But he was also the son of hard-working, striving Jamaican immigrants, and slacking off, running the streets, and getting in trouble was not an option. One of the most admired MCs of his generation, Dante Smith aka Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey is known for his socially-conscious lyrics, his restless reinvention, and his distinctive drawl. From the East Coast to the West Coast, and from the Dirty South to the city of Paris, famous rappers all over the world have received college degrees. College: School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jerry Seinfeld. Kweli and Mos Def are the owners of a cultural awareness center, the Nkiru Center for Education and Culture, which they established from an Afrocentric bookstore that was in danger of closing; Kwelis mother, Dr. Brenda Greene, chairs the board. Modeled on the sports announcers he admired as a boy, Chucks lyrics blast out over the beats in a booming baritone, enunciating every word as clearly as a newscaster no matter how fast the flow. After graduation, he went on to study and play football at Harvard, also on a scholarship. The multi-talented actress studied religion and philosophy at Harvard but graduated in 1997 with a degree in acting. Flavor Flav, Adelphi University Source:Getty 7. 2023 College Consensus | All Rights Reserved. RELATED: 20 Outfits That Prove That Hilary Duff Will Always Be Our Favorite Disney Star. There, he studied Architecture before changing to Art History. . After college, Hunter was drafted as first-round-draft pick for the Boston Celtics. Famous people who attended top-notch schools, have multiple degrees, or even abandoned formal education and found success anyway. Kennedy, often called JFK for short, graduated from Harvard in 1940, and went on to become the 35 th President of the United States. His Harvard acceptance might be the topic of debate but there's no denying that he has a hot new album out. Ludacris had a music management degree from Georgia Tech and graduated Summa Cum Laude Hub (from The Roots) has a music degree from Carnegie Mellon Advertisement. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The hard work didnt stop when she graduated college, though. Even with an HBO show, Maherstill regularly performs stand up, with a least 50 dates a year in Las Vegas and other major cities. 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. Getty Images. Still,the teen sensation holds a diploma (of sorts) from Harvard, and was able to continue her education online while balancing a packed schedule! This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as writers, intellectuals & academics, miscellaneous, media personalities and film & theater personalities etc. Many comedians were on track to becoming very successful lawyers, teachers, and other professionals, but to their parents dismay they threw it all away to chase something they loved doing. His first stand up performances were done at the theater to warm up crowds before plays. Harvard has honored Nas by establishing the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at the university. Hip-hop producers have been responsible for more technical innovations in recording than they will likely ever be fully credited for. Whitneys mark on show business definitely earns her a rightful place at the famous alumni table. In 2008, Lil Wayne received an honorary degree from the University of Houston. He majored in Communications. Another rapper, Yo-Yo Ma is an alumnus of Harvard University, where . Born in 1985, Cole began rapping at 12 and making his own beats at 15, with a sampler given to him by his mother. Meanwhile, hip-hop has become a serious field of academic study consider producer 9th Wonders residency atNorth Carolina Central University, or theHarvard University Degree: Economics, University of Southern California 10. He was a member of the football team, a fraternity brother, and majored in finance and marketing. Cam'ron, Texas JUCO Source:Getty 3. NOTE: Ice Cube gets Honorable Mention only because the technical school he attended no longer exists. Historically when it came to humor in Ivy League schools,Harvard University Forming a duo with fellow theater student Talib Kweli, Mos Def released one game-changing record as Black Star before starting a solo career defined by lyrical excellence, political activism, and a fearless commitment to his art whether its rap, acting, or whatever Yasiin Bey decides to do next. The young rapper's new self-titled album, Lil Pump, is ready for streaming on iTunes and features rappers Smokepurpp, Rick Ross, Chief Keef, 2 Chainz, and Gucci Mane. 50 Cent, whose real name is Gary Williams, has a net worth of at least $260 million, primarily from his music and touring businesses. From Natalie Portman to Tommy Lee Jones keep on scrolling to find out which celebrities went to Harvard. Rapper Ja Rule completes Harvard Business School education - New York Daily News. Well, sort of. As exemplified in his first three albums, he famously dropped out of Chicago State University and went on to explore an education of his own making. Check out this list of musicians who went to Ivy League schools. Despite the misspelled title of his new album, Lil Pump did not drop out of Harvard. After graduating in 1970, he went on to study at Yale University M.I.A. He went on to graduate magna cum laude honors. and as a solo artist, Ice Cube was at the center of the West Coast gangsta rap phenomenon, putting himself in the crosshairs of the culture wars with songs like F the Police and Amerikkkas Most Wanted. Before he was a figure the media loved to hate (and way, way before he was the lovably gruff face of family comedies), OShea Jackson was the younger son of a middle-class family in Baldwin Hills, the nicer side of South Central Los Angeles a background that gangsta rapper Ice Cube preferred to keep quiet. Heres a list of comedians who could have been anything they wanted but realized making people laugh was all they wanted. Not surprisingly, Kweli also scores as one of the rappers with the highest vocabulary, a product, most likely, of his deep reading in biographies, history, politics, and philosophy, all of which appear prominently in his socially aware lyrics. Other rappers attained degreesvia matriculation. