Lupe Fiasco Joins Peabody Institute as Professor

Lupe Fiasco, the Grammy Award-winning rapper, will join Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute as a distinguished visiting professor in Fall 2025, teaching in the newly established Bachelor of Music in Hip-Hop program. This groundbreaking program, led by Wendel Patrick, aims to integrate performance training with music engineering and cultural studies, representing a significant step in the formal recognition of hip-hop as an academic discipline. Fiasco expressed his honor to contribute to Peabody's legacy, which is known for its rigorous training of elite musicians. The curriculum will include private lessons, cultural history, and the sociopolitical context of hip-hop, with an emphasis on fostering creative talent among students. Fiasco, who has previously taught at MIT, sees this role as part of his commitment to advancing rap studies in higher education. Applications for the program are due by January 24, 2025.