The legendary rap artist Jay-Z will perform at the Bryce Jordan Center at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, providing students with a chance to appreciate a genre that rarely comes through the area.

The 10-album artist has received countless awards, ranging from Grammys to MTV Video Music Awards.

"Jay-Z appeals to everybody. He's commercial, but he's not," said Luke Arzner, a local hip-hop artist who performs under the name L.V. "I think it's definitely a good move -- Jay-Z is definitely a person that touches on a lot of different subjects."

He believes the performance will be popular with students, who can buy student tickets for the show starting at 10 a.m. today for $29.50 with a valid student ID. Tickets go on sale for the public at noon Sept. 11.

Jay-Z is different from other rappers, Arzner said. While Jay-Z retains the street style, he incorporates other elements that make him more appealing, like the ability to make danceable party music, Arzner said.

"He's real good at what he does," he said. "He comes from the street, and he keeps that basis."

Zack Palladino (senior-information science and technology), a self-described Jay-Z fan, says the concert is already generating a buzz.

Many rap artists are not sure about how the Penn State community will receive them, he said, and choose to forego a Penn State show. He's hoping if Jay-Z brings a large audience, then other stars of this genre will follow his lead.

But Arzner isn't so sure. He doesn't think the concert will help local hip-hop groups get booked at local venues.

Brother Brad Arzner, also known as Avatar, agrees. Many bars do not book hip-hop acts because they are unsure of the popularity of the genre, he said.

"They'd rather just go get cover bands, because it's safe," Brad Arzner said. "You know what to expect."

Many are also hopeful that this performance will help to change some of the public's negative opinions about hip-hop, which Brad Arzner said is a major deterrent for many venues booking such shows.

"In the news, the press that you get on anything hip-hop related is violence," Avatar said. "I'm sure there's just as much fights outside of any rock concerts as there is outside of a hip-hop concert."

Palladino agreed with the negative perception of hip-hop and went further, saying that this perception is particularly important in the context of Penn State

"I think Penn State tries to keep their reputation cleaner," Palladino said. "Maybe that's why we haven't seen many rappers."