Michael Eric Dyson on Rap and Hip-Hop | Michael Eric Dyson | Big Think

Michael Eric Dyson on Rap and Hip-Hop
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Michael Eric Dyson on Rap and Hip-Hop.
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Michael Eric Dyson:
Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony as one of the hundred most influential black Americans, is the author of sixteen books, including Holler if You Hear Me, Is Bill Cosby Right? and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. He is currently University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Michael Eric Dyson: Yeah. No. Conscious hip-hop is not nearly as profoundly and pervasively embraced as it should be. When you have a guy like Mos Def, “You can laugh and criticize Michael Jackson if you wanna, Woody Allen molested and married his stepdaughter. Same press kickin dirt on Michael’s name, show Woody and Soon-Yi at the playoff game...", holding hands. "Now sit back and think about that. Would he get the same dap if his name was Woody Black? O.J. acquitted by a jury of his peers. They’ve been messing with that ** for the last ten years. Is it fair? Is it equal? Is it just? Is it right? Do we do the same thing if the defendant’s face is white? White boys doing well it’s success. I start doing well it’s suspect." "They say they want you successful," he said earlier, "but then they make it stressful. You start keeping pace. They start changing up the tempo." No, we ain’t hearing that enough. We’re hearing from his song Ms Fat Booty. I understand why, “Behind so fat you can see it from the front.” As Arsenio Hall used to say, that’s something to make you go “Hmm.” The gluteus emphasis on maximus to be sure but let’s not reduce women to their behinds. They have brains, souls and spirits after all, but the point is we’d rather listen to one song as opposed to another and both of them are important. Conscious rappers often get outraged by the fact that they are segregated and quarantined as conscious rappers ‘cause that- that’s like vegetables. They’re good for you kids. No, it’s not other good food that you like; it’s the food that’s good for you. And so they don’t want to be made the broccoli of the rap world. They want to be like sweet potatoes too. So when we artificially segregate them that ends up doing a disservice to them because even conscious rappers want to make love some time and have fun and go to parties.
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/v...

[@martinzephania5025]

namkubali sana uyu Dr ana uelewa mpana sana wa mambo hip hop, jamii, siasa, na ni mwanaharakati wa ukweri. watu wanafikiri ukiwa msomi ukifuatilia mambo ya hip hop umepotea sio kweri big up Mike.

[@ABC13573]

Here's my issue with modern rap: Back during the "Golden Years" of rap, you had all kinds of rap. You had party rap ("California Love", "Big Poppa"), protest rap (N.W.A.), politically-conscious rap ("Changes"), or songs with just excellent storytelling ("Juicy", "The World Is Yours"). And all of those songs and artists were successful, as a matter of fact, some artists like 2Pac, Nas, and Jay-Z, were able to make all sorts of different hits; for example, 2Pac made one of the most powerful rap records ever in "Dear Mama", but he also made one of the most vicious diss tracks ever in "Hit 'Em Up". Today, it seems that the only kind of rap is the party rap, while as Dr. Dyson said, the politically-conscious rap or the storytellers just get ignored. I agree that when I go to a club, I want to hear party music, but there are times where I want to hear a song about social issues, or just a great story, but that rap almost never leaves the underground anymore. Rappers such as Lil Wayne, Drake, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, etc. I think they can rap respectably, but they've never shown the consciousness of previous rappers; all they seem to know about is partying and boasting, which can get a bit old.

[@ijboyance16]

There are tons of popular conscious hip-hop artists out today. Kendrick Lamar, Ace Hood, Ab-Soul, Big KRIT, Drake, J. Cole, Kanye, Macklemore, MURS, Schoolboy Q, Wale...the list goes on. It's just that ignorant rap gets more attention. The most shallow hip-hop gets the most radio play.

[@mansamusa2012]

You consider Macklemore and Drake conscious? I agree with Murs. Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, Common Sense, X Clan, KRS 1 and Brand Nubian are conscious

[@ijboyance16]

I don't like their music but yes, they are definitely positive voices in hip-hop. Drake makes music that is empowering to women. "All my young boys ‘round me saying, Get money and fuck these hoes, Where we learn these values? I do not know what to tell you." Drake is slowly picking away at the misogynist culture in hip-hop.

