Berklee

Q-Tip Receives Honorary Doctorate From Berklee & Speaks At Commencement Ceremony

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Q-Tip accepted an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music alongside jazz artist Ledisi and Puerto Rican bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa on Saturday. The school recognized them for their “profound influence as artists, educators, and activists.” For Q-Tip specifically, they mentioned “his forward-thinking artistic vision, which merges rap, jazz, and other styles with socially conscious lyrics, as well as for his impact as a producer, actor, educator, and cultural ambassador.” In turn, the legendary A Tribe Called Quest rapper spoke to the graduating class at their commencement ceremony.

“To choose this path [of the artist] is a courageous choice indeed. You are handed the task to be courageous in your personal lives, to find balance between intellect and instinct… to not let bad choices define you, but to refine you,” he said to the class of 2024. He added that accomplishments such as these serve as “precious mantras . . . to remind you that you are worthy, and that you can do it. You got this!”

Read More: Q-Tip Celebrates His Birthday By Promising Fans New Music

Q-Tip Performs At Rolling Loud

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: Queens native Q-Tip appears as a guest during the Wale set at the Rolling Loud NYC music festival in Citi Field on October 29, 2021, in New York City. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)

He reflected on the honor in a since-deleted post on Instagram that HipHopDX caught before being taken down. Captioning a photo of himself holding up the honorary doctorate, he wrote: “Thank you again to the folks at Berklee for the honor bestowed. What a great time to share w dear friend @ledisi and new friend @santarosalive and CONGRATS to the class of 2024! Im still pinching [pinching emoji] #berkleecollegeofmusic.” Check out the post below.

Q-Tip Shows Of Honorary Doctorate From Berklee

The honor comes after Q-Tip celebrated his 54th birthday, last month, at which time he promised that he’s still working on new music for his fans. Be on the lookout for further updates on Q-Tip on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Janet Jackson & Q-Tip Reunion Rumors Fly After Flirty Birthday Post

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The post Q-Tip Receives Honorary Doctorate From Berklee & Speaks At Commencement Ceremony appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Usher Remixes “Nice & Slow” After Receiving Doctorate

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Usher was made an honorary Doctor by Berklee College of Music over the weekend. The ceremony took place on Saturday at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. The R&B singer was seen celebrating in a post on Instagram by fellow musician Jermaine Dupri. The performers were in high spirits at the event where Usher was awarded for his contributions to music as well as his philanthropy. Dupri attended the ceremony and later shared a clip of Usher wearing his cap and gown. In the clip, Dupri can be heard saying “My man joins my club today.” He went on to say, “Dr. Raymond, congratulations.”

Usher went on to reference his track “Nice & Slow” from his 1997 album, My Way. He plays on the song’s original lyrics, changing them to “They call me D-o-c-t-o-r R-a-y-m-o-n-d.” Usher later commented on Dupri’s post, restating the remixed lyrics. He added, “I’m so grateful for this opportunity to share a message to the next generation of artists, producers, vocalists, arrangers, dancers and more.” Reminding graduates to, “Be brave.” He tells them, “I hope your spark never goes away.”

Usher Urges Graduates To “Make Great Things”

The artist also shared an inspiring message in his commencement speech earlier in the day. He stated, “My goal as an artist has always been to inspire people to make a positive impact through my music, to make you feel something.” Going on to say, “Last night I felt proud…of the legacy that has been built and that we’re building together as artists.” He told the graduating class to “keep running past that finish line [of your goals], break the barriers, identify that spark in you that motivates you to keep going.” He also told them not to expect everything to be perfect and run smoothly.” Usher urged the graduates to “Take what you’ve learned here [at Berklee], go into the world, and make great things.”

Usher was joined at the commencement ceremony by his mother, his partner Jennifer Goicoechea, and his sons Usher Raymond V and Naviyd Ely Raymond. Dupri as well as another frequent collaborator, Rico Love, also attended to show their support. Dupri received his own honorary doctorate from The Art Institute of Atlanta last June.

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