Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian

The air was thick with balloons and anticipation as students crowded the Pit to see rap artist Chingy perform and kick off Vintage Days.

But 11:30 a.m. came and went — Chingy had not yet appeared.

A DJ spun tunes onstage and a dance contest broke out when Soulja Boy’s “Crank Thatâ€Â came on.

After the dancing winner was announced, ASI president J.P. Moncayo and Mackee Mason introduced Fresno State’s spoken word artist Rion “Chicago the Lyracistâ€Â Spears and his “Ode to Hip Hop.â€Â

By 12:15 p.m., Chingy’s younger sister Ziggy was belting out a song and at 12:30 p.m. the artist’s cousin Spiffy was rapping “Two Stepâ€Â.

Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian

And then, finally, his entrance came — at 12:45 p.m., Spiffy introduced the man of the hour, who made his way to the stage in a baggy white T-shirt and jeans, microphone in hand.

Balloons whipped in the breeze and students began to move as Chingy and Spiffy rapped “Right Thurrâ€Â to the beats of DJ Sno.

After his performance, Chingy thanked everyone for coming, then moved up to the lawn in front of the Kennel Bookstore to sign autographs.

Brandon Swain, however, was not impressed.

“Personally, I thought he sucked,â€Â said the sophomore criminology major. “He could have put on a better show. It was just half a song, and then he left.â€Â

Vanessa Moneski, a freshman majoring in business, was also disappointed. “I expected more,â€Â she said. “I mean, he only sang one song. But still, it was cool to see him.â€Â

But her friend Susan Bilgin, also a freshman, saw things a bit differently.

“If we had paid for it, that would have been one thing,â€Â she said. “But since it was free, it was kind of like a gift, so I wasn’t going to be like, ‘I want more.’â€Â

But those who attended the “Hip Hop and the Communityâ€Â panel discussion later that day at the Satellite Student Union did indeed end up getting more of Chingy.

The discussion, part of Dr. Julius Bailey’s “Hip Hop in Americaâ€Â course, kicked off with Chicago’s “Ode to Hip Hop,â€Â then local rapper Matt Robinson pondered the death of hip hop.

“People have said hip hop’s descent is the result of increased materialism and loss of roots,â€Â Robinson said, “but it really still is at the heart of the African-American experience.â€Â

Wayne Hurley and the students of Dance Empowerment took the stage, making way for B-95’s Monique “Moâ€Â Mann’s interview with Chingy and his family.

The artist lounged in a checkered hoodie next to Spiffy and Ziggy and gave his thoughts on the state of hip hop today.

“I can’t say that hip hop is dead exactly,â€Â Chingy said. “But it’s definitely taken a turn for both the worse and the better. There’s a lot of great new talent coming out these days, but you tend to hear all the negative stuff before the positive.â€Â

Ziggy, however, had a more hopeful take on the future of hip hop. “It isn’t just about music,â€Â she said. “It’s a lifestyle. It will never really die because it’s an urban expression of life.â€Â

Bailey, whose class is devoted to the psychologies and philosophies behind the hip hop movement, also stressed its significance.

“Hip hop has affected you,â€Â he said, “whether it’s in your style or the way you rock your hips. It has affected you.â€Â