[@kuraudo9700]

mansamusa2012 Drake is an introspective rapper. He delves deep into his personal life and relationships and paint pictures through his lyrics. He is exactly a positive voice? I don't know. I've heard some misogynistic lyrics from Drake before.

[@mansamusa2012]

Kennyintheclouds perry Drake is not conscious. Google public enemy

[@kuraudo9700]

mansamusa2012 Why are you telling me to google public enemy? I've first listen to Public Enemy as a kid. I am now 23. That's old news. I never said Drake was conscious, i said introspective. Totally different concepts.

[@vaporz109]

Dyson is the king of verbal diarrhea and word salads. Uses 10 words to describe something which can be done with 2. The desperation to sound smart and score social brownie points with race baiting is so blatantly obvious.

[@jimmyjames6318]

Amen brother... Yep, a lot of big words strung together, "Not to impress upon us but to impress us. See what I did there?

[@Malignus68]

I completely agree. Dyson is proof that big words and complicated sentences do not prove intelligence. To put it another way, no matter how much perfume you spray on a cow's feces, it's still a pile of shit.

[@dfree1442]

Why is speaking out against racism considered "race baiting"?

[@zapatasghost]

"Verbal diarrhea?" "race baiting??" nice. Talk about desperation. That's what too many white low-key racist country fans say about hip hop or better yet, about what any intelligent black person has to say in general.

[@vaporz109]

It's impressive that you think you can read the minds of strangers on message boards whom you've never met, and know for a fact what they can and cannot understand. It's delusional, but delusion is fundamental to those who are fans of Dyson and can't see beyond his chicanery.

[@user-wf4nl2yy8x]

So the lost black nugget from munk debate knows a lot about rap and hip hop

[@therealjharris]

Although rap wasn't necessarily about "consciousness", the first 10-12 years of mainstream rap provided a lot of social commentary, stories, and messages (who can forget Public Enemy's calls for social awareness, or BDP and TLC reminding us to use condoms to stop the spread of disease and unwanted children). I can't defend the entire culture, but I can defend those artists who utilized the art to deliver a message to their listeners.

[@kinglanky93]

i love that album. Truthfully bought it for ms. fat booty. but the album was just fire. mos is a genius!

[@NLMF2011]

This guy talks faster than he thinks. And it shows.

[@poetryselite]

Hip-Hop's true premise was always consciously oriented, but once the industry acquired more control of what's popular and what isn't, then it gave birth to the perilous state we see today. In a nutshell, there's a difference between Hip-Hop and cRap... Hip-Hop is Nas, Killah Priest, K-Rino, Talib Kweli, Cormega, AZ, Mos Def, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Big Pun, Big L, Jadakiss, Vinnie Paz, and so on, commercialism and debris consists of pretty much everything else. Hip-Hop is not a disease, but life.

[@MrGMountain]

You notice he very quickly and quietly talks about the thuggery in rap, but switches to try and highlight how smart Tupac is. And they don't talk about thuggery like they are witnesses to it, standing on the sidelines, it is in first person. That is what the consumer wants.

[@DoctahDizzle]

Thank you for not over-reacting. I always found that people over react to any criticism of rap. I never knew why someone would disagree with criticizing artists like Nicki Minaj, and 2chainz, but whatever.

[@sukmaidack]

No, education is one thing. Trying too hard and using big words to prove you are educated is another. Truly educated people think logically and rationalize things, all this guy does is speak in step and rhythm and rhyme in order to prove himself. In otherwords, he needs rhyme and rhythm and a high tempo of speech to show everyone that he is a "black man" who is "highly educated". Its all theatrics and I see right through it.

[@DoctorGaga87]

Andrew Bacon He has a PhD from Princeton university and is a professor at Georgetown university. He’s no dummy.

[@warcrafterhd]

@@DoctorGaga87 Watch the PC debate against Peterson & Frye

[@renjia3504]

Guapo I’m black too this niggas just sayin what makes him money race baiting to make you hate for his own personal gain. Things ain’t perfect, but he kicks things way over the top

[@AtenAkaAton1]

That's what I have gathered from all his interviews which I'm familiar with. He might be able to sway the hearts of the mindless masses, but his arguments would rupture if put to the pressures of critical analyses.