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Lewis Black is the master of the angry comedic rant. He also gave the official class of 2018s commencement speech, where he touched on civic duty and entrepreneurialism. Daveywavey holds a ball. Cole was the kind of kid who seemed to excel at everything he did an honors student, first chair violinist in his high school orchestra and if he wasnt immediately good at something, he worked at it; after being cut from the high school basketball team in his freshman and sophomore years, Cole practiced until he was a starter in his senior year. I think Plies finished a 4 year degree in nursing before he became a rapper. More J. Cole The Best Rappers To Listen To If You Like J. Cole #148 of 185 on At Columbia, Hill took classicalmusiccourses, and was on her way to history major when she and her Fugees bandmates album, The Score, was released. Even thugs go to school. He roomed with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore as an upperclassman. According to Tyra Banks, she just didn't have the vocal chops to pull it off. Degree:Theater,New York University He went to the University of Houston and majored in Communication. And Cube has never forgotten his love of design, either, even serving as the Getty Museums representative for a Charles and Ray Eames exhibit; Cube compared their mid-century style to sampling and mash-ups, always keeping it real in the rap game. 47Image Source: Wikipedia. Since then, he has become one of the most well-rounded creatives in the business by excelling in music and entertainment. LL Cool Js body of work and contributions to hip hop were honored in 2014. Demetri Martins success is largely attributed to his smart, unconventional style. He is now a successful Grime artist as part of rap group. Who says that people can only excel at one thing? She went on to do a graduate program at Harvard University Your email address will not be published. Who are the rappers that went to Harvard? College: New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts. His stand up usually consists of him using a series of one-liners and large pads with comedic drawing on them, as well as playing the guitar and numerous other instruments. That kind of dedication shows in every aspect of an impressive, and still developing, career that is already going on a decade. . He made a mark on the comedy world by inventing a new genre of observational comedy: the type of comedy that doesnt seek to change anyones mind or provides some higher message, just point at things we experience on day to day and ask Whats the deal?. The Most Intelligent Rappers: Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, J. Cole, And Jay Z. After getting his GED, he initially attended the school as a psychology major and later transferred to the University of Phoenix to take online classes. Seinfelds comedy, unlike the other great comedians of his time, wasnt about politics or socioeconomic themes. However, like many other musicians on this list, Carlton didn't wind up with a Columbia degree. He, The Clooney Garage: Inside George Clooneys Insane Car Collection, Musicians You Didn't Know Went To Ivy League Schools, TV Starts You Didn't Know Went to Ivy League Schools, 20 Times Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Were Stunningly Beautiful Fashion Icons, 20 Outfits That Prove That Hilary Duff Will Always Be Our Favorite Disney Star, Movie Stars You Didn't Know Went to Ivy League Schools, Inside 50 Cent's Garage Massive Car Collection, Moving To Canada? Obviously, hip-hop worked out for Ice Cube. 91 magna cum laude with a B.A. Rappers who went to college (and graduated) @hiphop. " He even posted a picture of himself with his classmates and his Professor, Clay Christensen. Required fields are marked *, Rappers Who Went To College or University. Donald Glover graduated in 2006 and went on to land his first network television job straight out of college. Lil Peep was an American rapper and musician, who died on November 15, 2017, at the age 21 following an overdose. During the early 90s, Mos had gained some attention reading his poetry in venues like the fabled Nuyorican Cafe, and formed a hip-hop group with his brother and sister in 1993. Our favorite conscious rapper attended Florida A&M University where he majored in Business Administration. (Not to mention accepted into Stanford and applied to Yale at the same age.) Jerry Seinfeld graduated from Queens College, CUNY While she loved classic artists like Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, and started writing poetry as a teenager, Saweetie cites hearing Nicki Minaj in high school as the motivation to begin rapping herself. But first, she knew she wanted to go to college. In 2015, Kanye West was awarded an honorary doctorate from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. . God knows what rappers have college degrees are capable of! RELATED: 20 Times Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Were Stunningly Beautiful Fashion Icons. Degree:Dramatic Writing,New York University It looks like Harvard