On Oct. 22, UNC Wilmington’s ACE proudly presented its 2014 Fall Show with American hip-hop artist/rapper Steven Adam Markowitz, better known by his stage name, Hoodie Allen.

After conducting a Fall Show survey, which asked various students who they would like to see in concert, Hoodie Allen received one the highest votes. Allen’s strong fan base and explosive popularity prompted the ACE executive board—led by President Candace Reeder, two vice presidents and seven chairs—to select Allen as their top choice. ACE was pleased to announce Allen’s appearance.

“There is a lot of business that goes into sending out offers to artists where price and availability are key factors,” Reeder said, “but we were extremely lucky to get who we initially wanted.”

A distinct departure from the last two Fall Shows, featuring rock artists All-Time Low and We the Kings, Allen brings a new flavor to UNCW. As a hip-hop artist, rapper and songwriter, he has been writing since age twelve.

Allen replied in an online interview with Amanda Polla that his music comes from what he personally enjoys.

“I have tried to develop my own sound in the mood of what I like to listen to,” Allen said in the interview, where he also explained that he wanted to be professionally involved in music since age fourteen and has been pursuing it ever since.

After growing up in New York and attending the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree in marketing and finance, and a brief stint working at Google, Allen decided to devote himself to music—his passion all along. He chose his stage name as an amalgamation of his childhood nickname Hoodie and the famous New Yorker Woody Allen.

In an online interview with Clair Friedman, Hoodie noted that his stage name “was kind of fitting for doing something out of the box, which is hip hop.”

He wanted something that stuck in everyone’s mind, and it seems to have worked.

His early on-campus mixtapes soon led to his first single, “You Are Not a Robot,” which sampled the Marina and the Diamonds song “I Am Are Not a Robot,” and quickly gained him acclaim. His first EP, “All American,” was released in April 2012 and debuted as a number one album on iTunes and at number ten on the Billboard 200.

From there, Allen’s momentum has snowballed.

He quickly followed the success of his EP with a small European tour. A mix of single releases on iTunes, free downloads and YouTube postings made his music widely accessible to an increasing fan base, which has always included a large number of college students who appreciate his small venues, affordable ticket prices, frequent meet-and-greets and down-to-earth approach to rapping.

Extremely active in social media, Allen frequently engages with his loyal (some might say “ride or die”) fan base, who are known as “The Hoodie Mob.”

Allen’s follow-ups include constant touring on college campuses and both American and European venues. In addition, he created mixtapes such as “Crew Cuts,” featuring a wide variety of producers and collaborators; “Leap Year,” featuring the popular song “#WhiteGirlProblems”; and acoustic EP, “Americoustic.”

His newest album “People Keep Talking” released on Oct. 14. It features the lead single “Show Me What You’re Made Of,” which premiered with the song’s music video, a parody of the film Happy Gilmore. The second music video, “Movie,” features a number of distinctly cinematic shots, referencing a Michael Bay movie while explosions happen in the backdrop.

Allen is soon to embark on a world tour that will begin this fall and include stops in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia. By focusing on small venues such as UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium, Hoodie Allen can perform for his most-dedicated fans in a setting that allows everyone to have a good seat. Thanks to ACE, UNCW’s Hoodie Allen fans got the chance to experience a great show in a setting that allowed everyone a close-up view of the stage, providing an unforgettable Fall Show.