J. One of the best rappers with college degrees, Kweli comes by his verbal dexterity honestly, growing up in a highly literate family that includes an English professor (his mother), a college administrator and sociologist (his father), and a law professor (his brother). In interviews, Ice Cube has attributed his systematic planning to his architectural training, and it has served him well as he has built a three-decade career that has spanned from rap to acting to movie producing. Georgia State University is a public research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was while studying theater at NYU that Mos Def stepped, almost accidentally, into hip-hop. Another president of the Harvard Lampoon, Michael Schur graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. After graduating, he pursued a masters degree in education at the University of Maryland and said he was one of the top five students in his class. (Photo: Twitter) She once ranted about the campus on Twitter. Still,the teen sensation holds a diploma (of sorts) from Harvard, and was able to continue her education online while balancing a packed schedule! "Half the campus . Lilly Singh in a colorful top. Hired by Dr. Dre to write rhymes for his group, the World Class Wreckin Cru, Cube went on to partner with Dre, Eazy-E, and MC Ren as N.W.A., trading in glitzy party records for a hard-hitting, street-reportage style. Sign up for The Urban Daily's email newsletter! Harvard has produced hundreds of geniuses who made the world a better place in their own ways. At the time, LL Cool J said:"For them to recognize my body of work and my contributions to the world of art is an amazing feeling.". Chuck D Public Enemy number 1. However, he soon found out he did not like the practice of law, and in 1992, he began working as a comedian. Lil Wayne The most prominent rapper of today that has blessed us with hit after hit for more than 20 years is also a post-secondary attendee. Besides his own verses, Cube wrote for Eazy and Dre, crafting lyrics that fit their voices and personas. Stay up to date with StyleCaster on the latest celebrity and entertainment news, as well as red carpet style photos. Meanwhile, hip-hop has become a serious field of academic study consider producer 9th Wonders residency atNorth Carolina Central University, or theHarvard Universityfellowship for hip-hop scholarship established by Nas. Tommy Lee Jones graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Harvard University in 1969. Born in 1985, Cole began rapping at 12 and making his own beats at 15, with a sampler given to him by his mother. Colin Jost attends the Lincoln Center American Songbook Gala honoring Bonnie Hammer at Broadway Theatre on January 29, 2020 in New York City. ; 6 JAY-Z / 3 billion USD in net worth (2021). Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and . The hip hop recording artist and social activist attended Cheshire Academy, a coed boarding and day school in Cheshire, Connecticut. Cheap Therapy If You're Broke. has a degree in fine art, film, and video from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Lil Jon spent two years studying at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia before going on to finish college at Ohio State University in 1993. An Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology is a prerequisite for pursuing a degree in this field. Howard University is a federally chartered, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university in Washington, D.C. While others passed with flying colors, others just passed by; attending for a brief period before focusing on their music career. Who says that people can only excel at one thing? However, Lewis dropped out of the Ivy League institution to pursue a career in music. One year later, the straight A-Student, and future "Girl On Fire" songstress, graduatedvaledictorian from high school and went to study at Columbia University. Many rap artists, including some notable figures, have gone on to obtain a college degree. According to a music producer and researcher of performing arts, Talib Kwelis rhymes were what drew him to the stage. 4. Ryan Leslie 11 languages Anthony Ryan Leslie (born September 25, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur from Washington, D.C. Some of these hip-hop stars earned their degrees after attending four years of college, while others were presented with honorary degrees for their contributions to the arts. The children were taught by their mother, aunt, and a French governess, who evidently did a fantastic job: Teddy was admitted to Harvard in 1878. He received an honorary degree from the University of Houston in 2008. Born in Boston, Gurus father was a judge and his mother the director of libraries for the public school system a perfect example of upper-middle class black excellence. Before breaking into comedy on Punk'd and The Office, B..J Novak was a Harvard student, graduating from the university in 2001. Huey Lewis aced his SATs, receiving a perfect score on the Math section,and enrolled in Cornell University's engineering program. #7 Dr. Dre. 3. However, she withdrew from Harvard one semester short of earning her degree to pursue a career in