Harvard’s Nasir Jones Fellowship Shows Hip-Hop’s Impact, Scholars Say - Higher Education: The announcement last week that Harvard University is establishing the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship has drawn praise from scholars lauding the work of the Queens, N.Y.-born rapper, as well as for the scholarship of Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, who is credited with laying the groundwork for the fellowship.
To his fans, 39-year old Nasir Jones is simply known as “Nas,” and the multi-platinum Def Jam Recordings artist is admired as one of hip-hop’s most celebrated lyricists. The fellowship, a joint project between Harvard’s Hip-Hop Archives and W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, will fund artists and scholars who demonstrate innovative scholarship and creative potential in hip-hop and hip-hop inspired art.
“I think for anybody who grew up listening to hip-hop, Nas is, without question, a pioneer, and as an artist, he is someone who exemplifies the connection between artistry, ideas, ambition and insight,” says Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown, an assistant professor of education policy, organization and leadership in the college of education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
