In middle school he began developing an interest in rap music and eventually formed the musical group All Stars Ball Hard along with three . There, he studied Architecture before changing to Art History. 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). 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. And what was Gurus major? 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. 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. Theodore Roosevelt in military uniform. #1 Jay-Z. William went to school for a year at AUs culinary program. Roosevelt and his siblings suffered from a variety of physical ailments, and as a result, were home-schooled. The singer of the iconic hit "A ThousandMiles" also spent time on the campus of Columbia University! Who do some good rappers have PhDs? Take a look at this list and share your thoughts in the comments section. Lilly Singh. As a member of N.W.A. It was at Harvard, where he performed in Gilbert and Sullivan's Utopia Limited, that John Lithgow decided he wanted to be an actor. Rashida Jones graduated from Harvard University in 1997. . Her major was Electrical Engineering. Mira Sorvino attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. At Columbia, Hill took classicalmusiccourses, and was on her way to history major when she and her Fugees bandmates album, The Score, was released. According to these statements, there is a strong understanding of psychology and its principles among Lil Waynes associates. 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Early life. After attending school in Kenya, training as a field biologist and backpacking across Europe, Darren Aronofsky enrolled at Harvard in 1987. Famous Women Caught With Busted Up Feet [Photos], LL Cool J Explains The Meaning Of Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag On Drink Champs, Toxic Avengers: Blueface Leaks Alleged Texts From Lil Baby To Chrisean Rock, 15 Music Stars Who Had Disturbing Relationships With Their Entourages [Photos], Twitter Reacts To Will Smith Joking About Chris Rock Slap In New Tik Tok Video, Brandon Smiley Laid To Rest Over The Weekend, Rickey Smiley Shares Photos & Videos, BET Uncut Is Not Coming Back; Here's Its 15 Wildest Videos Anyway, Finger Struggle: Celebrities With Crazy Looking Hands [Photos]. As a kid, Kweli wrote poetry and stories, getting into rapping only because it was a way for him to be popular in school, but, as with Mos Def, music was largely an afterthought. From both his solo work, and his work as Simon & Garfunkel, Garfunkel has racked up eight Grammys, including a lifetime achievement. 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 Rashida Jones attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Five mixtapes, an EP, and three albums (Camp, Because the Internet, and Awaken, My Love!), all in less than a decade, have earned Glover a reputation for always having his finger on the pulse of the culture. She started writing poetry as a teenager after watching classic movies such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. A three-hour rap practice would take approximately three months to master. He was a writer and president for the Harvard Lampoon during his tenure at the school. 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. After Simon& Garfunkel's initial lukewarm reception in the music industry, Garfunkel went to Columbia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgias four research universities. There are a number of rappers who have graduated college, including Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar. You'd need a degree to understand some of director Terrence Malick's more confusing films, so it's no wonder he went to Harvard. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. During his time at Harvard, Jack Lemmon was president of the Hasty Pudding Club and vice president of Dramatic and Delphic Clubs, but due to academic probation, he was banned from acting onstage. Check out this list of musicians who went to Ivy League schools. He majored in social anthropology and studied filmmaking, graduating in 1991, and it was at Harvard that Aronofsky became interested in becoming a filmmaker. Degree: Theater,New York UniversityImage Source: Dexter Wiki. The hip hop recording artist and social activist attended Cheshire Academy, a coed boarding and day school in Cheshire, Connecticut. After getting a degree from the University of Kentucky, Judd got a Master of Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2010. He has gone on to have a distinguished and acclaimed career on the stage, on television and in film. Likewise, LL Cool J received an honorary degree from Northeastern University in 2014. He attended Alabama State university where he ended up playing a full season of Division I basketball. As well as being a head writer, Colin is currently the co-anchor of Weekend Update. Some presidents graduated from one (John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy graduated from Harvard, for example) and some graduated from the. 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. Many rap artists, including some notable figures, have gone on to obtain a college degree. He could battle with the best of them, too, and boasted about his brilliance with confidence. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Actor Dean Norris attends the BAFTA LA TV Tea 2013 presented by BBC America and Audi held at the SLS Hotel on September 21, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. Rappers Who Went To College and What They Studied . (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images). Producer Michael Schur attends the FYC screening of Universal Television's "The Good Place" at UCB Sunset Theater on June 19, 2018 in Los Angeles. Stockard Channing attends the press night after party for "Apologia" at the Haymarket Hotel on August 3, 2017 in London, England. 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. In November 2017, famous American rapper and actor LL Cool J took to Instagram to announce that he has completed Harvard's Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports program. In fact, the Grammy-winning indie rock band metas undergraduates atColumbia, and preformed for the first time in 2006 at the New York Ivy League's student union. As history has shown, some of Harvard's students go on to make a significant impact in the world. Tommy Lee Jones graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harvard University in 1969. 