Stitching together a list of just a few of the entertainers who have graced the grounds of Kent State in the past several years results in the following: Wiz Khalifa, Jeremih, Future, Kevin Hart, Rae Sremmurd, Kesha, PartyNextDoor, Ab-Soul, Kyle and Chance the Rapper. One thing is certain: it’s a star-studded collection of marquee performers.

With that being said, it’s time to give credit where credit is due and give Undergraduate Student Government praise for years of successful efforts. It almost seems that our university continues to attract increasingly more popular artists as time passes.

Artists like Ab-Soul and Kyle may not garner the attention of the average music fan, but each has proven to be a strong lyricist in the new wave of rap. Rap fans will tell you Ab-Soul of the Compton-based Top Dawg Entertainment music collective is a lyrical monster that can go toe-to-toe with the best of them. Kyle, or “SuperDuperKyle,” as he is known by his fans, opts for more of a “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” style with high energy bars and colorful themes to boot.

Up-and-coming artists like the duo of Rae Sremmurd and solo artist Chance the Rapper are newer faces, but they’ve wasted little time in capturing the attention of the casual music fan. With a combination of mixtape and radio hits from each, the two have skyrocketed onto the mainstream rap scene.

The aforementioned artists are impressive, but they don’t reach the list of top-tier artists that Kent State has had. Each of the aforementioned talents are among the most established names in the entertainment industry and their fan bases spread far and wide.

Performances by Future and Wiz Khalifa were accompanied by high-energy settings and an electricity that is unmatched. It’s incredible to see such artists in their prime visit Kent State and put on low-cost, highly-entertaining concerts for students.

We also can’t forget Kevin Hart’s hilarious stand-up special that he performed for students in 2014, either. It’s remarkable that USG can pull such strings in order to entertain the students of Kent State; Hart is a major movie star who has worked alongside legends like Ice Cube, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and funnyman Will Ferrell.

The USG deserves a collective, campus-wide round of applause for their efforts and success in recruiting major talent to Kent State. It is a testament to their abilities as an organization and their consistency shows that those in charge are extremely skilled in their individual positions.

This leads us to the live performances set to take place on Thursday, brought to us again by USG: PartyNextDoor and Kesha will be headlining the M.A.C. Center for their much anticipated concert.

With names like these, it’s safe to state that USG has continued its reign of success in Fall 2016.

PartyNextDoor is set to go on tour with Jeremih in November, and his Kent State performance will serve as a warm-up for the R&B standout before he hits the road.

Kesha is also a huge star in her own right. For anyone who has been following her recently, she has opted for more of a psychedelic rock sound since returning from her controversial hiatus. Kesha has not released new music since 2013. She has been involved in an ongoing lawsuit against producer Dr. Luke, but has been performing her old hits with her new band, The Creepies.

Regardless of Kesha’s new sound, it is sure to be a great show, one that would not be possible without USG. They deserve the recognition and admiration from a campus that largely benefits from the presence of such top-shelf performers.

Thank you, USG. I can count on you for top-notch entertainment.

Israel Galarza III is a columnist, contact him at [email protected].