festival Brings Kanye West and David Spade to RIT

Brick City Festival brings big names to the Rochester Institute of Technology campus—Kanye West and David Spade.

Musical artist Kanye West performs at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22, in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center.

West, a 26-year-old music-producer-turned-MC from Chicago, raps about institutionalized racism and Jesus. Dubbed as “the new sound, style and culture of today's hip-hop,” he got his start in the third grade when he discovered his passion—writing and rhyming. When most kids were still playing hide-and-seek on the playground, West was making beats.

His favorite pastime became an occupational goal when, as a teenager, he came across NO I.D., a Chicago beat-mastering producer who produced the up-and-coming rapper, Common Sense. This chance encounter became the pivotal opportunity that shaped West's future music career. NO I.D. encouraged West to sample from soulful old-school hits and revive them with a new-school flavor. West was signed to record label ROC-A-FELLA in 2002.

West produced Alicia Key's song, You Don't Know My Name, from The Diary of Alicia Keys. He is currently working on his second album, Late Registration. His debut effort, The College Dropout, is in stores now.

Tickets for the show—$10 for students, $15 for faculty and staff, and $25 general admission—are available at the candy counter in the Student Alumni Union or by phone at 475-5210.

Comedian David Spade performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, in the Gordon Field House. Spade, cast member of ABC's 8 Simple Rules and former Saturday Night Live funny man, has starred in several movies, including Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Joe Dirt and Tommy Boy.

Spade began as a stand-up comedian performing in clubs, theatres and colleges throughout the country. His television debut was on Saturday Night Live, appearing only three times during the first season. However, his popularity soon soared, resulting in two films with fellow cast member Chris Farley.

His portrayal of Dennis Finch on NBC's series Just Shoot Me! earned him an American Comedy Award in 1999, and nominations for a Golden Globe and Emmy.

Spade will appear in the animated Racing Stripes, scheduled for theatrical release January 2005, as well as an as-of-yet untitled Christmas comedy, due out in time for the holiday season.

Tickets—also available at the candy counter—are $10 for students, $15 for faculty and staff and $20 general admission. For more information, visit cab.rit.edu.

Founded in 1829, RIT is internationally recognized as a leader in computing, engineering, imaging technology, fine and applied arts, and education for the deaf. RIT enrolls more than 15,500 students in 340 undergraduate and graduate programs. For the past decade, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT as one of the nation's leading comprehensive universities.


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