Get ready Blue Devils, because spring concert season has finally arrived. Friday, April 26 kicks off Central Connecticut’s annual spring concert hosted by Central Activites Network, with this year’s guests A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Blackbear.

Taking place in Welte Auditorium at 8 p.m, undergraduates, graduates and guests will be able to spend a night with some of the music industry’s rising hip hop artists. Whether you are familiar with their music or new to their style, here is what you need to know about Central’s musical guests for Spring 2019.

Bronx-rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie emerged from the scene back in 2016, gaining a respectful following after the release of his breakout single, “My Sh*t.” The 22-year-0ld has collaborated with a rather growing list of superstars, such as Chris Brown, 21 Savage, Kodak Black and Quavo.

Arguably one of the fastest, rising rappers in the past year, A Boogie has toured the world, gathered a large social following and has elevated his profile as one of the most promising artists in Hip Hop.

Building upon his momentum following the success of his debut mixtape “Artist,” which peaked the Billboard Top 100, the Bronx native was claimed as one of Forbes’ “Five Breakout Hip Hop Artists To Watch.”  Grabbing the attention of multi-platinum megastars Drake and Future, the young rapper was “recruited to open up on select dates of their record-breaking Summer Sixteen tour,” according to Forbes.

On top of managing his own career, the aspiring artist serves as a co-owner of Highbridge The Label, striking a deal with Atlantic Records to launch his own independent imprint. Featuring a handful of standout singles, including “Drowning, ft. Kodak Black,” “Undefeated” and “Say A,” with his 2017 full-length debut “The Bigger Artist” reaching number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, selling over 67,000 copies the first week, according to Forbes.

“It [record deal] wasn’t an overnight process for me,” A Boogie told Forbes. “I put in a lot of work and kept believing in myself until things worked out…Every time I step on stage and see all of the lights or hear fans singing the words to my songs, it’s a surreal moment for me.”

Just like A Boogie, it wasn’t an overnight success for fellow rapper Blackbear and his journey throughout the industry. Best known for his rap and R&B-oriented music, Blackbear is a transformed artist, with roots of punk-rock transformed into trap-inspired beats.

Before launching a successful solo career, the 27-year-old worked as a songwriter in L.A., breaking out into the mainstream when he co-wrote Justin Bieber’s first-ever monster hit, “Boyfriend” in 2012. Since then, he’s worked with large names in the industry, such as rapper Machine Gun Kelly, Mike Posner, Linkin Park and many others in the EDM/rock/rap scene.

It was in 2015 when he hit a whirlwind career, stepping out of the shadows with his self-released solo LP, “Deadroses,” including his much-acclaimed single “Idfc,” scoring over 235 million streams on Spotify. Not to mention his buildup to a major label record contract, signing to a $10 million dollar deal with Interscope Records, a part of Univeral Music Group in 2017.

This led to releasing his most successful albums, “Digital Druglord” and “Cybersex,” both of which produced much acclaim for the artist. It was the heavy, kick drum trap single “do re mi” off of “Digitial Druglord” that landed his first placement on the “Billboard Hot 100,” with the remix featuring Gucci Mane accumulating over 88 million views on Youtube and counting, according to LA Weekly.

“The reason I make music is to make people feel something, anything,” Blackbear told LA Weekly. “When I say listen to my music, I mean with your eyes, with your ears. With your soul.”

Blackbear’s upcoming record “ANONYMOUS” drops on April 26, coinciding with the night of the concert.

Whether you already have your tickets or plan on purchasing before Friday, students can expect a more than promising show from two, respected artists in the genre of Hip Hop. Even if rap isn’t your preferred choice in music, the lyrical creativity and production of both these artists sets up for a successful and fun night.