Young MC earned a degree in economics from the University of Southern California. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he attended Eli Whitney High School, according to author Dennis Abrams biography, Jay-Z (Hip-Hop Stars). This list contains information about celebrities who went to Harvard University, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. Born: 09-15-1946 Age: 76 Birthplace: San Saba, Texas, United States of America More Tommy Lee Jones #44 of 272 on The Best (Male) Actors Working Today #23 of 643 on Degree:Dramatic Writing,New York UniversityImage Source: Hip Hop Wiki. Chuck D. received an Honorary Doctorate from Adelphi University in 2013. Yo Gotti - Yo Gotti attended Southwest Tennessee Community College and took Business as his major. He described his experience at Harvard as "life-altering" and he jokingly gave a special shoutout to one of his professors, calling them "absolutely gangster." 6 Ciara According to a music producer and researcher of performing arts, Talib Kwelis rhymes were what drew him to the stage. Still,the teen sensation holds a diploma (of sorts) from Harvard, and was able to continue her education online while balancing a packed schedule! Natalie Portman walks the red carpet ahead of the 'Vox Lux' screening during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 4, 2018 in Venice, Italy. Some have gone on to successful careers in the music industry, while others have ventured into other fields such as acting, fashion, and business. The results of this study suggest that rappers are pretty intelligent, despite the fact that intelligence is not always easy to measure. According to Tyra Banks, she just didn't have the vocal chops to pull it off. Yo Gotti Southwest Tennessee Community College. The median salary for rappers in the United States is $49,920, with salaries ranging from $18,720 to $141,440 per year. A year after graduating, she achieved her first Oscar nomination for Closer. From a network television writing job straight out of college, to starring in Community, to stand-up comedy, to writing, directing, and starring in Atlanta, Glover has to be one of the busiest men in entertainment. The hip hop recording artist and social activist attended Cheshire Academy, a coed boarding and day school in Cheshire, Connecticut. Dean Norris was a straight A student in high school, and decided to pursue his college education at Harvard, where he studied the interdisciplinary concentration of Social Studies. Contents. One of the most influential Southern rappers of all time, Ludacris made his career on a combination of earworm hooks, inventive videos, and an image that was tough enough to maintain street cred, but comical enough to be relatable to a wide range of fans. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. He received a vote of 6.59%, making him the clear winner. What about the rappers with college degrees? 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. He began to seriously work on the script with pal Ben Affleck, and after the movie made it to the screen, the pair won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award. However, perhaps it was his time as editor of the Harvard Lampoon that set him up for his career in comedy. Here is your secret weapon: lists of fascinating facts and obscure trivia about your favorite rappers and hip hop artists. When Megan Thee Stallion was a baby, her mother, an underground rapper, was a hip-hop fan. There, he studied Architecture before changing to Art History. 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. The Thin Red Line director acquired a BA in philosophy from Harvard College, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1965. On Tuesday, the gravely voiced rapper took to Twitter to demonstrate his degree from Harvard Business School, while proudly proclaiming, I aint the sharpest knife in the drawer! Is lil wayne doing a phd? In addition to a degree, a rapper must have talent, discipline, determination, stamina, self-confidence, people skills, and marketing abilities. & Southfield Freeway in the Warrendale neighborhood due to his mother and father constantly being in and out of prison. MSU was founded in 1855 and served as a model for land-grant universities later created under the Morrill Act of 1862. Then, of course, Bust a Move swept the world, a Grammy-winning, top-10 hit that became an albatross. and also publicly address social issues that black people face, including police brutality, poor schools, and little to no jobs. He was inspired to create rhymes after the blackout because the city erupted in creativity. One of his Harvard roommates was future Vice-President Al Gore. Its no surprise that Guru could hold his own at the most competitive and elite historically black college in the nation: Morehouse College. Banks went to Harvard Business school to brush up on her skills before the anticipated opening of amodel-themed amusement park in late 2019. She started writing poetry as a teenager after watching classic movies such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. No musical or. 10. Who thought Arnold Schwarzenegger would become Californias next governor? He directed his debut feature, Pi, seven years on from graduation. He attended the University of Houston and majored in Business. It looks like Harvard and Yale may have another rivalry on their hands. 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. Waka Flocka received an honorary doctorate in philanthropy and humanitarianism from the University of Delaware. However, he soon found out he did not like the practice of law, and in 1992, he began working as a comedian. He majored in social anthropology and studied filmmaking, graduating in 1991, and it was at Harvard that Aronofsky became interested in becoming a filmmaker. 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. This Is Your Sign to Book a Cheese Vacation. In recent months, there has been speculation that Lil Wayne is a psychologist as a result of his various public statements and interactions. Our favorite conscious rapper attended Florida A&M University where he majored in Business Administration. 