The spring concert was held in the HTC center on Friday, April 8. Singer Jesse McCartney and rapper Waka Flocka Flame, also known as Juaquin Malphurs, were invited to campus to perform. CCU student media had the opportunity to interview these celebrities when they came to campus. Editor-in-chief Megan Wallace joined WCCU radio staff Sydney Vogel and Danny Jefferson to interview McCartney and Malphurs. 

Jesse McCartney

Sydney Vogel: Hi! My name is Sydney Vogel here with WCCU radio. 

Megan Wallace: And I’m Megan with The Chanticleer newspaper 

SV: And we are here with Jesse McCartney. 

Jesse McCartney: Hey guys.

MW: All right, did you know when you were making “Beautiful Soul” how much of a hit it was gonna be?

JM: No, absolutely not. I think anyone who tells you that they know a song is going to be a hit before going into it or writing it is lying to you. I think part of part of the allure of making music is finding and seeing where it goes. When when we went into the studio. We knew it was good. I personally loved the song and thought it was going to connect with people but no one could really predict the outcome and that it was going to have such a cultural impact at the time and continue to have so it’s a song that changed my life for the better and I was very, very happy it did we have no idea that it was going to be what it is today.

MW: Awesome. Does performing on stage feel different from when you toured when you were younger. Like is the audience different? Is the feel of it different?

JM: Well, certainly everyone’s a lot older. You know, when I first started touring my theme demographic was like, you know, 12 to 11 to 14 or 15 year olds, and now I’m playing here at your lovely college and, and for a new generation of fans, which is really cool. But I think the only other difference is I feel like I’ve become a stronger performer. You know, when I was younger, I was still a little shy kinda believe it or not. I wasn’t a seasoned performer. So I put my 10,000 hours in and I’ve gotten good at, you know, working in an audience and now it’s my absolute favorite thing to do. 

MW: So which cities on your upcoming tour are you most excited for? And why? 

JM: Well, I’m coming back to Myrtle Beach actually. So that’s gonna be very exciting. We love it here but probably my hometown in New York going back to New York, where the fan base sort of started in originated is always very rewarding to see a lot of familiar faces and familiar venues and streets of New York is kind of where I cut my teeth and started auditioning when I was a young boy young kid, so it’s always very nice going back home. 

SV: And do you have any pre-show rituals that you do? 

JM: Not usually, I mean, lately, it’s usually just you know, posting on social media. But I do some vocal warm-ups. You know, if I’m feeling a little dry, or if I’m feeling like me too, but that’s pretty much it. I generally don’t like to eat and eat very much. There’s nothing worse than having a full stomach when you’re trying to run around the stage. But other than that I’m not a very ritualistic person by nature so so much. It turned off

Waka Flocka Flame 

SV: Hi! This is Sydney Vogel here with WCCU radio. 

MW: And I’m Megan Wallace with The Chanticleer student newspaper. 

SV: and we are here with Waka Flocka, how’re you doing. 

WFF: I’m doing good and don’t forget about the “flame”.

SV: So we just have a couple questions for you, since you’re here on a college campus we did a bit of research and you got your honorary doctorate, what was that like? 

WFF: Getting my honorary doctorate degree, honestly I never even really knew that was a degree. They were like yea waka thats serious, it was 

MW: Do you have any other college experience?

WFF: Yea I got some, not a lot of it. 

SV: Why are you such a fan of soccer out of all sports?  

WFF: Soccer is just so team oriented and like family oriented its like a friendly competition and its competitive its extremely competitive out of all sports, except for football. I love it I literally just love it, makes me happy.  

MW: How long did you live in New York before moving to Georgia and did that influence any of your music?

WFF: Oh I lived it New York all the way up to 5th grade, yea you know I grew up with Mariah Carey coming to my grandma’s house, Run-DMC, Biz Markee, Slick Rick, Lost Boys, all kinds of people I used to have parties with them.

MW: Do you have any pre-show rituals? 

WFF: um, no. That’s weird too [but] I just go.    

MW: Some people are superstitious, you never know. 

WFF: Nah thats just trendy. 

MW: Okay well thank you.