Inside Loyola's Hip Hop Bachelor's Program with Prof. Raney Antoine Jr.

[00:00:00] I am Brother Cornel West and this is Hip Hop Can Save America.

[00:00:11] Peace and love everybody. It's your man Manny Faces. Just wanted to let you know that Hip Hop Can Save America is now available as a live stream show every Monday night 9 p.m. Eastern Time on YouTube. You can find it at hiphopcansaveamerica.com slash watch.

[00:00:25] Excerpts from that show will be played here on the audio feed so you'll still get the good interviews that you've been used to.

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[00:00:58] The thing about hip hop today is it's smart. It's insightful.

[00:01:06] The way that they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable.

[00:01:13] And a lot of these kids, they're not going to be reading the New York Times.

[00:01:17] That's not how they're getting their information.

[00:01:19] My hip hop will block to shop the nation.

[00:01:23] Hip hop culture is more than music.

[00:01:25] Tease to you and speak the truth.

[00:01:27] Show them what peace can do when they're ways to you.

[00:01:30] My hip hop will block to shop the nation.

[00:01:33] Rapping something you do, hip hop is something you live.

[00:01:36] So hip hop didn't invent anything.

[00:01:38] But hip hop reinvented everything.

[00:01:43] All right, here we are.

[00:01:44] Rainy Antoine Jr., Professor Antoine.

[00:01:48] How are you, sir?

[00:01:49] I appreciate that, bro.

[00:01:51] Oh, yeah.

[00:01:51] All good, man.

[00:01:52] It's super cool to chop it up with you and get to talk about everything, man.

[00:01:57] Yeah, man.

[00:01:57] I appreciate your time.

[00:01:58] You're out there in New Orleans.

[00:02:01] And you're up at Loyola University.

[00:02:04] And you're doing your thing over there.

[00:02:05] But you're a musician.

[00:02:06] You've got a lot of hats that you wear, as many of us in these worlds do.

[00:02:11] We all swap out hats.

[00:02:12] I do approve of your hat, by the way.

[00:02:14] Your hat is very exceptional.

[00:02:15] You know what I mean?

[00:02:16] You know, I gravitate Yankees.

[00:02:19] My wife is Mets.

[00:02:20] My mom is Mets.

[00:02:22] You know, or was, you know, rest in peace.

[00:02:24] But so I tolerate the Mets and yay Mets to whatever.

[00:02:27] They're doing their thing.

[00:02:28] But, you know, Yankees, let's go.

[00:02:29] And I'm a Knicks fan, so Knicks all day.

[00:02:31] Anyway, now that we got all that pleasantries out the way.

[00:02:33] Yo, that's real quick.

[00:02:34] That's the only MLB game I've ever been to was a Yankees game.

[00:02:37] Oh, really?

[00:02:38] Okay.

[00:02:38] Yeah, because we don't have a team in New Orleans, obviously.

[00:02:42] So we had a trip to New York, and it was like, we got to go to Yankee Stadium.

[00:02:45] Well, there you go.

[00:02:46] Sometimes it's all tapes.

[00:02:47] The only game I've ever been to, right?

[00:02:48] And that joint was crazy.

[00:02:51] Yeah, yeah.

[00:02:51] It was.

[00:02:51] Yankee Stadium is dope.

[00:02:53] Yeah, yeah.

[00:02:53] Yeah, it's dope.

[00:02:53] For sure.

[00:02:54] Well, New York, you know, I mean, greatest city in the world, obviously, because I'm from there.

[00:02:58] But New Orleans, though, man, did I have a good time in New Orleans.

[00:03:01] I'll tell you that.

[00:03:02] Yeah, New Orleans is a vibe, right?

[00:03:03] Yeah, for sure.

[00:03:04] Yes, I always say, like, we're from New York, so every other city sucks.

[00:03:07] But New Orleans!

[00:03:07] New Orleans!

[00:03:08] New Orleans!

[00:03:09] Yeah, and Atlanta.

[00:03:10] I like Atlanta.

[00:03:11] I'm down in Atlanta now, so, you know, I mess with Atlanta, too.

[00:03:13] So, you know, there's some other places in the world, I guess, whatever.

[00:03:17] That being said, tell me, if you don't mind, of all those hats, you know, I could read your bio and all the things you do, but sometimes I just like to hear it from, you know, the folks themselves.

[00:03:25] How do you sort of present yourself to the world and your professional and personal, you know, name rank a serial number?

[00:03:32] Name rank a serial number.

[00:03:33] It's crazy.

[00:03:34] I'm a musician before anything.

[00:03:35] So, you know, I grew up playing instruments, drums at seven, started piano at 12, classically trained on both, and just kind of had natural talent.