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. Because of the scope of the program, there are no requirements for a degree, but there are some programs available, such as music production. With help from some of the biggest producers in the industry, like Pharrell andWyclef Jean, she created dozens of pop/ R&B bops. After Simon& Garfunkel's initial lukewarm reception in the music industry, Garfunkel went to Columbia. 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. He earned a bachelors degree in economics from the University of Southern California before moving back to Queens to work as an economics professor at Queens College. While at college, Lee Jones played guard for Harvard's football team, and played in the infamous 1968 game where Harvard tied with Yale. Her ambition and a compelling letter to the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism got her a place in one of the top communications programs in the world. Who says that people can only excel at one thing? 8 David Banner. Ryan Leslie, also known asCastor Troy, was born on September 25, 1978 in Washington D.C., and is a Harvard University (BS) graduate. Who do some good rappers have PhDs? While Kweli may not talk a lot about his theater degree, his career as an activist has been devoted to literacy and social justice. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. After attending school in Kenya, training as a field biologist and backpacking across Europe, Darren Aronofsky enrolled at Harvard in 1987. What is a GPA requirement for admission into Harvard University? Her communications and business education has served her well, with a slew of endorsements and a place in Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He is best known for Genres, a hip hop neo soul pop song with 9 rows. After graduation, he went on to study and play football at Harvard, also on a scholarship. Apart from his formidable rapping skills, he has also produced hit songs for other southern rappers like T.I. He majored in Communications. The singer of the iconic hit "A ThousandMiles" also spent time on the campus of Columbia University! Before the songstress and rapper was making hits and setting industry standards, Hill was a Columbia undergraduate. After dropping out, he founded his first company, Virgin Records, which would go on to become one of the most successful record labels of all time. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped out of high school to pursue a career in body building. Conan O'Brien graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1985. . From Kanye to Kweli, check out 10 rappers who were the head of the class below. Thank you for subscribing! Some have even used their platform to become social activists and bring attention to important issues. John Legend is known for his silky smooth tenor, skillful piano playing, heartfelt hits like All of Me, and for having one of the most gorgeous families in Hollywood. No matter what they choose to do after high school, it is clear that rappers have a lot of talent and drive. Tommy Munsdwell Canady was in middle school when he wrote his first rap lyrics. Instead, the bright, dedicated student excelled at Hunter College High School (a secondary school operated by Hunter College) and was accepted into Hunter. The College Consensus ranking of the Top 10 Rappers with College Degrees is focused on the hip-hop legends and stars who have done their time in higher education and earned degrees even if they dont boast about their BAs along with their gold chains and Lambos (although rap stardom might be a good way to pay off student loans). How Important is the LSAT to Law School Admissions? He majored in psychology. He earned excellent grades in both GCSEs and A-Levels, before attending Queen Mary, University of London to study medicine. An Honorary Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology is a prerequisite for pursuing a degree in this field. 5. She is one of the most remarkable multi-instrumentalists to emerge in recent memory. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 20 Celebrities Who Went to Harvard By Emma Kelly On 7/24/21 at 7:00 AM EDT Culture Natalie Portman Matt Damon Harvard Harvard university Harvard University is one of the most prestigious. But the most amusing part is that woman's position on vaccines, which is how to put it changed a little . Who are some of the smartest rappers? Huey Lewis and the News released a series of hits in the 1980s and 90s, including 19 number 1 singles. Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and . However, hes also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. After the school closed . In 1994, Campbell lost a lawsuit to the musician, with a judge ordering him to pay out $1.6 million, including nearly $700,000 in withheld royalties. Still, Banks has completed lots of ventures. Ryan Leslie 11 languages Anthony Ryan Leslie (born September 25, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur from Washington, D.C. The students obtained their degrees from major research universities and historically black colleges and universities. 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). He graduated and got a job as a Correctional Officer. Cheap Therapy If You're Broke. #5 Notorious B.I.G. You upload all of the information, and we go over it thoroughly. Majoring in hip-hop isnt even one of the most unusual college degrees anymore. Stand-up comedian Greg Giraldo graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degree in English in 1987, but that wasn't enough for him. A straight-A student throughout high-school, Hill received a scholarship to this New York Ivy League institution. 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. #1 Jay-Z. A resident of Adams House, Lithgow graduated with an A.B. Natalie Portman graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with an. Born to a Filipina-Chinese mother and an African-American father, Saweetie grew up in Sacramento, CA, surrounded by the sounds of West Coast hip-hop. ; 6 JAY-Z / 3 billion USD in net worth (2021). Boy were they right. Diddy, Remy Ma, Birdman, Lil Wayne, The Game, and Busta Rhymes are just a few of the celebrities who have done it in the past. Its something that they have to perpetuate because its become part of raps image. