A couple days removed from my graduation from Michigan State University, I got to thinking about how hip hop music and culture would be altered if more artists attended college. I truly believe that college has very little to do with academics as much as it does the experience. There is nothing that compares to the college experience; unfortunately, there is some negative stigma around going to school and being educated as a rapper. College isn't for everybody, and that's fine, but too often we give up on college before even understanding all of the benefits.

While away at school, I got to meet, befriend, and pick the brains of people not only from all over the country, but across seas. Some of the people that I had the closest relationships have different racial, cultural, economic, political, geographical, and religious backgrounds. I have held conversations with these people and they have challenged, altered, or completely changed my viewpoints of different topics and issues. Coming from California, I have met and become friends with people from Michigan (obviously), New York, Washington D.C., and many other places across the country. Not only that, but I have formed relationships with people from Mexico, Ghana, India, Thailand, and others across international borders. Learning about different cultural practices and traditions really helps to expand your viewpoint and understanding of the world.

So much of hip hop artists' music is based upon the environment in which they were raised. Unfortunately, many, if not most, of these artists are from (or at least claim to be from) impoverished neighborhoods. They are exposed to many negative images that affect their outlook on what the rest of the world has to offer. It wasn't until about a year or two ago that I started to find myself almost bored with home, almost outgrowing it (I hate to say it that way because it isn't that I feel I am better than those there or anything of that nature, but simply it doesn't offer as much as it once did). Oakland, CA will always be my home and I will always ensure that I do what I can to help improve the condition of those there, but I have come to the realization that there is so much more outside of its borders. If I hadn't gone to college and been afforded the opportunities I was (i.e. internship in New York), I probably never would have come to the realization that I have (or at least not so soon).

Imagine if the already brilliant minds of those in hip hop were able to have dialects with people that are so much different than they are. Imagine if they got a chance to visit and live in different cities and/or states for months a time before they made it big. How would their perceptions change? How would that affect and come across in the music? How much more of a broader scope would we have as a culture?

Just like anything, there needs to be a balance in hip hop. There is something beautiful about somebody who is able to survive what seems like impossible situations and hearing these tales is part of the reason why we love hip hop. However, there needs to be another story told. A story about different people and places that are out there for people to meet and see. And when I say that, I don't mean rappers talking about how many "exotic" women they've had sex with. I'm talking about actually talking and learning from people that aren't like yourself; that have a different mindset, culture, and heritage. It is really something that can change your life.

The two artists that come to mind right away when I think about artists that did attend college are Kanye West and J. Cole. We all know that Kanye decided to drop out while J. Cole actually received his degree, but in both cases there is absolutely no question that those experiences shaped their music and the great artists they have become. If we can start to find more artists who have at least given college a try (and hopefully completed) and share their experiences with the world, I'm sure that it will do a world of good for both the music and the hip hop community.

So what do y'all think? Are you currently enrolled in college? What is your alma mater for those that graduated?/ What impact would the college experience have on artists? Let me hear what you think. Comment or e-mail at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com.


Peace.