While WSU had mega-star 2 Chainz close out the year, the University of Idaho is taking a less conventional route.

Up-and-coming artist Chance the Rapper will perform at UI’s Finals Fest Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Kibbie Dome.

Chance’s career began in 2011, but his breakout moment came two years later with the release of his free mixtape “Acid Rap.”

“Not everyone knows who Chance is, but even if you don’t know him you’ll have a great time,” said Maxwell Cowan, a graphic designer for the Department of Student Involvement at UI.

Cassandra Michaud, the concert coordinator with the student entertainment group Vandal Entertainment, said the group surveyed students early on to get a feel for what type of genres they enjoyed and how much they’d be willing to pay for tickets.

“Through student voices, we figured they wanted a bigger artist than past years,” Michaud said.

Lauren Pinney, the board chair of Vandal Entertainment, said she’s had her sights set on bringing Chance to UI “for a long, long time.”

“He’s an interesting person,” Pinney said. “For such a young person who had the scene hit him hard, he’s stayed true to making his music and staying original.”

While anonymous social media sites like Yik Yak have hosted some negative comments toward Chance, the public response has been largely positive to their choice of headlining artist, Pinney said.

Finals Fest has traditionally cost students very little or nothing at all to attend, which presented a hurdle for Vandal Entertainment when it came to bringing a rising star to UI, Michaud said.

In an email, Interim Director of Student Involvement Katie Dahlinger said Vandal Entertainment has worked hard with the Associated Students of the University of Idaho to subsidize the higher costs that came with booking Chance.

“There have been many comments about why students now have to pay. It’s a learning curve for the UI community and our student leaders,” she said in her email.

Tickets are still available to purchase, and the first 2,000 people who show up can be on the floor to see Chance perform, Pinney said.

“He’s more a festival guy and doesn’t really do one-off shows, so this is a unique experience for students to get to see him without dropping hundreds of dollars,” Pinney said.

Cowan said everyone involved in this Finals Fest are working hard to lay the foundation for even bigger events in the future, and Chance is a step toward making that vision a reality.

“We’ll be seeing a lot of great things coming from him. People at Finals Fest this year will be able to say, ‘I saw him when…’” he said.

Tickets for the event cost $20 for UI students and $35 for the public. Tickets are available to purchase at the UI Ticket Office, online at www.uidaho.edu/ticketoffice or call 208-885-6466.

“We welcome Cougars! So if you haven’t bought your ticket yet, go buy it,” Michaud said.