[@whayes8084]

2Pac was the greatest conscious rappers of all time and the most well rounded rappers. That's why he's G.O.A.T.

[@lesserlight]

You don't listen enough...he is well known for a few conscious songs but in no way the greatest conscious rapper and there is NO greatest of all time...You don't seem to know much about Hip Hop either...

[@bolder2009]

Well if this was the hey day of Public Enemy, Malcolm X baseball caps and African medallions there would be a lot more views and comments. The simple fact is that this current generation doesn't care about the history and legacy of Hiphop culture. Rakim's last album only sold 12,000 copies, yet he is to HipHop music what Robert Johnson is to the Blues. They are simply not interested!

[@quantammechanic3489]

I did not intend to watch this entire video but I could not help myself. I love the passion he has for the genre and he encouraged me to think of rap music differently.

[@gabelocke2015]

comment section on this has a lot of hate for no reason. Mr Dyson perfectly breaks down the dichotomy of conscious hiphop and mainstream hiphop

[@sukmaidack]

He isn't eloquent, all he does is speak in rhyme and rhythm which you MISTAKE for eloquence, like a child entranced by a Dr. Seuss book.

[@martinlevison6467]

word is born

[@robertgarza466]

KRS One!

[@poetryselite]

Wow... nobody commented on this??? Is the intellect of a man of color that potent and FRIGHTENIN that no one and I mean NO ONE can comment? He speaks on the consciousness and socioeconomic flows and poetry in Hip-Hop, yet its only amassed a thousand plus views, 17 likes... and now a single comment. But if his premise evolved completely around the degradation of Hip-Pop lyrics in a positive light, it would probably have over 5 million views. How backwards is the world in which we live?

[@isaacfosu4684]

NAS is the Best rapper of all time,Any time I listen to NAS am Educated.NAS for ever.

[@lesserlight]

Really...then what do you think about Nas saying that there "ain't no best." ?

[@bleedinggumsroberts3579]

its one thing to give forth a message, (ithink its so imortant as a musicion my self) but that dosnt mean you need to have an automatic wepon and sell drugs and say the white man made me do it. most of the rappers mentioned above live a very distructive life style that is imbraced by blacks and whites( there are alot of white and hispanic kids going the same way bz they think its coool).what happend to COLTRANE,SUNRA,COSBY????? LIL WAYN AND DYSON ALIKE ARE TEACHING THE BLACK COMUNITY TO HATE.

[@CoolHandLuke7]

Completely agree about The Roots being the best live show. phenomenal

[@ilandecker8205]

Well spoken

[@Obriel1]

This feels like black Jesus

[@seanjohn864]

The only intellectual. Academic. That can quote. And justify. Hip hop pure genius. No one of any race can do that

[@Theblackflash321]

What are the titles of these songs

[@epayne6]

Great speech. Lotta love for Jay Z and Common, but no mention of KRS 1 and Public Enemy?

[@lesserlight]

Because he doesn't know shit about Hip Hop...

[@kinkyafrogirl93]

I love this guy... Nothing is more attractive than a man you might be able to speak jive lol hahaha

[@beavermacadventures]

if im in a club drinking and with some friends and ladies id rather hear Gucci Mane than Common,or Mos def,just saying.I listen to rap for the knock banger tracks fuck all that conscience bullshit.

[@Sagefrakrobatik]

I dont know. Mos Def Miss Fat Booty

[@CeauxTee504]

Nas is the smartest rapper ever....his topics be mind blowing

[@tjgoodwin9289]

+corytrapper please listen to Jaden Smith

[@CoylesCalcioCorner]

I'd be more in agreement if it were not for the controversial use of arms personification, which was already in play 18 months previous from another Queens emcee. That's without delving into rapping from the perspective of an unborn child (Invetro/fetus). Borderline plagiarism, nevertheless a legendary lyricist, with an outstanding catalogue, and an incredible live show.

[@lesserlight]

Killah? Yes!!! Jaden....no

[@snapshotsreviews4967]

Cory-T nas often comes across as a rapping contradiction

[@GBGOLC]

On point.

[@7373walker]

sweet potato is a vegetable lol. go vegetables!

[@bolder2009]

I've gotta say, I've seen Black Thought live and he is not the greatest live performing MC I've heard. Common is one of the best when it comes to performing live. Much more clarity in his delivery andexecution. And he has more charisma, which I know is a sujective thing, but then opinions are subjective. That's just my opinion.

