21 Savage had a crowd of over 2,000 praising him from the seats of the Student Union auditorium during Thursday’s OwlFest, but he was calm and unsmiling.

This was a huge contrast from the students in attendance, who were jumping out of their seats and dancing to the performances.

The annual concert, which featured Savage and Juicy J, was hosted by Program Board, a student-run group that organizes on-campus events. Students had to purchase $21 tickets for this year’s OwlFest to cover the cost of more mainstream headliners, the UP previously reported.

But despite the cost of the tickets while previous OwlFests have been free, over 80 percent of the auditorium was still filled with students waiting to see the two rappers.

“My favorite part was definitely 21 Savage performing and it was amazing. I will definitely be coming back next year,” Mareena Reedy, a freshman marine biology major, said.

Owl Radio warmed the crowd up when the doors opened at 7 p.m. with songs like Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba” and Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me.”

Then Juicy J took the stage in a black and white kimono and rhinestone glasses, with songs like “Sippin On Some Syrup” and “Zip & A Double Cup.”

He teased students by asking “You got any weed?” and “Where the after-party at?”

Students yelled back with where the after-parties were, waving their hands to get Juicy J’s attention. After singing, he went into the stands to take selfies with students.

He then brought girls from the audience on stage to dance to “Bandz a Make Her Dance.”

“Can we bring 20 ladies up here?” he asked. “Fuck it, bring 30. We’re gonna keep it clean though, this is a college.”

The front row was jumping over the barricades to get onto the stage.

After his set, he let the audience know how much he loved Florida.

“Y’all got the best weed, y’all got the best strip clubs, and y’all got the best women down here,” Juicy J said.

After a brief intermission where Owl Radio’s DJ Redwood entertained the crowd, 21 Savage came out with a grey hoodie and black pants on, singing songs like “Savage Mode” and “Rockstar.”

Savage’s DJ did most of the talking while Savage himself didn’t interact with the crowd, other than getting close to the barrier.

While some students thoroughly enjoyed his performance, others were on the fence.

“My favorite part was 21’s last few songs,” Renzo Buenaventura, a senior electrical engineering major, said. “I had a good time, but I feel like it could have been litter. 21 didn’t seem too hype.”

21 Savage finally talked to the audience at the end of his performance as he was leaving the stage.

“Y’all make sure you stay in school. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t be,” he said.

Cameren Boatner is the news editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected].