Q-Tip earns honorary doctorate from Berklee College Of Music

nme.com:

Q-Tip has received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College Of Music for “his forward-thinking artistic vision”.Earlier this month, the rap legend, jazz artist Ledisi, and Puerto Rican bandleader Gilberto Santa Rosa were all honoured by the prestigious music institute.Last Saturday (May 11), the A Tribe Called Quest member took to Instagram to celebrate himself and his co-honorees alongside a photo of him wearing a customised cap and gown, along with a scarf that read: “Black excellence”.“Thank you again to the folks at Berklee for the honour bestowed,” he wrote. “What a great time to share [with] dear friend @ledisi and new friend @santarosalive and CONGRATS to the class of 2024!

I’m still pinching [pinching emoji] #berkleecollegeofmusic.”Check out a screenshot in the post below.Q-Tip receives honorary doctorate at Berklee College of Music: "Still pinching [myself]" pic.twitter.com/iGBex1BmK7— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) May 12, 2024Berklee College said that Q-Tip was honoured for “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”.The college also shared a quote from the New York rapper’s speech to the graduating class: “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 [the] balance between intellect and instinct… to not let bad choices define you, but to refine you.”In addition to his doctorate, Q-Tip and the rest of A Tribe Called Quest were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.