Tamika Alexander – Arts & Entertainment Editor –
Female fans instantly bombarded the stage of the John Lyman Center for Performing Arts as the young rap duo, the New Boyz, stepped out on the platform. The area directly in front of the stage immediately filled with swinging arms, dance moves and high screams.
The New Boyz held a meet-and-greet with fans after the show.
“They instantly got up,” said Ben J, one half of the New Boyz. “Like we don’t like chairs and (things), you feel me, they ran up to the stage. [We like them.] We need to come back.”
This was the New Boyz first time in New Haven, Conn., and Ben J was shocked at the welcome that was received.
“It was turned up. We thought it was going to be like 50 people out there,” he said. “But when we got out there it seemed to be another side that we didn’t see so it was a hundred or two hundred. It was great. I liked it.”
The New Boyz performed their chart-making songs “Tie Me Down,” “You’re a Jerk” and “Backseat.”
Aside from the nervousness, Ben J said he had a good time with the crowd.
“When it’s like a little crowd you feel like you have to talk to every single one,” he said.
The energy from the crowd created a sense of familiarity said Legacy, the other half of the duo.
“It was cool,” he said. “I feel like I know everybody here; well everybody that came through. We took pictures you know. We chilled with the fans so it was ‘poppin’ off .”
The crowd never took their seats. They danced and filled in the lyrics for the New Boyz throughout the whole show.
“They did really good,” said Jamie Hallissey, sophomore nursing major. “More people would have come if [the university] advertised more.”
Ben J (left) and Legacy (right) performed at Southern’s Welcome Back Concert for the students.
With projects in the works like a new movie for Nick Cannon that should be released at the top of the year, Ben J said that the university should bring the group back for another show.
“We working on new music right now, so we got a lot of (stuff) coming to the plate. We’re doing our separate projects and a New Boyz project,” said Ben J.
Some of the newest music from the New Boyz has caused the group to transition into a pop genre to keep up with mainstream music and entertainment.
“We haveto do it. It’s radio all day long,” said Ben J. “We just have to deal with the politics. It is what it is. We make music how we want to and we make music for them.”
Along with trying to give fans what they want music wise, the New Boyz said they have many shows lined up.
“We got more shows,” said Ben J. “We’re about to go back to Japan and you know, we just ‘tryna’ finish the year out strong. Like we have no big intentions we just do music and make it how the people want it.”
Legacy said his name works for him and what he’s trying to accomplish.
“I named myself Legacy and then I looked up the definition because at the moment I didn’t know what it was and I was like ‘oh it fits too.’”
Making the billboard charts for top R&B and Hip Hop songs, ringtones, pop songs, rap songs, radio songs and digital songs, the New Boyz plan to continue to make music for their fans.
