A performance featuring Choate rappers Julian Fraser ’16 and Matt Lacey ’18 commanded the audience’s attention at Friday night’s Foolin’ Around concert in the Student Activities Center.
Last Friday, the campus flocked to the SAC to watch Julian Fraser ’16 and Matt Lacey ’18 (a.k.a. J. Fraser and KidLacey) headline in their concert, “Foolin’ Around.”
Though the pair had little previous experience, it seemed as though they’d been performing their whole lives. Amy Hagan-Brown ’18 commented, “Matt and Julian seemed so at home on stage. They had a great command of the audience.”
The room was pulsing with energy—with every song, the screams just got louder. The artists even gave up part of the stage to students while continuing to rap as classmates danced behind them.
The duo clearly exuded great confidence, but both were slightly on edge beforehand. Lacey, who has performed at multiple talent shows and showcases, noted, “I am not nervous about the turnout, but about the crowd’s reception and reaction.” Fraser, on the other hand, said that while he felt a “little bit nervous,” he was “good under pressure,” and “very well prepared.”
During the concert, KidLacey and J Fraser sang both covers and original compositions. The duo also invited some of their classmates to the stage: Kwabena Ayim-Aboagye ’16 (King Kwab$) opened the show, Kaitlyn Dutchin ’17 contributed as a backup singer, Fraser’s roommate Michael Gordon ’16 soloed, and Choate Hip Hop tore up the stage. Katie Lee ’18, a member of Hip Hop, said, “It was really fun to perform. An excited crowd is always fun to perform for!”
“I want this event to be a place where people can just let loose, have fun and not worry about what they have to do next week or the week after,” explained Fraser before the show. Lacey wished the audience members would “truly have a great time and enjoy themselves.” Marta Garcia-Ferreiro ’18 can attest to that. “The performance presented a great atmosphere to hang out with friends and celebrate!” she said.
Fraser and Lacey had been preparing this highly-anticipated Friday night performance since mid February, but the idea first arose during during a fall-term football team dinner. Lacey recalls, “Julian went up, started rapping, and all of a sudden was like, we need to do a collab!”
For Fraser, a rising Yale Bulldogs defensive lineman, music was a plausible career even before football became a priority. “I actually really wanted to be a musician. I would write music daily,” he said. “In fact, I had a book on me so I could constantly write wherever I went.” He owes his renewed interest in music to the Choate rap community. “The Choate rap game really re-sparked my passion and fire for music,” he said.
Music has also been part of Lacey’s life, for he started “dabbling with rhymes” when he was only eight years old. For a few years Lacey exclusively covered songs on YouTube, but at fourteen, he began to write, use SoundCloud, and record with his very own microphone. He explained, “After that, it’s all history.”
Ayim-Aboagye ’16 noted, “Last night was an ephemeral experience. I’ve never seen anything like it at Choate before.” So, if you missed “Foolin’ Around,” be sure to head over to SoundCloud and check out “KidLacey,” “J. Fraser,” “King Kwab$,” and “Mike G.” Whether on the football field or at the SAC, the Choate community is full of talented artists.