[@poetryselite]

Sense you took it upon yourself to automatically concur that my ethnicity is of color, I'm even more compelled to defend Hip-Hop. "The reason that "conscious rappers" are ignored because rap was never about consciousness, and probably never will be", have you not heard of Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five and "The Message" or "Love Gonna Get You" by KRS One, or "Dear Mama" from Tupac, or "Heaven" from Nas, and the list goes on.

[@ilovenarwhales]

Using your PhD to justify songs about butts is an all time low for academia. I honestly just feel sorry for this man.

[@WrenfordDennard]

Me too

[@bobmoore20]

id like to ask him: how he thinks rap affects things like the Zimmerman: Martin trial

[@welcomehometrolls]

May someone tell me what this man is most well known for? I've several big think interveiws with him and i agree mostly with everything he is saying, so i would just like to know what it was that made him i guess quote "famous" enough to come onto bigthinK?

[@poetryselite]

I don't refute anything you've said. However, that's the problem. It's a shame that this generation, my generation (which doesn't make me proud by any stretch of the imagination) has no clue to what's real and what's not. But to my generation, ignorance is not bliss and as Public Enemy stated, "Don't Believe The Hype".

[@sukmaidack]

All this guy is doing is fronting.

[@CoolHandLuke7]

He is right about the black and white(I mean that non racially) distinction between the conscious and more superficial rap is an artificial construct put on the artists by the media and consumers.

[@ChristoCurrents]

Dyson doesn't know that sweet potatoes are very good for you.

[@SupremeGrim]

You wouldn't last in a debate with this guy. He would put you to shame.

[@halfstep44]

SupremeGrim Unless you were Jordan Peterson

[@rubinsaffy]

halfstep44 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@me25422]

walk it off santa.

[@mikew6060]

Word salad Michael Eric Dotson

[@stephenreggio42]

you re right supremegrim

[@DoctahDizzle]

You have taken my quote out of context. mikejpete said that only Repulicans, Trolls, or Fascists, speak in absolutes, or finalities. I used that quote to give him an example of a democrat speaking in the absolute. Absolutes are not necessarily bad things. Here's another string of "absolutes". The Sun is a star. Matter is energy. Biological Evolution by natural selection is a fact. Get my point, now? :D I never once suggested that I built anything. You are arguing with a straw man.

[@soloist9495]

Whats the jay z song. With the lyrics

[@vanceh3067]

I always enjoy having to reassess my judgments on things, and it takes a singular kind of mind to argue effectively to do that. I do not like rap or hip hop since the rise of gangsta rap... Heavy D's Overweight Lover I can get behind. Guy is fat and he likes to have sex. Easy enough! But a friend's attempt to get me into "conscious" rap was thwarted because I allowed my opinion of the form as a whole to drag it down. Mos Def is about the only rapper I've liked recently. Thanks for this vid.

[@freemont13]

What is with the comments on this video?!?!

[@scottbond3308]

The scary thing is that this a professor of sociology. He's telling people that the message in these songs is positive??? Where is the message about what should be important ... get an education, be a great mother and father, realize your dreams and become successful in what you chose to do, don't break the law, etc. By the way, country music has a lot of valuable messages, and they don't glamorize shooting people, degrading women or drug money.

[@bboymango]

seems like you don't understand the culture nor do you listen to enough hip hop to make the claims you're making. Every art has its shit, nothing's perfect. Maybe you should take a listen the artists he's listing (tupac, KRS-One, nas, rakim, common, Immortal Technique..etc). Hip hop is a culture, give it a chance before making assumptions based on topical examples (every rap song on the radio at the moment).

[@ryanr20091]

good point I was thinking the same thing when he brought up country music comparison. there is no comparison lol . country music is not nearly as impressionable as hip music and inflict the damage that rap music does. all of it isn't bad but a lot of is. I don't even like country music lol but its not dangerous and people are not influence negatively by it

[@reggie2898]

The rappers he mentions made songs regarding social issues and bringing all sorts of injustice to light with thought provoking lyrics and still manage to sound dope. The problem is not entirely with the music itself, its with the industry that surrounds the music. All you know of rap is about ignorance and negativity because thats all they play on the RADIO. Who chooses who gets the most exposure and why do they choose the rappers they do? Think about that before you put a label on a whole genre of music. I won't speak on country because I'm largely ignorant on that genre and its workings. Oh and by the way, if you wanna' hear a positive message in a rap song, check out children's story by slick rick or the love by a tribe called quest,or any one of the other 1000 positive tracks in hip-hop. I only ask that you be informed before you judge.

