The CollegeFest 2011 entertainment line-up rocked the house at Hynes! Check out the headliners and other performers from this year’s festival.

We The Kings

For pop-rock quartet We The Kings, it’s all about staying connected – with each other, with their hometown roots, and especially with their fans. Named for hometown Bradenton, Florida’s King Middle School where they first made music together, the band – Travis Clark (lead vocals, guitar), Hunter Thomsen (guitar, backing vocals), Drew Thomsen (bass) and Danny Duncan (drums) – has grown into one of the most engaging and exciting acts on the pop-rock circuit. Talent, ambition, and hard work have all played a part, but for We The Kings, nurturing the bonds between the band and their fans is what makes it all happen.

Their music has been licensed for the CW, MTV, Rock Band, and more, and they were nominated for a 2008 mtvU College Radio Woodie Award. Appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and MTV’s TRL and Spring Break 2008 have further boosted the band’s visibility. Constantly on the road, in 2009 they headlined their own tours as well as the 2009 Vans Warped Tour.

The Dean's List

The Dean’s List is a pop/hip-hop group based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Since dropping their latest mixtape, The Drive In, they’ve been killing it at colleges across the country. The group has amassed a large fan base that not only includes college kids across the nation but all over the world. Whether it be hip-hop, pop, rock or anything in between, they’re a group of highly motivated and talented musicians that stand to make a huge impact in music.

OnCue

“OnCue is on the brink of stardom. Period. He treats each track like it’s the hit single off his album: from production, to each word rapped, to the promotion. He has stuck true to his roots since the beginning and is passionate about the power of music, and not just the fame that comes with it…it’s only a matter of timing now til Cuey breaks big.” (GoodMusicAllDay.com) OnCue has collaborated with The Dean’s List and Chris Webby and has performed alongside the likes of Sam Adams. The video for his latest single, “Feel Tall,” premieres on MTV this month and with his upcoming mixtape, Can’t Wait, Cuey’s fame is sure to skyrocket him into stardom.

Derek DeAngelis

Derek DeAngelis, or more commonly known as “Derek D” is an actor/comedian/host from NJ. This will be Derek D’s 6th year hosting CollegeFest, and he has said it gets better and more fun every year! You may have seen him in national commercials, TV shows, films, print ads, and he has worked with many different celebrities. You can also catch Derek D all over the internet, in parodies, hosting shows, events, and a lot more.

Bboyd & E-Knock

BBoyd is a 19 year old rapper entering his sophomore year at Western Connecticut State University, where he plays Varsity Basketball and majors in Meteorology. BBoyd was all state and all New England during his high school basketball career at Burncoat High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he holds the record for Most Three Point Field Goals. His father, a member of both the UCONN and New England Basketball Hall of Fames, gave up his college coaching career when BBoyd was 2 years old to raise him alone, after BBoyds mother died of breast cancer. Despite losing their home to financial hardships and moving to public housing, BBoyds positive attitude and faith has led him to a promising start in the music industry by recording his debut single with E-Knock, founding member of Boston area dance crew Status Quo (which appeared on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew) and by working on a debut album with producer Kaz Gamble.

Kap Slap

Kap Slap’s tagline “Mashups For Raging” couldn’t be a better fit for this 21 year old mashup DJ/Producer. In late 2009 he released his first mashup and in just two short years Kap Slap has become one of the most notorious names in the game. As official DJ of FratMusic.com he knows what people want to hear, cranking out top 5 Hype Machine hits one after the other. His live mixing and on stage antics have sold out every show he’s played thus far, resulting in a packed fall schedule and a guaranteed rager for anyone who can snag tickets. Check out his Facebook page for free downloads and tour dates.

ZNI

Born Ziyanai Maraire, which means “to know each other” and “to give wisdom” in his native Shona language, ZNI takes his name to heart as he creates music and lyrics that allow listeners to get to know him and share in inspirational moments of his life.

ZNI left his hometown of Seattle to focus on his music career in New York. While there, he released his first mix tape “Strength of Street Knowledge” – hosted by DJ Sickamor and in 2006, released his “I Gotta Joog” single which spurred his first album entitled “Soldier of Fortune.” In 2007, ZNI returned to Seattle and to the studio – releasing 07 Teen Spirit which garnered the interest of adidas who then signed the artist to their 2008 Thrill and Destroy campaign. Through adidas, he released the track “Impossible Is Nothing” which he feels was moment when he truly began defining his musical direction. In that same year, he released his first major album featuring the headline single Crash.