acting. #5 Notorious B.I.G. After he was given an ultimatum, he also threatened to sue, and went to the press - at which point the school backed down. Yo Gotti - Yo Gotti attended Southwest Tennessee Community College and took Business as his major. Image from the Los Angeles Times. Some of your favorite rappers have attended your childrens graduation. Her major was Electrical Engineering. No musical or. Amy graduated in 1987 and a few years later, she landed her first big TV role in NYPD Blue. Lauryn Hill released her first solo album, At Columbia, Hill took classicalmusiccourses, and was on her way to, TheSalutatorian of his high school, Legend had his pick of universities to attend. The list includes people like Taraji P. Henson, Sean Combs, Chadwick Boseman, Thurgood Marshall & Phylicia Rashad. Starting at San Diego State University, Saweetie went out on a limb and gave herself a choice: jump into music full-time, or transfer to the University of Southern California. A Screen Actors Guild and Grammy Award-winning artist, Chris Bridges may have gotten famous on some less-than-intellectual party jams, but the man himself is a mogul and a business mastermind. Some rappers may have gone to college, while others may not have. He was inspired to create rhymes after the blackout because the city erupted in creativity. With smart business sense, Luda also broke numerous younger Southern rappers, such as 2 Chainz, using his Disturbing tha Peace record label as a major front for the genre. Some requirements include the ability to work hard, have discipline, determination, stamina, self-confidence, the ability to motivate others, and the ability to market effectively. Rappers who went to college are as unique as can be - Native Tongues and backpacker MCs, hard-core gangsta and Dirty South rappers, pop stars and underground. #4 Kendrick Lamar. We can see that he is putting his degree to good use -- the communications in his music and business side of him had to play a role in his partnership with Interscope records. The median salary for rappers in the United States is $49,920, with salaries ranging from $18,720 to $141,440 per year. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. After making it in the movies, Shue returned to her alma mater to complete her B.A. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Dante Smith was already a successful child actor when he began his career as a child. Here's Exactly What to Talk About on a First Date. There is a scene that spoofs the old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial where Method's character Silas sits in his car with a bag of contraband and no . Chuck has made education and activism the center of his career, from speaking to college students to producing documentaries about hip-hop and political issues. Ice Cube, a rap pioneer and actor, has been in the entertainment industry for 30 years, beginning with rap and working his way up to acting and producing. Theodore Roosevelt in military uniform. When Glover returned to music in 2008, with his first mixtape, the Dirty South-influenced Gambino project was supposed to be a more personal, non-commercial way to express himself during professional frustrations (he would leave Community shortly after). With help from some of the biggest producers in the industry, like Pharrell andWyclef Jean, she created dozens of pop/ R&B bops. Chuck D, Adelphi University Source:Getty 4. Wu-Tang Clan rapper GZA has been known as the Genius since the early days of his career - but in recent months, the name has been particularly apt, as he has spent much of his free time chatting with scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and giving lectures at Harvard and New York University. Rick Ross Before creating a rap persona based on an actual real-life drug dealer. Gurus work is steeped in the history and pre-history of hip-hop, as his Jazzmatazz albums demonstrate; experimental collisions of jazz artists, hip-hop beats, and rapping, the four Jazzmatazz records are like an alternate universe hip-hop. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgias four research universities. While there, the Parks and Recreation star was very active in the college societies, and was a member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, Harvard Opportunes, Black Students Association and the Signet Society. Mos Def, also known as Dante Smith, has a socially conscious sound and is known for his restless, social-justice lyrics. He graduated from Georgia State University with honors and began a business empire that grew to prominence. What about the rappers with college degrees? Thats not to say that rappers do not possess extraordinary gifts: Flava Flav, before he was a reality-show embarrassment, was a musical prodigy, capable of playing more than a dozen instruments by ear, without any formal musical training, by his teenage years. Born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, Chuck Ds rap career began right alongside the Big Bang of hip-hop the legendary 1977 New York City blackout, when the 17 year old was inspired to write rhymes by the post-blackout burst of creativity in the city. 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