[@D_in_DC]

You totally missed Dr. Dyson's point. All rap/hip-hop music is not about negative personas in the black community. He is calling out the negative rap and bringing to light the socially conscious rap/hip-hop lyrics that aren't so main stream but enlighten us about the lives and struggles that many face within certain communities in North America. Not everyone has the opportunity to attend college, but that doesn't mean they don't have anything positive and meaningful to contribute to society. Dr. Dyson points to the fact that even a person with an 8th grade education, like Nas, has a wealth of knowledge about certain aspects of life that we all can find beneficial if we just open our closed minds. You need to open up both your ears and your mind.

[@D_in_DC]

Jill Andrew Very well said.

[@OriginalOgraphy]

Much Love

[@therealjharris]

I generally disagree with Mr. Dyson when he uses decade-old lyrics to defend an entire genre gone to the wasteland, but I agree with him in this video. It would've been nice if the rap songs with substantial messages behind them were the ones getting airplay, instead of "Bands A Make Her Dance" and "All Gold Everything". Unfortunately, black people would rather hear the latter, because the former requires too much critical thinking for this new generation of listeners.

[@KentTheGardener]

Dyson would not thrive in a formal debate. He is a masterful orator, but his words, which are delivered with force and confidence, and from what I gather generally elicit a positive emotional response, would tend to wither under rigorous examination. He is a master of volume, intensity and verbal quickness and wit, but he relies too much on emotion to win over any but the most unsophisticated debate audience.

[@3089280288]

who is the beneficiary of hip hop?

[@TheRoxanneSupreme]

No just another intelligent, aware, strong black man.

[@lesserlight]

He's wack....He doesn't know anything about Hip Hop.

[@eprahs1]

True Rap fan

[@CoolHandLuke7]

I don't know what Tyson is talking about not being critical of country music. Maybe it's more of southern thing, but that genre of music is heavily lamented

[@ominoreg]

notice how everyone he spoke of, were emcees from the 90s.

[@lesserlight]

None of them other than Pac or Big were "Big" in the 90's they all became names after Biggs and Pac's sacrifice to the music industry....

[@terrifictomtom]

Justifying semi-literacy. Ebonics.

[@teelock28]

@Thomas hayes Were all "Simi-literate" in America. How many Americans do you know use the"kings" English? In every region of the U.S. you will find different dialects and phonetics.

[@Deantrey]

The irony of this comment is that you will never be educated enough to understand what is wrong with it.

[@terrifictomtom]

There's nothing to understand. Improper English does not constitute a culture. It is the antithesis of culture. He is a fool. He is a clown; The man who uses the letter U As a personal pronoun. T.H. 2014

[@Deantrey]

Thomas Hayes Oh my god. Okay let's try a little education. First, a question: What constitutes proper English? Who decides what English is deemed proper and what English is not?

[@terrifictomtom]

You aren't talking education, you're talking about the lack of it, and then asking, "who gets to decide?' Proper syntax, (sentence structure). There IS such a thing, you know, and it can be learned, and you know it. It was around long before rap and hip hop came about. It's gotten so bad in this nation, that it has seeped over from the spoken word into the written word, where people ARE using texting in finished works, or "lyrics." You don't care about education. Just keep defending and justifying ignorance and thug culture.

[@henryboldi]

Did you build the roads, schools, laws etc etc that allowed you to do anything? Obama's point is that as a community we build, together. You can't get very far if their hasn't been anything built before you.

[@Adamn7210]

Bell curve this guy just confirmed it for me

[@DR-pq3ht]

HAHAHAHA!!! DYSON HE THE BEST THATS ALL!!!

