Pitt Program Council announces Rico Nasty, Young M.A as Bigelow Bash headliners

In an Instagram post Friday afternoon, Pitt Program Council announced the 2020 Bigelow Bash spring concert will feature rappers Rico Nasty and Young M.A as the headlining performers. 

The event, which takes place April 5, also features food trucks and carnival games, with performances beginning at 1p.m. 

PPC’s special events coordinator Eva Lin Feindt said she was interested in booking a rap artist for Bigelow Bash after booking indie-pop band Lovelytheband for the past Fall Fest concert. Lin Feindt also said she had a personal goal of booking a female artist, which led her and the other members of PPC to choose Rico Nasty and Young M.A as headliners. 

“We ultimately decided that it would be a great lineup for rap and hip-hop enthusiasts, as well as a high energy and fun show for an end of school year concert,” she said via email. 

Pitt Program Council also announced its annual Pitt Factor talent competition, where students have the opportunity to compete for a chance to open for Young M.A and Rico Nasty, will take place March 24. Interested students are able to sign up for the event in room M-30 of the William Pitt Union. 

According to Lin Feindt, The Pitt Factor competition is a way for PPC to help promote student acts, from music groups to dance crews. 

“We have been doing this event for about 10 years now, and its main purpose is to help showcase student talent, as well as provide the winner with a unique experience on stage at a festival,” she said.

Previous Bigelow Bash headliners include rapper T-Pain, who visited Pitt last spring, and indie-rock band MisterWives who headlined the 2018 show. Various types of performers from Pitt have opened for the acts, including hip-hop dance group Controlled Chaos and band go home, Eddie. Pitt Program Council also hosts The Pitt Factor in the fall semester to find a student headliner for Fall Fest. 

Both headlining performers this year are female rap artists. Rico Nasty received critical acclaim after releasing her 2018 mixtape “Nasty,” and collaborating with fellow artist Doja Cat on the 2019 hit “Tia Tamera.” Following the release of her 2016 single “Ooouuu,” Young M.A was nominated for the MTV Music Awards Artist of the Year award and opened for rapper 21 Savage on his 2017 “Numb the Pain” tour.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comment from Pitt Program Council special events coordinator Eva Lin Feindt