[00:03:46] But I wanted to kind of learn the ins and outs of the actual instruments and then was like, yeah, I'm gonna make records.

[00:03:54] Okay.

[00:03:54] Basically, by like 13, I was like, yeah, I want to write songs.

[00:04:00] So, it went to just kind of spitballing song ideas to in high school, we had our like senior videos and I was making the beats for the videos.

[00:04:11] I was, you know, sectional leader of the drum line.

[00:04:14] So, like, I played for the choir.

[00:04:17] So, all those things, that's always been my thing.

[00:04:20] I'm a musician before anything.

[00:04:22] And then right after undergrad, we became a music educator out of nowhere.

[00:04:27] Because, like we were talking a little before we started recording, it's Feast of Famine, right?

[00:04:32] That's right.

[00:04:33] Yeah.

[00:04:33] You gotta get where you can.

[00:04:35] Get where you fit in.

[00:04:36] So, that's what I did.

[00:04:38] What were you teaching?

[00:04:39] What was the first step into music education?

[00:04:42] Were you teaching in a school?

[00:04:44] Were you just teaching private lessons or how would it go?

[00:04:47] The high school that I graduated from in Metairie, Louisiana, a little outside of New Orleans.

[00:04:54] They hit me up and were like, hey, you wrapped up school yet?

[00:04:58] And I was like, yeah, what's up?

[00:04:59] They were like, well, we need a talent music teacher.

[00:05:02] Can you pull up and help us out?

[00:05:04] And I was like, all right, cool.

[00:05:06] Because I hadn't had a job yet.

[00:05:07] I'm like, all right, let's get it.

[00:05:09] So, wound up doing that for a few years.

[00:05:12] And then in 2019, the school I graduated undergrad from, Loyola, New Orleans, they called and

[00:05:18] said, hey, we need somebody to fill in on this course.

[00:05:20] Somebody just quit.

[00:05:22] And I was like, all right, I got you.

[00:05:25] Did that.

[00:05:26] And I've been locked in with Loyola pretty much ever since.

[00:05:29] Yeah.

[00:05:30] Now, the thing about Loyola, which is interesting, and I guess the position that you've now kind

[00:05:34] of, no pun intended, graduated into as a professor.

[00:05:38] There's actually a bachelor program for hip hop and R&B at Loyola.

[00:05:42] The first of its kind, from what I understand.

[00:05:45] Yeah.

[00:05:45] And we see like, you know, we're friends with a bunch of professors of hip hop.

[00:05:49] Shouts to, you know, Jay Rawls up at the Ohio State.

[00:05:51] You know what I mean?

[00:05:52] And, you know, folks like that doing professors of hip hop.

[00:05:55] A.D. Carson, Dr. A.D. Carson has been on a show.

[00:05:57] So, we're seeing those things happen across academia, which is great for the most part.

[00:06:02] But having a program, a whole program is different.

[00:06:05] I know that Howard just has a, just announced a minor program in hip hop.

[00:06:08] But what y'all did here was pretty revolutionary.

[00:06:10] And, and how did, how did that department come to fruition?

[00:06:14] And what was your role in it?

[00:06:16] Because I understand you had a role in creating it.

[00:06:18] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:06:19] So, the actual idea started in a studio kitchen in between sessions in 2014.

[00:06:27] And my mentor at the time now, colleague at Loyola, LaBelle UP Cooper, we were at his studio.

[00:06:35] And I had just graduated.

[00:06:37] And I was basically just talking about all the things I wish I could have gotten at Loyola.

[00:06:42] But we just didn't have the faculty that, you know, were experts in the spaces of black and brown music, hip hop.

[00:06:48] Right.

[00:06:49] And you went to Loyola, but you were studying sort of music.

[00:06:52] It wasn't music making, music business.

[00:06:54] Yeah, yeah.

[00:06:55] We had that, but it wasn't.

[00:06:56] Yeah, but it's a music school.

[00:06:58] There's a lot of music making going on.

[00:06:59] Right.

[00:06:59] And you're saying that you didn't have a lot of that aspect.

[00:07:02] As a musician, you want to know the music business, but you also want to be musicianing.

[00:07:06] And you didn't have a lot of that going on there in terms of, yeah, which is weird, you know.

[00:07:13] So, at Loyola, it's a great program.

[00:07:16] Started by like an OG music producer and music exec, John Snyder.

[00:07:22] We had all the music business stuff.

[00:07:24] We had really cool facilities.

[00:07:26] We had recording studios, you know, SSLs and all the cool outboard gear and this and that.

[00:07:31] So, I was a studio TA.

[00:07:32] So, I had access to the studios 24-7.