Spits Nelson

Spits Nelson has gone under the radar as one of the most slept on artists in the Hip-Hop game. His versatile style, complex lyrics and unique production has set him apart from the competition; providing a refreshing angle in an industry in need of new talent. The New Jersey native mc started his musical aspirations in Boston, MA while
attending Fisher College. Shortly after, he released his first EP in 2010 under B.L.A.K. Label Music entitled “Open It Up”. During this time, Spits performed in over 40 shows with crowds larger than 2500 including; Stoolapalooza tour, Barstool sports and he even shared the stage with well known rapper Young Joc. Spits has also had the
opportunity to work with well-known artists such as Iron Mic, Haas, V.S., Mastermyndz, Siiyara Nelson and WMS the Sultan. This October he is dropping 2 new singles “Song of the Year” and “Greatest Feeling Ever” which will be featured on his upcoming mixtape, “Closer Than You Think” being released by B.L.A.K. Label Music at the end of this year.

Chris Webby

Completing 6 mixtapes with a catalog of over 100 songs in the past 3 years, Chris Webby is quickly accumulating a fanbase of millions. With over 130,000 Facebook Fans, 50,000 Twitter Followers, and 19,000,000 YouTube views, Webby has built his foundation off of free music and what’s become a critically acclaimed live performance. With sold out shows from coast to coast Chris recently completed his 20 city nationwide Summer Tour which spanned over the month of July. This fall, in an effort to get in front of even more of his ever-growing fan base, Chris will embark on another tour hitting college venues and campuses across the nation.

Hoodie Allen

Make every word count. This has long been the mantra of Hoodie Allen, the New York based rapper and songwriter. With a penchant for candid storytelling and witty punchlines, Hoodie has always been an emcee who understood the importance of connecting with the audience through his lyrics. A purveyor of summertime anthems, Hoodie Allen has gained notable buzz on the internet for his unique genre-blending style, unafraid to sample from the unconventional norms of hip hop. His most recent work samples a diverse array of artists and sounds from UK pop singers (Marina & The Diamonds) to indie rock staples and upstarts (Death Cab for Cutie). The future is bright for Hoodie Allen. He plans to continue providing the masses with feel-good music for a long time.

Stereo Telescope

The electro-indie-pop of Stereo Telescope is the product of 8-bit fanatics Kurt Schneider and Nikki Dessingue.

Formed in late 2009, they’re now whipping it up and dancing the line between heartfelt expressions and good old frenetic energy expulsion with their non-stop pulsating synth set. Stereo Telescope has often drawn comparisons to energetic acts such as M83, Beach House or Passion Pit. With their back and forth guy-girl vocals and the addition of Night Fruit’s Luke Sullivan (drums), and Jamie Michalski aka DJ Die Young (midi, percussion) to the live show, the sound has grown from its basement origins.

Stereo Telescope’s synth-heavy electronic sound earned them Stuff Magazine’s 2010 Best Electronic Band and a nomination for Electronic Act of the Year in the 2010 Boston Music Awards, as well as current nominations for Best Electronic and Best New Act in the 2011 Best Music Poll.

Moufy

Raised in the Orchard Park neighborhood of Roxbury, Moufy is putting Boston Hip Hop on the map. At the age of 19, Moufy already has the most downloaded mixtape ever by an unsigned artist from the City of Boston and the most facebook fans of any rapper from the city. His accomplishments don’t stop there though, he has sold out a 600 person venue in Boston; had his music played at New England Patriot games; been covered on the front page of the Boston Globe and done a music video with David Ortiz. He’s currently on a 16 stop tour of the Northeast and while his career may have just started he’s quickly making a name for himself as the artist to watch coming out of the Northeast.

Cinnamon Fuzz

The Cinnamon Fuzz are actually the Cinnamon Brothers – Jonah & Nick Burstein. The sound? Everything from funked-out dance grooves to slick new-wave sultry rock, all spawned by eclectic influences varying from Kurt Vonnegut to “Big Trouble in Little China” to The Cars. Since releasing Cruise of the Century (one of Boston Music Spotlight’s EPs of the Year 2010), the Synth-Pop outfit has won top songwriting competition finishes with “Reboot My Heart”, garnered media acclaim, scored radio rotation, and was named one of the 18 best unsigned acts in the USA by Billboard in March 2011. The brothers are currently working on a Podcast theme song for SI mega-writer Joe Posnanski while readying to drop their new release, the first cut of which was debuted on The Breakfast Show on WFNX and is available as a pre-release download on their Bandcamp – where you can also “pay what you want” for their debut EP.

Lazerdisk Party Sex

Lazerdisk Party Sex is an electronic DJ/Production collaboration between Burlington, Vermont based artists Pres and ZJ. Having performed many years on their own, the two decided to join forces in Spring 2010. They have gained wide spread recognition for their remixes and original tracks. Their remix of Selecta, by Afrojack and Quintino hit number 1 on the Hype Machine earlier this summer and their original track Lemonade Is Still Popular made it to number 3. The duo is currently working on an EP and actively performing all around the US.