Last Thursday DJ Kap Slap and up- and -coming rapper Hoodie Allen rocked the socks off Saint Anselm College down at Sullivan Arena.
DJ Kap Slap got the crowd pumped up through a dance party characterized by wacky electronic tones and deep pounding bass.        After roughly an hour, Hoodie came out and took the stage, pumping out hits like No Interruption and No Faith in Brooklyn.
The Crier was lucky enough to get to sit down with Hoodie before he hit the stage and he had some pretty cool things to say.  Getting access to Hoodie though, was the tough part.
The interview was scheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon, however between sound check and waiting for him to shower it was about 6pm before the actual interview took place.
The locker room of Sullivan Arena had been transformed into a dressing room/staging area for Allen and his crew.  Things like computers and recorders and music were spread out all over the room.  The band even brought their own Keurig coffee machine toset up.
When it came down to it though, Crier Staff were warmly welcomed by Hoodie and his band, and it would surprise many to know that he actually prefers to go by his real name of Steven Markowitz.
Hoodie Allen’s story, in his own words, is an “unconventional one”.  Much of the influences in the music that he produces comes from his journey through school and then into music.  It was also apparent that he was very intelligent as well as articulates, as he described how a lot of what he sings about is derived from his life experiences.
When asked about what made him unique as an artist, he replied by talking about his musical style being a combination of pop and hip hop together.  “It’s not about doing what nobody has done before.” He told Crier.  “It’s about taking it and making it your own.”
Furthermore, Hoodie also spoke a lot about how he attempts to connect with his audience and really get them pumped up on a personal level.  “I want to be very approachable and I want kids to understand that I’m really not that far detached from ya’ll, I’m only 24.”
Hoodie Always tries to make each show have a different and unique feel from his other performances, and his main focus for SAC Fest was to simply create a great atmosphere for students to jam out to.
Hoodie Allen also has some great things planned for the rest of the year, including a new album as well as a trans-continental tour.  He is still currently unsigned to any major record label but it is still something that he may consider in the future, especially as he will attempt to begin physical distribution of records, not only having them on iTunes.
Keep your ears open because there are some great things still to come from Hoodie Allen.