Ivy League Student Submits Rap Album For His Final Thesis, Passes With Honors
13 years ago, a young Kanye West released his debut album The College Dropout and changed the direction of hip-hop for many years to come. By making a relatable album for everyday people, Kanye opened the door for artists to shine without talking about the glamor of fame or immortality.
In 2017, it seems things may have come full circle as Harvard student Obasi Shaw just graduated with honors after turning in a rap album for his final thesis.
The 20-year-old student rapper spent about a year working on the project titled Liminal Minds and each of the ten songs are written from a different character’s perspective. The record was inspired by both his mother, who noticed that he had knack for writing raps and performing at open mics, and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, which focused on the black identity.
After graduating Shaw will be working for Google as a software engineer, but hopefully he will continue to create raps as he has solid potential. Check out the album below and read Harvard University’s Instagram post highlighting the historic moment at the top of the page.
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