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Rappers Method Man (Wu Tang Clan) and Redman play two "potheads" (for lack of a better term) who through the use of a magical herb attain brilliance and gain acceptance to Harvard University. Natalie Portman tops this list. Furthermore, he has stated that he wants to assist others in understanding their own behavior and finding their passion. 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. However, when Megan began posting freestyles to YouTube and Instagram, and destroying local rappers in the cypher, fame wasnt far behind. 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. were among the celebrities who attended their childrens graduations. Back To The Future II star Shue first enrolled at Wellesley College before transferring to Harvard University in 1985. Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2006. They signed Young as their first artist, but their first major success came with Tone Loc, spitting rhymes written by Young MC. 3. However, Lewis dropped out of the Ivy League institution to pursue a career in music. Lavell Crump aka David Banner is a talented rapper and producer from Mississippi who has tons of respect and street credibility in the rap game. Channing went on to pursue a career in acting, and landed legendary roles in Grease, The West Wing and Six Degrees of Separation. Harvard has produced hundreds of geniuses who made the world a better place in their own ways. They see his public personality and assume that is how he is, but the truth of the . 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. He was a member of the football team, a fraternity brother, and majored in finance and marketing. So before she could become Megan Thee Stallion, Megan enrolled in the land-grant HBCU Prairie View A&M University. Heres a quick look at 21 rappers who attended college. ; 4 Garcia said his father passed away on April 8, 2022.; 5 Gazzy Garcia is his real name, and he is from Miami, Florida. The same year he graduated from college (2007), Cole released his first mixtape, earning underground buzz that caught Hovs attention. Founded in 1831, NYU is considered one of the worlds most influential research universities. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI. Several famous actors, musicians and politicians attended Harvard University. Crazy Hip-Hop Rumors That Are Totally True, Rappers Who Are Secretly Very Philanthropic, A list of hip-hop artists with college, advanced, and honorary degrees, The Best Bands & Artists That Start With Y, The Best Rappers To Listen To If You Like J. Cole, Current Singers You Most Wish You Could Sound Like, These Poetic Geniuses Wrote Your Favorite Songs of All Time. Allen kept busy during his years as an Ivy League undergraduate. The Lincoln High School Class Of 1990 Graduation Ceremony, The Many Options Available To High School Graduates, Explore Your Passions At Fort Payne High School, Understanding Credit Awarded For Doctoral Classes Taken By High School Students, Exploring Your Creativity: Why High School Art Classes Are The Perfect Place To Start, What Classes Should I Take In High School For Aviation, Navigating The Risks Of Adolescence: Exploring The California State University Extended Risk And Wellness Course. rappers who went to college and what they study, Why Do Rappers Grab Their Crotch While Rapping, 8 Ways To Promote Your Music On Social Media. With Drayton who called himself Flava Flav, and worked moving furniture for Chucks fathers business Chuck recorded a single called Public Enemy Number One. The rest is history. From its beginnings in the Bronx block parties hosted by DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash, hip-hop has been a ground-level art peoples music, popular music, even folk music. References to Columbia crop up often in Vampire Weekend's songs. Eminem raps with a vocabulary rivalling Shakespeares, while Wu-Tang members GZA and Ghostface Killah have vocabularies even larger. He could battle with the best of them, too, and boasted about his brilliance with confidence. However, he dropped out a year after starting to focus on pursuing his musical career. Leon Black $5.2 Billion He's the founder of the Apollo Management Group, which specializes in leveraged buyouts of other companies. It is one of three HBCUs in the University System of Georgia. Of course, to many younger people, Luda will always be better known for The Fast and the Furious than for his rapping, but thats okay the business major always gets paid. Among the alumni of the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are many celebrities, who attended the school before hitting the big time in showbiz, as well as those who enrolled after becoming a famous name. Georgia State University is a public research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. So yes, Ludacris wrote Move B- and Freaky Thangs, but he also graduated with honors from Georgia State and built a business empire estimated at $25 million. Actor Scott Weinger attends a special LA screening celebrating Diamond Edition release of "ALADDIN" at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, on September 27, 2015. The list includes people like George H. W. Bush, Jennifer Connelly, James Franco, Liev Schreiber & Hillary Clinton. 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. 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. Dr.Brenda Greene, Kwelis mother, is a member of the board of directors of the Nkiru Center for Education and Culture. Amy Brenneman attends HBO's Post Emmy Awards Reception at The Plaza at the Pacific Design Center on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as writers, singers, musicians, intellectuals & academics and film & theater personalities etc. Apart from his formidable rapping skills, he studied Experimental Theater best of them,,... Facts and obscure trivia about your favorite rappers and hip hop recording and..., it is one of the most remarkable multi-instrumentalists to emerge in recent memory as. And out of the Arts in 2006, while Wu-Tang members rappers who went to harvard and Ghostface have! 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