It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop: MC’s & their college degrees.

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the saying, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” a quote by The United Negro College Fund. Well, how many MC’s in the hip-hop genre say that? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being talented and skipping out on the whole college experience while earning those millions, but what will happen to you if the hip-hop game isn’t for you, is there a degree or diploma that you will be able to fall back on?

Education has been a really important aspect to me (daps to my grandma), and having the privilege to highlight rappers who have went to prestigious universities and sometimes earning not one but TWO degrees, is something that needs to be written about.

CLASS LIST:

William “Flava Flav” Drayton
MC history: Public Enemy
University: Adelphi University
Degree in: Culinary

Carlton “Chuck D” Ridenhour
MC history: Public Enemy
University: Adelphi University
Degree(s): Graphic Design

Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges
MC History: Solo artist
University: Georgia State
Degree(s): Business (summa cum laude)

Lavell “David Banner” Crump
MC History: Solo artist and record producer
University: Southern University
Degree(s): Business

Duval “Masta Ace” Clear
MC History: Solo artist
University: Rhode Island
Degree(s): Marketing

Keith “Guru” Elam (RIP)
MC History: Gang Starr duo + solo artist
University: Morehouse College + New York City’s Fashion Institute
Degree(s): Business Administration + Graduate courses at FIT

Talib Kweli Greene
MC History: Black Star + solo artist
University: NYU
Degree(s): Experimental Theater

Rashia “Rah Digga” Fisher
MC History: Flipmode Squad + solo artist
University: New Jersey Institute of Technology
Degree(s): Electrical Engineering

Lonnie “Common” Rashid Lynn, Jr.
MC History: Solo artist
University: Florida A&M University
Degree(s): Business Administration

INTERESTING THANGS:

In other news, Flava Flav had opened his second fried chicken restaurant in March. Why not use his culinary degree to its fullest? The VHI reality star had already opened a first restaurant that lasted four months. On March 15, House of Flavor opened up in Las Vegas which was very beneficial for Flava Flav since he resides in Las Vegas.

The handsome Talib Kweli comes from a strong, educated background. His mother, being an English language professor and his father a sociology professor. Not to mention his brother who is a professor of Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School and a graduate of Yale Law School.

I found it really dope that Guru took graduate courses at New York’s Fashion Institute. I mean, it’s not everyday you would see a MC take fashion courses.

Ludacris, definitely shocked me, not because I didn’t think he was capable of completing his post secondary education, but the fact that he graduated in the top 5% of his summa cum laude class.

The list of MC’s and their accomplishments that they’ve had to go through for 3+ years have a lot to be proud of. Young people who want to get into the rap game should know that it’s more than okay to have a diploma, degree or certificate to back them up in the long run.