ASMSU wanted its MTV for Oct. 15.
But MSUs undergraduate student government might have to settle for Ladies Night instead.
Since MTVs Campus Invasion concert series was unavailable to perform an MSU Homecoming concert, ASMSU officials have turned their sights on a backup plan - Lil Kim.
It is a very big change of pace, said Kendall Sykes, chairperson of the ASMSU Student Assembly. The assembly approved Thursday the spending of $50,000 to fund the concert.
MTVs Campus Invasion, which features rap artists Wyclef Jean, De La Soul, and Black Eyed Peas, could only do a show on Oct. 18 or Oct. 19. Sykes said these dates didnt sit well with administration since they fall in the middle of a school week.
Still the more risqu&eaqute; Lil Kim carries the same price - $50,000 - but ASMSU will have to provide the stage and lighting, unlike the MTV deal.
Therefore, the ASMSU Programming Board allocated $15,500 from its budget to pay for the costs not covered by the performers contract. The concert will be held in the 4,200-seat Auditorium on Oct. 15, the day after MSUs football squad battles the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
We needed someone else who could fill (the Auditorium) up, said Tori Treadwell, Programming Board chairperson and vice chairperson for student programming. The only difference was that MTV could have been outdoors.
ASMSU tried to lure other acts before deciding on Lil Kim. Once the appearance of MTV seemed dead, ASMSU made an offer to rapper Jay-Z. But he demanded at least $100,000.
Preliminary plans have tickets costing $10 for MSU students and at least $20 for non-students. The performance is slated to run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Treadwell is confident ASMSU will break even and possibly earn profit from the concert, calling the $50,000 allocation a good move.
It will sell out and we will make the money back, Treadwell said. I guarantee that this will be the best time MSU students have had.