5-popular-rappers-who-went-to-college By Mike Coppola, Getty Images Wale attended Robert Morris University, Virginia State University and Bowie State University. Ryan Leslie 11 languages Anthony Ryan Leslie (born September 25, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur from Washington, D.C. Ludacris Ludacris knew he was destined to be within the music/ entertainment field. With steady work in TV movies, theater, and sitcoms, the kid who would be Mos Def dropped out of high school to pursue his acting career, and credited his passion for acting as the force that protected him from the violence and crime of the Brooklyn projects. Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2006. Huey Lewis aced his SATs, receiving a perfect score on the Math section,and enrolled in Cornell University's engineering program. Contact schools for more information on enrollment, tuition, and aid. 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. One year later, the straight A-Student, and future "Girl On Fire" songstress, graduatedvaledictorian from high school and went to study at Columbia University. 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. These musicians beat the odds twice once to get into a super tough university, and again to make their mark on the music industry. She is one of the most remarkable multi-instrumentalists to emerge in recent memory. 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. 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. He attended the Academy at the same time as actor . Chuck D Public Enemy number 1. Matt Damon. Ryan Leslie, also known asCastor Troy, was born on September 25, 1978 in Washington D.C., and is a Harvard University (BS) graduate. J. Cole Before he became on of Roc Nations leading rappers he attended and graduated graduating Queens St. Johns University with honors. Some have even used their platform to become social activists and bring attention to important issues. It looks like Harvard and Yale may have another rivalry on their hands. In 2008, Lil Wayne received an honorary degree from the University of Houston. 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. Like his mother he majored in English. At USC one of the most prestigious private research universities in the West Young majored in economics while honing his rap skills, catching the ear of two classmates who had started Delicious Vinyl Records. Majoring in hip-hop isnt even one of the most unusual college degrees anymore. This is a ranking of the top 10 rappers with college degrees compiled by College Consensus. Simon & Garfunkel went on to become one of the biggest bands of the 60s. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. After graduation, he went on to study and play football at Harvard, also on a scholarship. She graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a degree in East Asian studies in 1989, and while there, she also helped found the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, one of Harvard's co-ed a cappella groups. Yo Gotti - Yo Gotti attended Southwest Tennessee Community College and took Business as his major. What about the rappers with college degrees? TheSalutatorian of his high school, Legend had his pick of universities to attend. Its something that they have to perpetuate because its become part of raps image. The results were rounded out by Jay Z and J. Cole, who received a combined vote of 6.177%. He graduated and got a job as a Correctional Officer. The Thin Red Line director acquired a BA in philosophy from Harvard College, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1965. Stardom took a while, though, and while he was perfecting his craft, Chuck earned a BFA in Graphic Design from Adelphi University, where he met fellow student William Drayton. Before her roles in Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion and Mighty Aphrodite, Mira was a top student who studied at Harvard. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as FAMU, is a public, historically black university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. Lauryn Hill released her first solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998 to critical and popular acclaim. After high school, when a rap career seemed unlikely, Cube went out to Phoenix to study architectural drafting, hoping his love of architecture and design would serve as a fallback if hip-hop didnt work out. Before breaking into comedy on Punk'd and The Office, B..J Novak was a Harvard student, graduating from the university in 2001. 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. It is one of three HBCUs in the University System of Georgia. Musicians with impressive careers are given honorary degrees as a result of their success. He attended New York University where he studied Experimental Theater. ; 2 But this week, he'll be on WHRB Harvard Radio. Another president of the Harvard Lampoon, Michael Schur graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. Huey Lewis and the News released a series of hits in the 1980s and 90s, including 19 number 1 singles. Now the multitalented and super-smart Alicia Keys is a 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer, an accomplished actress, a NY Times best-selling author, and an entrepreneur. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Yo Gotti Southwest Tennessee Community College. Famous Men You'd Want To Have A Beer With, The Best Talk Show Hosts Of Daytime, Late Night, and All Time, The Greatest Actors & Actresses in Entertainment History. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, quit school at the age of sixteen. Heres a quick look at 21 rappers who attended college. However, when Megan began posting freestyles to YouTube and Instagram, and destroying local rappers in the cypher, fame wasnt far behind. He never went to Harvard. Degree:Architectural Drafting, Phoenix Institute of TechnologyImage Source: Rap Wiki, Most Affordable Technical and Trade Schools. Because of the scope of the program, there are no requirements for a degree, but there are some programs available, such as music production. 1. Still,the teen sensation holds a diploma (of sorts) from Harvard, and was able to continue her education online while balancing a packed schedule! 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