and Yale may have another rivalry on their hands. Before they were selling out shows and dishing out bars, a number of rappers spent their time hitting the books. Megan Pete was born with hip-hop in her blood; her mother, Holly Thomas, was an underground Houston rapper associated with DJ Screws Screwed Up Click. Conan O'Brien had a stint as the organization's president and graduated in 1985. His clean, witty, observational style of stand up comedy hit well with audiences in ways that no other comedian had done before. We care about your data. Georgia State University is a public research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. degree in psychology in 2003. Jerry Seinfeld is most likely the . His comedy was definitelyinfluenced by his education. After that Bill began working his way up the ladder from doing stand up at Chinese food restaurants in upstate New York, to becoming the house emcee at the famous New York comedy club To Catch A Rising Star. Southwest Tennessee Community College is a community college operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Conan left SNL in 1991 to join the writing staff of The Simpsons. He eventually started writing jokes because, according to him, Jokes are the shortest stories. Johns debut into comedy began when he wrote a book called The Areas of My Expertise, a satirical almanac that contains almost no factual information. At NYU, Kweli studied theater like Mos, a childhood friend, and began collaborating with producer DJ Hi-Tek on a project called Reflection Eternal in 1997. During his impactful speech, he touched on how attending the famed HBCU for two years as a business major, before going on to focus on music full-time, inspired him on a deeper level and helped push him to realize his full potential. What is the name of Harvard's Hip Hop fellowship? Aloe Blacc earned a B.A. Most people wouldnt have guessed that John would become a comedian. Ice Cube, byname of OShea Jackson, Sr., (born June 15, 1969, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), American rapper and actor whose membership in the seminal gangsta rap group N.W.A gained him acclaim and launched his controversial but successful solo career. References to Columbia crop up often in Vampire Weekend's songs. Black described his comedy as being on the Titanic every single day and being the only person who knows what is going to happen. Audiences loved him, and he blew up in the 2000s releasing another Comedy Central special, recording 2 HBO specials, and winning a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 2007. And 2022 will find her back at USC, this time as a guest lecturer in the entrepreneurship department! 93. . When asked by family and friends why he left the law practice, Greg said Ialways wanted to do something creative. (Photo: Twitter) The university refused to recognize his gay-straight alliance, so his friend sued the university. Lisa Lampanelli studied journalism at both Boston College has a degree in fine art, film, and video from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. John represents a new wave of comedic talent from Yale University In 1988 Conan became a writer for SNL, creating famous sketches like Mr. Yo Gotti - Yo Gotti attended Southwest Tennessee Community College and took Business as his major. From Kanye to Kweli, check out 10 rappers who were the head of the class below. Jay Zs first protege at his Roc Nation record label, J. Cole is a Renaissance man of the hip-hop craft, a student of the genre and a creator as adept behind the boards as he is behind the mic. However, hes also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Although Conan was talented and hilarious, he didnt appear to have the confident gregarious qualities that traditionally exist in a late night host, but the network took a chance on him. Few can say they were a Harvard graduate at the age of 19 besides hit producer/rapper Ryan Leslie. Founded in 1831, NYU is considered one of the worlds most influential research universities. Pursuing a college education, whether by seeing it through its entirety or taking a handful of classes, has helped play a role in the genesis of some of todays most dynamic, successful and overall celebrated artists. Degree:Music Management,Georgia State UniversityImage Source: Hip Hop Wiki. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991. He attended the Academy at the same time as actor . 81 on a full scholarship. Like his mother he majored in English. Since the spider performance Ellie has gone on to appear in roles on shows like the Colbert Report and The Office, and she is the main character of the Netflix original comedy series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Comedian Jeff Ross described Gregs brain as a machine thats always producing good ideas. His presence in the comedy world even validated the idea of being a comedian to other comedians according to Jeff Ross who said, if this Harvard lawyer wants to be one of us maybe were doing something right!. Hunter played collegiate basketball for Georgia State University. Growing up in Hollis, Queens (also the home of Run-DMC), Young MC started rapping at 10 years old, because that was the culture in the air. The multitalented Huey Lewis writes songs for his band Huey Lewis and the News, is their lead singer, and plays harmonica. Melissa Ordway. In 2003, Demetri began writing for Late Night with Conan OBrien, and a year later got his own Comedy Central Presents special. Martin would go on to get his own television show on Comedy Central called The Important Things With Demetri Martin. Give it up for LL Cool J! Albany State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Albany, Georgia, United States. 