IDK is bringing hip-hop to the ivy league for his second run of the No Label Academy at Harvard College in Cambridge, MA. Over 9 days from August 19 to 27, 22 college students from across the nation will probably be collaborating in a hip-hop curriculum masking all corners of the music trade, aimed toward passing on the information and abilities essential to jump-start their careers.
This yr’s class can even host Kaash Paige, a platinum promoting artist for her “Love Songs” remix with 6LACK, as a featured attendee. Graduates of the 2021 No Label Academy program have furthered their careers as artists, in addition to entered the enterprise aspect of the trade.
“The thought began once I realized how my state of affairs had quite a bit to do with the chances being towards me,” IDK told Rolling Stone about working with No Label Academy in 2020. “I, being a felon and having minimal schooling by way of certifications, was nonetheless discovering a approach to create a profession that’s not solely profitable, however according to what I truly needed to do in life.”
No Label academy is a nonprofit group that makes use of widespread tradition to empower BIPOC creatives with schooling and alternatives which are sometimes gated behind entry to costly establishments and nepotism. The nonprofit was based in 2018 by 2020 Harvard graduates Miles Weddle and Marcelo Hanta-Davis.
“It shouldn’t price a lot to be taught the music enterprise,” Hanta-Davis mentioned in a press launch. “All of this data must be accessible, which is why we created No Label Academy.”
College students this yr will probably be participating in a hands-on program at The Harvard College of Engineering and The Harvard Artwork Museum, that options visitor audio system like Joey Bada$, Benny the Butcher, and Tobe Nwigwe. They can even obtain a considered one of a sort uniform designed by IDK and Dior: a sweatshirt, t-shirt and chino pants adorned with a Dior/No Label Academy patch in Harvard colours of burgundy, navy blue and cream, and Dior moccasins.
IDK, which stands for Ignorantly Delivering Information, has been placing out numerous music since his 2019 major-label debut Is He Actual?, together with F65 which made Okayplayer’s mid-year better of workers picks listing earlier this yr.