Rapper Swae Lee Tweets — Then Deletes — Performance Schedule Showing Harvard Yard Event on the Day of Yardfest

By Vivi E. Lu, Crimson Staff Writer March 30, 2022

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Rapper Swae Lee appears in line to perform at Harvard’s first in-person Yardfest concert since 2019 after the artist tweeted — and then deleted — a spring performance schedule that included a Harvard Yard event on the day of the festival.

This year’s concert — the first in-person Yardfest in two years — is scheduled to take place on April 10 in Harvard’s Tercentenary Theater. On Saturday, Swae Lee posted a screenshot showing a list of college performance dates with the caption “college dates for this month…” The schedule included events at George Washington University and the University of Mississippi. The post was deleted on Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement to The Crimson, Harvard College spokesperson Aaron Goldman wrote, “We look forward to announcing our guest artist for Yardfest in the coming days.”

Swae Lee did not respond to a Twitter direct message on Tuesday afternoon.

Nicholas E. Kelly ’23 and Nicole T. Rozelman ’23 — the co-presidents of the Harvard College Events Board, which organizes Yardfest — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Swae Lee, an American rapper hailing from Mississippi, is known for songs like “Black Beatles” with Gucci Mane, “Unforgettable” with French Montana, and “Sunflower” with Post Malone. “Sunflower” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2020.

Swae Lee released his debut album “SremmLife” in 2015 as part of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, alongside his brother Slim Jxmmi, and has since collaborated with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Camila Cabello, and Drake.

The College canceled Yardfest in 2020 and held a virtual event featuring Aminé and Trevor Daniel last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of students turned out for the last in-person Yardfest in 2019, when Bazzi and Kiara performed. Previous Yardfests have featured artists including Lil’ Yachty, Wale, Steve Aoki, and Jessie J.

—Staff writer Vivi E. Lu can be reached at vivi.lu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @vivielu_.