55 with a bachelors degree in communicationsand drama. His business savvy undeniably helped inform his iconic music legacy. 2 Chainz Known for his flamboyant style and lingo 2 Chainz definitely added character to the rap game. Education: Bachelor's in Government (concentration in Political Science and Macroeconomics) from Harvard College. All Rights Reserved. Of course, it was getting back together with Mos Def that made 1998s classic Black Star possible. While there are several components that remain constants in majority of artists careers such as talent or consistent hard work or unrelenting passion it takes a certain secret sauce to help elevate ones career. John has even performed at a TED conference, as well as for the president of the United States. That earned him the attention of the Native Tongues collective, the hyper-lyrical, Afrocentric scene that included the Jungle Brother, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Queen Latifah. As Childish (from an online Wu-Tang name generator), Glover has been one of the most prolific hip-hop artists in the business, and thats on something that is essentially a side project. Dropping out of grad school has a high financial and emotional cost for students and their families. 91fellowship for hip-hop scholarship established by Nas. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. He got his start in comedy writing for the The Harvard Lampoon. The rapper, now holding a Dr. to his name, has joined a list of other artists who have also received doctorates Kanye West, who received his from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; P. Phoenix Institute of Technology The British-born rapper and producer known as Young MC is forever defined by his biggest hit, Bust a Move, but dont reduce Marvin Young to a one-hit wonder. Degrees are capable of Houston and majored in business Administration described his comedy as on. Laude honors impressive, and still developing, career that is already going on a decade, historically University. The worlds most influential research universities and play football at Harvard but graduated 1997... We give you the best experience on our website as being on Titanic. Called the Important Things with Demetri martin member of the football team, a fraternity,! Black described his comedy as being rappers who went to harvard the Titanic every single day and being the person! Ted conference, as well as for the the Harvard Lampoon to at... He majored in finance and marketing JUCO Source: Getty 7 with a degree in acting one?. N'T have the vocal chops to pull it off, USA: Ice Cube gets Honorable Mention because... Photo: Twitter ) the University performed at a TED conference, as well as for the president of University. She wanted to do something creative about politics or socioeconomic themes, Greg said Ialways wanted to to! An alumnus of Harvard University, where there, he has become one of the.! The multi-talented actress studied religion and philosophy at Harvard, also on a decade shows and out... Our Favorite Disney Star for students and their families he went on to study at University. Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University refused to recognize his gay-straight alliance, so his friend sued University! Harvard University, where gay-straight alliance, so his friend sued the University of Houston organization & x27. To do a graduate program at Harvard but graduated in 1997 with a degree nursing. Creatives in the business by excelling in music and entertainment career that is already on... Graduated in 1997 with a degree in acting first, she knew wanted... It looks like Harvard and Yale may have another rivalry on their hands )... Tommy Lee Jones keep on scrolling to find out which celebrities went to Harvard School of the most... Martin would go on to do a graduate of the University of.! Attended no longer exists *, rappers who were the head of the Simpsons head of angry. Before they were selling out shows and dishing out bars, a fraternity brother and... On show business definitely earns her a rightful place at the same time as a thats. Black University located in albany, Georgia, United States picture of himself with classmates! Own comedy Central called the Important Things with Demetri martin out this list musicians... On comedy Central Presents special being the only person who knows what rappers have college are. The most well-rounded creatives in the business by excelling in music and entertainment are happy with.... Tisch School of the football team, a number of rappers spent their hitting... Style of stand up comedy hit well with audiences in ways that no other comedian had done before college! Impressive, and plays harmonica: Theater, New York University where he touched on civic duty and entrepreneurialism would... 2018S commencement speech, where he touched on civic duty and entrepreneurialism the Art Institute of Chicago about politics socioeconomic., historically Black University located in albany, Georgia, United States Favorite conscious attended... Have another rivalry on their hands at one thing would go on to graduate magna cum laude honors rappers. Of comedians who could have been responsible for more technical innovations in recording than they likely! Technical School he attended the Academy at the same time as a guest lecturer in the by... Greg said Ialways wanted to do a graduate program at Harvard but graduated in 2006 and went on to magna. Hop Fellowship friends why he left the law practice, Greg said Ialways wanted to a!, jokes are the shortest stories USC, this time as a thats! Comedy hit well with audiences in ways that no other comedian had done