[00:07:35] And when I did the tour, they gave me a scholarship.

[00:07:38] I did the tour.

[00:07:40] I was like, oh, y'all got studios?

[00:07:41] Oh, I could have access to it 24-7?

[00:07:43] Right.

[00:07:44] Say less.

[00:07:45] That's all I need.

[00:07:46] Of course.

[00:07:47] And we just figured it out.

[00:07:48] And we had a lot of like great people around us.

[00:07:52] Like, G-Eazy was there at the same time as me.

[00:07:56] Matt, his manager.

[00:07:57] And then Christoph Anderson, who's also an industry producer.

[00:08:00] We were all in the same class.

[00:08:02] Dominique LeJune, like singer-songwriter, soul artist.

[00:08:06] We were all there at the same time.

[00:08:08] So, it was just like this.

[00:08:11] It felt like a golden era to me because it was like, wow, there's so much talent.

[00:08:15] And then we all kind of go off to do our things.

[00:08:18] So, when we graduate, I was just like, man, I wish somebody would have been there to teach

[00:08:23] me how to make my 808 slap, like the records that I love or like how to set the auto-tune.

[00:08:29] You know, the 2010s, like T-Pain was on a rampage and it was like, man, how do I set

[00:08:35] the auto-tune and one of my professors literally told me if the singer you're recording needs

[00:08:39] auto-tune or wants auto-tune, you probably shouldn't be working with them.

[00:08:43] They can't sing.

[00:08:44] And I was like, what?

[00:08:46] And in the same fashion, I was asking about 808s and they were like, just use a bass guitar.

[00:08:52] And I was like, y'all really don't get it.

[00:08:57] Right.

[00:08:57] And that's when I knew like the actual business of music was incredible there.

[00:09:02] Had some incredible professors that really got the business aspect of things.

[00:09:08] But the craft of making hip hop on the soul bunk, it wasn't there.

[00:09:13] So, at the studio, I'm basically complaining about what I didn't get.

[00:09:17] And my mentor, he asked, well, if you had to do it, what would you do?

[00:09:24] Because you're teaching now.

[00:09:26] If you had to make up a program, what would you do?

[00:09:29] And we literally brainstormed an entire four-year degree just in the studio kitchen.

[00:09:36] And we basically went to the director, myself and my homegirl, Kim McMillan, at the time

[00:09:42] who introduced us.

[00:09:43] I was like, yo, you got to hire this dude.

[00:09:45] We've been at his studio.

[00:09:47] We've learned a whole lot about the craft of hip hop and R&B.

[00:09:50] Y'all got to hire this guy.

[00:09:51] Because the students like us, they're going to need him.

[00:09:55] So, we got UP hired up there in 2014.

[00:10:01] And he just started managing studios, teaching an urban music production class, did an ensemble

[00:10:08] for hip hop and R&B.

[00:10:10] They had never had that before.

[00:10:12] And then that was just kind of it.

[00:10:14] And then they started adding a few more classes.

[00:10:17] And they had a certain version of the program.

[00:10:19] And then in 2021, the College of Music and Media was like, okay, let's really do this program

[00:10:29] the way y'all brought it to us.

[00:10:32] Right.

[00:10:33] Formalize it in a way.

[00:10:34] Yeah.

[00:10:37] Institutionalize it.

[00:10:37] Not in a traditional legacy institution, but formalize it.

[00:10:42] Make it real.

[00:10:43] Yeah.

[00:10:43] Yeah.

[00:10:43] Like, there was an iteration of the program.

[00:10:47] And, you know, we had some shifting in, like, leadership.

[00:10:51] And the idea of the program was like, okay, 2017, 2018, let's do it.

[00:10:57] And then there was, in 2021, it was like, okay, let's Bachelor of Science in Hip Hop and R&B.

[00:11:04] Let's properly name it.

[00:11:05] And this is coming out of pandemic.

[00:11:07] So, like, what was sort of, I guess, the college's role or idea to, you know, kickstart things again,

[00:11:14] like get things rolling, bring in people, you know.

[00:11:16] Yeah.

[00:11:17] Is that sort of why they were like, let's try something new?

[00:11:19] This last couple of years has been wild.

[00:11:22] Well, we had producers.

[00:11:25] We had beat makers.

[00:11:26] We had artists.

[00:11:27] And it was like, how do we make sure that students looking to study music in college know that this program is here for them?

[00:11:39] And it's like, when you say Bachelor of Science in Hip Hop and R&B, every rapper, beat maker, songwriter, singer, producer, everyone's ears perk up.

[00:11:49] And it's like, they get it.

[00:11:50] What?

[00:11:50] Yeah.

