Sean Kingston to Perform at SBU

Rap and pop recording artist Sean Kingston will perform in concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at St. Bonaventure University’s Reilly Center Arena.

Kingston, who describes his style as a fusion of “reggae, pop, dance and fun,” first burst onto the scene in 2007, when his single “Beautiful Girls” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and topped singles charts in the United Kingdom and other international markets. The record earned him a Teen Choice Award, as did his 2009 single “Fire Burning.”

Kingston won a 2007 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award for Best Reggae Act, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award as Outstanding New Artist in 2008.

On his latest release, the single “Eenie Meenie,” he teams up with Justin Bieber, the Canadian teen pop star who was discovered through FaceBook.

Born Kisean Jamal Anderson in Miami in 1990, Kingston spent much of his youth in Jamaica. He had a rough upbringing, landing in jail at the age of 11 on a breaking-and-entering charge, and finding himself homeless when his mother was jailed on an identity fraud conviction.

He worked the Miami talent show circuit and his big break came in 2007 when he learned of a new record label in search of new artists. He auditioned and was signed on the spot.

Tickets for the general public are $12 and go on sale Tuesday, March 30. Tickets for St. Bonaventure students, faculty and staff are $10 each and go on sale Monday, March 29.

Tickets may be purchased at the Reilly Center Arena Ticket Office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online at tickets.com.

The concert is being presented by St. Bonaventure’s Campus Activities Board, the Student Government Association, and the Damietta Center.