[@TJVliet]

no body says look at chensey he is jesus either lol

[@bleedinggumsroberts3579]

rap is mainstream you fool. gaingster rap is mainsteam too.havent you ever whached bet oh yeah you are on bet.did blacks go from WAYNE SHORTER TO LIL WAYNE? its called going backwards collectivly as an entire race. and as far as the contious rapper well there isnt enough of them to be mainstream. why cant all rappers be contious and not criminals.

[@henryboldi]

hm. okay.

[@kinkyafrogirl93]

*who not you

[@dablakryu]

Some real truthful shit he said! More people need to hear this!!

[@renjia3504]

Jimmy James yeah

[@mattheww797]

Jay Z also stabbed and tried to murder someone.

[@lesserlight]

Lol...with a Pen? C'mon man...Shaun Carter is about as dangerous as a pillow...

[@cantool]

But when country music folks stab people it’s okay.

[@mississippiunderdogsgridir5558]

I laugh at those who think Hov don’t spit knowledge

[@lesserlight]

WE laugh at you for thinking that

[@chrisrosario4661]

Kk

[@tashahfrench4365]

... I am in love with this man to the fullest! Just full of knowledge, I can listen to him all day.

[@Malignus68]

Your comment says more about you than about him, and it's not flattering.

[@RavenManiac74]

I agree. Not just his knowledge of hip hop but his overall intelligence.

[@mikejpete]

Trolls, fascists and Republicans speak in absolutes and finalities.

[@terrybleterry]

Guess anyone can be a professor at Georgetown.

[@sukmaidack]

this guy is uppity.

[@bobmoore20]

who else wants to bust some rhymes after watchin this?

[@alexanderbacio7906]

Actually he's doing neither of those things. He's not speaking in any recurring symmetrical pattern which could be described as a "rhythm" so I'm assuming you don't know what that word actually means. When he is rhyming he's quoting from songs. His own thoughts are not in presented rhyme you dunce.

[@sharpenflat6002]

Is this guy related to oj simpson? Try again---let me hear you pronounce "ask".

[@zapatasghost]

Nas is correct when he declares hip hop is dead due to commercialization. That's the thing, hip hop is a product of oppression, pure and simple. In a capitalist system based on exploitation and maintaining or upholding privilege and, therefore, oppression - then of course "conscious" ANYTHING gets marginalized if not completely obliterated depending on how direct it is about critiquing the capitalist system and the mindset thereof. Dyson's attack on Cornel West was well articulated but unjustified. Here he's in top form but him stopping short of calling out capitalism unlike Brother West, as is typical for Dyson, just makes him another tired quasi-intellectual, black or otherwise, liberal voice in the wilderness. Dyson - Please sharpen your critique of the capitalist system rather than blaming the players in the silly commercial game. Enough of the tired ass blame-the-victim Bill Cosby routine already!

[@likewiselikeyou104]

Sadness. Depravity. Dyson defends pure evil and loves doing it.

[@youngjays]

you sound like a closed minded idiot.

[@eprahs1]

you shud know

[@bloodystump3]

He wasn't talented or cool enough to be a hip hop artist so now all have to suffer this fool and his pointless rambling on and on , omg kill me.

[@j2times2006]

Please it's just music it ain't that deep or serious.

[@SW33TI316]

i think hes just educated

[@freshles2127]

He loves hearing his own voice... I don't.

[@freshles2127]

@the44118 I check in from time to time to see if he's ever made sense. I've yet to find much...

[@freshles2127]

@@the44118 bro, calm down.

[@freshles2127]

@@the44118 ok

[@Reido2828]

Hes a race baiter. That's why he wins

[@alexanderbacio7906]

Or is it that your own lack of intelligence is making you misinterpret his eloquence as arrogance?

[@lesserlight]

No..M.E.D just does't know what he is talking about...

[@renjia3504]

Ws Banker yeah this nigga sounds like uncle ruckus

[@JaronJHall]

@anton panton. Going forward you might want to do your research. I'm very sure that you yourself do not know the definition of racism and you cannot begin to comprehend epistemological ramifications of racism. By the way, Michael Eric Dyson is a professor of Georgetown University and much more. Also, check you idiom and grammar.

[@lesserlight]

M.E.D is a garbage...

[@seanjohn864]

The only intellectual. Academic. That can quote. And justify. Hip hop pure genius. No one of any race can do that

[@EnwardSnowman]

Gza doesn't count as an academic anymore?