Hip-hop artist Talib Kweli will perform at Student Events' fall concert, the organization's staff announced on the Rabb steps Monday morning. The club began posting flyers announcing the Oct. 9 show in Gosman on Monday after finalizing their contract with Kweli on Friday. "I'm really excited and I'm excited for the campus," Assistant Director for Major Entertainment Sharon Makowsky '06 said. "I think it's going to be a really good show."

As with nearly every Student Events concert, the show will also feature a "special guest," although Student Events' officials declined to specify who the surprise performer will be.

Kweli rose to fame in 1998 with the release of Black Star, a collaborative album with Mos Def. In years since, he has released three other albums: Reflection Eternal, Quality and The Beautiful Struggle.

Makowsky said that Kweli was chosen because Student Events wanted to bring a hip hop show to Brandeis. Mos Def was scheduled to perform on campus last spring before he cancelled the concert due to a conflicting movie deal.

Coordinator for Major Entertainment Melanie Fellman '07 said that the student response to the Mos Def show, which sold out in six hours, clearly showed the campus' interest in hip hop.

"A large part of this student body is going to be stoked because [Kweli] is an outstanding performer in his genre," Fellman said.

Makowsky told the Justice that Student Events conducted an online survey in May to determine what type of musical acts students preferred. She said the survey revealed that students wanted either a rock or hip hop act, while a sizable amount wanted a show featuring a variety of genres. Makowsky said every effort was made to find a rock band

That the Mos Def concert sold out in six hours last semester "says something," Student Events Director Helen Pekker said. "The campus responded and said they want hip hop and rock, and we found a great hip hop act this semester."

Kweli is the third consecutive performer lacking a large mainstream following chosen for a semester show. After a $25-a-ticket John Mayer concert in the spring of 2004 failed to turn a profit for Student Events, the next two performers chosen were ones with more underground followings-Wilco in the fall of 2004 and Mos Def last spring-and both shows sold out at a $5 ticket price.

Fellman said that the shift to less mainstream artists was made in part to lower ticket prices, while also providing a show that more students would enjoy.

"Pop music is really polarizing," she said. "The people you hear on the radio, you either love them or you hate them.