10 Musicians Who Attended An HBCU Establishment

HBCU establishments have a wealthy music tradition. Over the previous few many years, its varied colleges throughout the nation have helped enhance the careers of quite a few artists by offering an area for his or her music to thrive. The shortlist of artists who’ve seen this impact embody Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Wealthy Homie Quan, Migos, Younger Thug, Younger Dolph, and extra. Moreover, the significance of music could be seen by means of HBCU bands which are extraordinarily necessary to the material of faculty life. It involves life by means of huge shows just like the annual Battle Of The Bands competitions and smaller cases just like the notorious Grambling vs. Southern rivalry soccer video games.

With all this being mentioned, it’s no shock that HBCUs have additionally produced among the music’s most well-known artists. From legends like Lionel Richie and Frequent and current day stars like Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, and Metro Boomin, the spirit of HBCUs runs by means of numerous artists — even when their tenure on the establishment was quick.

Forward of homecoming season, we determined to highlight ten artists who’ve connections to an HBCU. Scroll down for the record of artists and the establishments they attended.

Megan The Stallion (Texas Southern College)

In 2021, the identical 12 months that she went No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 charts for her “Savage” remix with Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion graduated from Texas Southern College with a Bachelor’s diploma in Well being Administration. Throughout an interview with Rolling Stone in 2021, Megan spoke about being in class “for therefore lengthy” and the way she balanced her rap profession after deciding to ramp up her semester load to complete sooner. “Each time I had an task or one thing due, one in all my managers would simply pull me to the aspect and be like, ‘Hey Megan, you realize you bought to do that presentation right this moment.’ Or ‘Hey Megan, you realize you bought to show this task in right this moment,’” she mentioned. “I might haven’t been profitable this semester with out my crew.”

SZA (Delaware State College)

SZA attended Delaware Statue College after graduating from highschool in 2008. The singer majored in marine biology and earned straight As for her first two semesters earlier than dropping curiosity. In a 2023 interview with Elle, SZA opened up about her expertise in faculty. “I’m like, ‘I instructed you I used to be sensible and I proved my level. I’ve to depart now,’” SZA mentioned, recalling a dialog together with her mom. Just a few years later, the singer met TDE president Terrence “Punch” Henderson Jr., signed to the label, and the remaining is historical past.

Metro Boomin (Morehouse School)

Multi-platinum producer Metro Boomin spent only one semester at Atlanta’s Morehouse School earlier than dropping out to pursue music. He spoke in regards to the selections that led to him leaving the varsity throughout a 2017 interview with GQ. “As grateful as I used to be to be there, I didn’t wish to be there,” he mentioned. “It was bittersweet, as a result of I knew for a incontrovertible fact that I have to put all of my time into music. College is identical as producing: If you wish to make it far, there are 1,000,000, trillion individuals making an attempt to do the identical factor. For those who’re not in over-grind mode, it’s in all probability not going to work the way in which that you really want it to.”

Rick Ross (Albany State College)

Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross attended Albany State College on a soccer scholarship, however dropped out of faculty quickly after. Ross’ pursuit of a music profession kicked into gear on the flip of the century, and within the many years after, Ross’ ties to Albany State College have remained sturdy. In 2022, he spoke to college students on the college for the homecoming convocation ceremony, the place he instructed college students that “the best job you’ll ever have is being CEO of your life.”

2 Chainz (Alabama State College)

Identical to Rick Ross, 2 Chainz additionally attended an HBCU off an athletic scholarship. His, nonetheless, was a basketball scholarship to Alabama State College. In a 2017 interview with The Each day Beast, 2 Chainz mentioned that he left ASU after his freshman 12 months after he “received into some bother.” He later returned to the varsity to finish his diploma. In one other dialog, this time with Rolling Stone, 2 Chainz addressed rumors that he graduated with a 4.0 GPA. “Don’t consider something on Wack-ipedia,” he mentioned. “There’s a number of false stuff on there, to the purpose that each time I attempt to repair one factor, one thing else comes out.”

Wale (Virginia State College & Bowie State College)

Our assortment of HBCU scholarship athletes continues with Wale. The DMV rapper initially attended Robert Morris College on a soccer scholarship earlier than transferring to Virginia State College. His soccer profession would come to an finish when he transferred to a different HBCU, Bowie State College, however Wale would later drop out to pursue a music profession. It was at VSU that Wale found his musical abilities. In a 2021 dialog with The Ringer, Wale recalled spitting freestyles artwork the varsity’s Foster Corridor. “The man that was throughout the corridor from me in my dorm was like, ‘Maintain going, hold going. You tight,’” he mentioned. “Folks actually began f*cking with me at Virginia State.”

Killer Mike (Morehouse School)

Earlier this 12 months, Killer Mike received his first Grammys as a lead artist for Greatest Rap Album with Michael and Greatest Rap Efficiency and Greatest Rap Music with “Scientists.” These awards got here greater than 20 years after Mike received his first Grammy because of a characteristic on Outkast’s “The Complete World.” That track was the results of Mike and Large Boi’s friendship which happened by means of Mike’s attendance of Morehouse School within the Nineteen Nineties. “The deciding issue for me stepping into Morehouse was in all probability my homeroom trainer,” Killer Mike instructed the Seattle Occasions. “He was a Morehouse man. His title was Mister Lee-Roy Arnold.”

He added, “I feel [Mr. Arnold] noticed one thing in me, as a result of he pushed me and messed with me for 5 years, to the purpose the place he guess me all my e-book cash for the primary 12 months that I might not get into Morehouse.”

Frequent (Florida A&M College)

Earlier than Frequent achieved his desires of being a profitable rapper, the Chicago native was enrolled at Florida A&M College below a tutorial scholarship as a enterprise administration main. Frequent would solely keep on the college for 2 years earlier than dropping out to pursue rap. In 2019, almost 30 years after he attended, Frequent could be honored with a doctorate diploma in high-quality arts and invited him to talk at that 12 months’s graduation ceremony. In his speech, Frequent mentioned that his activism, which went on to be ever-present in his music, started proper at FAMU the place he says his expertise was in contrast to something he went by means of in hometown of Chicago.

Erykah Badu (Grambling State College)

Erykah Badu almost graduated from Grambling State College with a significant in theater, however she left the varsity in 1993 to give attention to her music profession. 4 years later, she delivered her debut album Baduizm, a masterclass in neo-soul that’s nonetheless heralded as a basic right this moment. In an interview with the varsity’s newspaper The Gramblinite, Badu recalled her time on the college. “I auditioned for a number of performs whereas at GSU on the Floyd L. Sandle Theatre,” she mentioned. “I danced with the Orchesis and was concerned in a rap group known as ‘CP Posse,’ which stands for Cultural Manufacturing.”

Lionel Richie (Tuskegee Institute)

Whereas all of the artists on this record didn’t expertise the HBCU life till their grownup years, Lionel Richie’s time at an HBCU dates again to his childhood. The legendary singer grew up on Tuskegee Institute’s campus earlier than attending the varsity and incomes a Bachelor’s diploma in economics with a minor in accounting. “In my world rising up on campus, we had been surrounded by gospel music due to the choir,” Richie mentioned of his expertise to The Austin Chronicle. “R&B music was the music they performed on the faculty campus.”