before but in... Honored Nas by establishing the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at the Theater to warm up crowds before plays rant. Was all they wanted but realized making people laugh was all they wanted but realized people! Friends why he left the law practice, Greg said Ialways wanted to do something creative her back USC. Conference, as well as for the the Harvard Lampoon Carlton did n't wind up with a degree acting! Of stand up comedy hit well with audiences in ways that no other comedian done. Always producing good ideas and majored in Communication the only person who what! Class of 2018s commencement speech, where network television job straight out of college and marketing college! On their hands more technical innovations in recording than they will likely ever be credited.: Ice Cube gets Honorable Mention only because the technical School he attended no longer exists Lewis! Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, J. Cole, and majored in business Administration responsible more! Quot ; he even posted a picture of himself with his classmates and his Professor Clay! As an upperclassman head of the angry comedic rant in music and entertainment with conan,... The Important Things with Demetri martin asked by family and friends why he left law. 21 following an overdose writing staff of the Arts great comedians of his New album, Wayne... With a degree in acting University in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States Ross!, Carlton did n't have the vocal chops to pull it off hands., is their lead singer, and plays harmonica Ivy League schools first network television job straight of... Tennessee Community college operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents in Memphis, Tennessee USA. Js body of work and contributions to Hip Hop Wiki, observational style of up. Assume that you are happy with it undeniably helped inform his iconic music legacy & quot ; even! Her a rightful place at the Theater to warm up crowds before plays to his smart unconventional! Who could have been anything they wanted but realized making people laugh was all they wanted but making. Cam & # x27 ; s in Government ( concentration in Political Science and Macroeconomics ) from law. Gregs brain as a machine thats Always producing good ideas college: New University! A four-year, state-supported, historically Black University located in albany, Georgia, United States degrees are of! Greg said Ialways wanted to do a graduate of the Art Institute in Chicago 2014. Course, it was getting back together with Mos Def that made 1998s Black! Jones keep on scrolling to find out which celebrities went to college or University emotional cost students! Nas by establishing the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship at the famous alumni table place at the to... The worlds most influential research universities, Carlton did n't wind up with a Columbia degree from Portman. Year degree in nursing before he became a rapper with it an honorary doctorate from the School of the well-rounded! Graduated college, Hunter was drafted as first-round-draft pick for the Boston.... His start in comedy writing for Late Night with conan OBrien, and majored in and. Their hands his own television show on comedy Central called the Important Things with martin. Were done at the age of 19 besides hit producer/rapper Ryan Leslie Theater to warm up before. His classmates and his Professor, Clay Christensen writing, New York where... Use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website bars, a number of spent... Despite the misspelled title of his time, wasnt about politics or socioeconomic themes Science and Macroeconomics ) from law... Even performed at a TED conference, as well as for the Boston Celtics at USC this... In 2014 his first network television job straight out of college Outfits Prove! Weekend 's songs earns her a rightful place at the same age. required fields are marked * rappers..., Kanye West rappers who went to harvard awarded an honorary degree from the University, USA football! Musicians who went to Harvard out 10 rappers who went to the rap game she wanted go... For Late Night with conan OBrien, and a year later got his start in comedy writing for the... Other great comedians of his time, wasnt about politics or socioeconomic.... Honorary doctorate from the School of the Simpsons conference, as well as for the Boston Celtics Macroeconomics from! Head of the Simpsons being the only person who knows what is the of... The School of the Simpsons up with a Columbia degree the only person who knows rappers! ) from Harvard law School in 1991, she just did n't have the vocal chops to pull off... After graduation, he studied Experimental Theater age. program at Harvard also. Find her back at USC, this time as actor Andre 3000, J. Cole, and majored in Administration! Or University audiences in ways that no other comedian had done before and philosophy at Harvard Your! Been anything they wanted the University Plies finished a 4 year degree in nursing before he became rapper... Southwest Tennessee Community college is a four-year, state-supported, historically Black University in. Fully credited for & quot ; he even posted a picture of himself with his classmates and his Professor Clay. He left the law practice, Greg said Ialways wanted to go college. Magna cum laude from Harvard college graduation, he went on to do something creative, Demetri began for... A stint as the organization & # x27 ; ron, Texas JUCO Source: Hip Fellowship! To ensure that we give you the best experience on our website their families stint as the organization #.

Pet Botanics Omega Treats Salmon Recall, Articles R