N.E.R.D. show to be a study in hip-hop

‘ ‘ Pitt might be a state school, but it’s being invaded by nerds this weekend ‘mdash; and… ‘ ‘ Pitt might be a state school, but it’s being invaded by nerds this weekend ‘mdash; and they’re not from Carnegie Mellon. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pharrell Williams, Shay Haley and Chad Hugo, otherwise known as N.E.R.D. (or No One Ever Really Dies), will perform Saturday in Pitt’s Fitzgerald Fieldhouse, continuing Pitt Program Council’s trend of bringing cutting-edge hip-hop to campus as spring arrives. But this year is a bit different than past performers Nas or Lupe Fiasco. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘This is the first full-band hip-hop show we’ve had,’ said PPC’s executive board director JJ Abbott. ‘They’ll play the crowd really well ‘mdash; it’ll bring a whole different energy to the show.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The trio’s brand of funky, electro-fuzz hip-hop will be ushered in by local favorite Formula 412, a six-piece, full-band hip-hop act that’s been gaining steam since dropping its new album The Difference. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re looking forward to playing for Pitt students who appreciate live hip-hop and showing them that it’s a lot closer to them than [Virginia natives] N.E.R.D.’ said frontman Masai Turner. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We grow our show for the crowd when we hit the stage. It’s completely interactive. The crowd will get double the show they’d expect.’