Thousands hit Hub for two-day back-to-school festival

Victor Kakulu

It may have just turned 22, but end-of-summer concert staple Collegefest isn’t ready to graduate and move out of its dorm just yet.

The two-day concert’s 2007 edition, celebrating its 22nd year in Boston, went off without a hitch this past weekend, drawing approximately 17,000 college student participants from over 100 campuses in the New England area to the Hynes Convention Center on Boylston Street.

At the event, put on by New York-based youth marketing agency Mr. Youth, students were treated to tons of free prizes from over 90 participating corporate exhibitors and sponsors, including the Boston Celtics, Bank of America, Jet Blue Airways and Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions. Before the show even started Saturday, lucky attendees got their hands on Celtics tickets, musical instruments and equipment, and free slices from Papa John’s.

Of course, the backbone of any college festival is its headlining musical act. On Saturday, chart-topping Atlanta rap group Shop Boyz took to the stage, unleashing a slew of offerings off their debut album “Rockstar Mentality.” The assembled blend of New England college students did seem a little clueless at times during the group’s unfamiliar — read: not the hot single — material, but the Boyz powered through, entertaining the crowd with their energetic stage presence and passionate performance. Things kicked into high gear as the ATL outfit jumped into their Billboard smash hit, “Party like a Rockstar.”

Collegefest’s Sunday lineup drew a slightly smaller crowd of approximately 8,000, as droves of students — a sizable number of whom appeared to be, shall we say, “non-traditional in age” — returned to the convention center for a second day of giveaways, food samples and entertainment. But prizes and pizza were secondary on Sunday, as one man was clearly on the minds of many.

Spell it with me, now: F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S.

“I’m just waiting for Fab to abuse ’em,” joked Reggie Alouidor, a student at Northeastern University.

The Brooklyn, N.Y., rapper — touted by many as the possible heir to Jay-Z’s throne as the “best rapper alive” — was scheduled to perform at 4:15 p.m. But an hour later, the boy from Bed-Stuy had still not yet arrived. Scrambling to fill the time, Collegefest’s organizers and staff stepped up with free swag, kicking out more T-shirts and merchandise by the minute. But despite the delay, the students showed they were diehards, maintaining coveted front- and side-stage standing spots in anticipation of the hip-hop heavyweight.

After a 20-minute sound check with DJ 45, the rapper, clad in a stylish orange jacket with matching designer shades, finally marched onto the stage to a roaring ovation.

Wasting no time, Fabolous (or Loso, his latest moniker) immediately engaged the enthusiastic crowd with a bevy of hits from previous albums “Ghetto Fabolous,” “Street Dreams” and “Real Talk,” along with selections from his latest release, “From Nothin’ to Somethin,’” certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America just one month after its June release.

It was an amazing sight as hundreds of camera phones and digital cameras raised in uniform precision upon the rapper’s entrance. The intensity ratcheted up a notch as the organ backdrop from “Gangster” blared through the speakers at deafening levels, followed by Fabolous joining his “Street Fam” outfit in moving the crowd as the fans sang in unison with the voice of veteran reggae artist Junior Reid: “I want dem fi know — say real warriors don’t play …” The energy was off the charts, with almost everyone within eyesight and earshot rocking in full swing to the BK ambassador’s set.

Underground hip-hop fans got a rare treat when Fab brought fellow Brooklynite and collaborator Red Café to the stage. Together, the two ran through mixtape favorites as well as new material featured on Red’s upcoming “The Co-Op,” slated for release on R&B star Akon’s Konvict Muzik label.

Fab kept the momentum going with some memorable remix cuts, including his contributions to T.I.’s summer anthem “Big Things Poppin’” and some cleverly X-rated lyrics on his remix of J. Holiday’s ode to females, the not-so-subtly-titled “Bed.”

After successfully shutting down the venue with hit after hit, Fab’s closer needed no introduction, as the pulsating beat to “Make Me Better” — one of the biggest songs of the year — had ladies screaming the lyrics: “I’m a movement by myself, but I’m a force when we’re together!” All that was left was an overwhelming ovation from the crowd after a thoroughly entertaining and memorable set — well, all except a brief but welcome display of pandemonium when some screaming female fans penetrated a human wall of event security officers as the artist and his entourage attempted to leave the area.

The music still hanging in the air, exhibition booths were nearly completely broken down as the crowds made their exits. Somewhere in the distance, a young girl said, “I just saw Fabolous — now school can start again.”

Perhaps every back-to-school season should start this way.