Through a haze of smoke and colored lights, rappers Chingy and the Ying-Yang Twins invaded the Hill as part of the Campus Takeover concert Thursday night at Diddle Arena.

Fans were crowded around the stage and scattered in the stands at the three-hour show, waiting for the event’s headliners to appear.

“I expect them to show up, respect the crowd and keep it clean,” said Savina Husic, 15, of Bowling Green.

The crowd perked up when the Ying-Yang Twins took the stage after two hours of opening acts, but it was obvious that Chingy’s performance was the most anticipated of the evening.

Ten-year-old Jessica Hunt of Bowling Green said she came to the concert to see Chingy because she has his CD and her “mom and everybody likes him.”

Of the 4,500 tickets available for the event, only 1,104 were sold. There was plenty of empty space on the Diddle floor – more room for dancing.

“I had a ball,” said Erica Pope of Louisville after she danced onstage while Chingy performed his hit single, “Right Thurr.”

Bobby Womack, 9, of Bowling Green, said he came to the concert just for Chingy and the Ying-Yang Twins.

“They’re good singers, I guess,” Womack said.

During the show, some of the performers experienced problems with the audio system. At the beginning of their set, the Ying-Yang Twins encouraged the crowd to join them in yelling “get the mic right” when they were not pleased with the audio quality of the microphones.

Despite the difficulties, the Ying-Yang Twins performed an energized series of their hit songs, such as “Get Low” and “By Myself.” They also incorporated a Michael Jackson interlude into their performance.

“I’ve just always liked the Ying-Yang Twins, and I think Chingy’s really hot,” said Amberly Nichols, a senior at Edmonson County High School.

Reach Ashlee Clark and Tavia Green at [email protected]