Hip-Hop and Education

Commonplace #7: Hip-Hop artists don't value education.

While becoming a rapper is not a negative thing, I believe the value of education should be emphasized...(Polovina)."

Although I do agree that rappers and hip-hop artists should definitely make a point to empasize the importance of education it is not their job to do so. I feel that too many parents are looking to their children's favorite celebrity to teach them the rights and wrongs of life. On the other hand, because of the clout that these artists hold they should technically be obligated to be role models because of their influential status and in some cases they do. Media moguls like P. Diddy and Russell Simmons who are CEO's of their own companies are prime examples of where education can get you.

Being educated may not be a part of the hip-hop image but it has helped many artists achieve success. however, many people don't give hip-hop artists the credit they deserve.There are many hip-hop artists who graduated college, have a degree, or are currently enrolled in college. Even for those artists that do not have an educational background that doesn't mean they don't value education.

The list below shows a few of today's popular artists who do have an educational background.

Lil Wayne - University of Houston
Ludacris - Georgia State University (summa cum laude)
David Banner - Southern University (Bachelors in Business) and University of Maryland (Masters in Education)
Talib Kweli - New York University
Sean Combs (P. Diddy) - Howard University
Ice Cube - Phoenix Institute of Technology
Common - Florida A&M University
Plies - Nursing degree


Sources:

Julie Polovina. "Does Hip-Hop Bring Us Together?". Web.

Education Portal.  "Rap and Hip Hop StarsWho Went To College". Aug. 2009. Web.