[00:11:51] Oh, snap.

[00:11:51] I could study that at school.

[00:11:53] Yeah.

[00:11:53] And that's how our students hear about us.

[00:11:55] They literally, like, every time it's some random student from Puerto Rico.

[00:12:02] We did an interview with a kid from South Korea.

[00:12:06] He was like, how did you even hear about us?

[00:12:09] And he said his academy in South Korea showed him, hey, you make the music, like, thing.

[00:12:17] Right.

[00:12:17] Here's a place.

[00:12:18] Here's a place.

[00:12:19] Yeah.

[00:12:19] And he was like, I saw it and was like, oh, my God, I got to go.

[00:12:22] And he was like, wow.

[00:12:24] South Korea?

[00:12:24] That's crazy.

[00:12:26] That's wild.

[00:12:26] That's wild.

[00:12:27] What are some of the things that you have developed as part of the program that were the things that you wanted to have?

[00:12:34] I mean, talk about just having the focus on crafting modern, contemporary, you know, hip hop and R&B.

[00:12:41] But, you know, what are some of the other machinations that have to go into planning and executing a degree program like this that you said, hey, this is what we need to have.

[00:12:50] And now you'll have it.

[00:12:51] Yeah.

[00:12:52] So we're at a Jesuit university.

[00:12:53] So about educating the whole person, that's a big deal.

[00:12:56] So they have to do the math, science, social studies, history, all that jazz.

[00:13:00] Sure.

[00:13:00] Cool.

[00:13:01] But on our side of the degree, it's all about the business performance and craft of hip hop and R&B music.

[00:13:08] So you're taking business courses, legal, contracting compensation, things like that.

[00:13:15] But when it comes to the craft and performance, every single year we're putting out albums.

[00:13:21] So we have four right now.

[00:13:23] We put out two albums every year as a program, a hip hop side, kind of like an AB side, right?

[00:13:28] So hip hop side and an R&B side.

[00:13:30] Okay.

[00:13:30] So how do we facilitate that?

[00:13:33] We have a performance course, an ensemble.

[00:13:36] And then that's ensemble.

[00:13:38] Not only are you working on your performance on the stage, but you're working on your performance in the studio as well.

[00:13:43] So we have courses like that.

[00:13:46] We have production courses, a few different levels.

[00:13:48] We have private lessons with the majors, with myself and my colleague UP.

[00:13:54] And then we have some production courses that are required.

[00:13:59] So we have production of recorded music.

[00:14:01] You have all the studio and tech stuff like music technology, recording studio techniques, urban music production, one and two.

[00:14:10] And then when you get to kind of the craftsmanship of things, I felt like there was a hole in the whole transition from, okay, this business stuff, the tech stuff, the performance stuff.

[00:14:25] How do we put it all together?

[00:14:27] And in my research, there weren't any courses at a college level for artist development.

[00:14:33] So I was like, I went to them and was like, yo, we need to add artist development.

[00:14:37] And they were like, oh, okay.

[00:14:40] And that was just kind of that.

[00:14:42] So then I kind of pushed the issue this year, just kind of citing different themes, the data that we saw.

[00:14:48] Yeah.

[00:14:49] And they were like, okay, let's give it a go.

[00:14:51] And man, it's been incredible.

[00:14:53] We started it actually this semester.

[00:14:54] So it's required for all hip hop and R&B artists to actually take artist development.

[00:15:00] That's brilliant.

[00:15:01] Yeah.

[00:15:01] I mean, we talk, you know, older heads, folks that have come up with some industry knowledge about the lack of artist development in the industry.

[00:15:09] Like that's not a thing anymore.

[00:15:10] Now it's just, you know, quick turnaround, cash grab.

[00:15:13] But obviously you have folks that are just under the mainstream, you know, or, you know, main visibility that have long, steady, great careers.

[00:15:22] They're fast and fabulous musicians, whether it's, you know, R&B, jazz, singing, whatever, or hip hop.

[00:15:28] And that's because they have done some form of artist development.

[00:15:31] So it's like the long, steady careers have all had something like that in their lives.

[00:15:35] So that's super important to bring into the mix if it's not something that the industry, I guess, offers anymore.

[00:15:43] Yeah.

[00:15:44] Also, another thing you said, which I thought was great for young artists because, you know, I've worked with a bunch, I've covered as a journalist, a bunch of, you know, independent artists.

[00:15:51] That was kind of my beat in New York for a while.

[00:15:53] I just covered the independent scene mostly.

[00:15:54] And one of the hardest things I always found was the ability for super dope artists, either on, you know, recorded to then put on a live show or vice versa.

[00:16:04] Sometimes it's, you know, there was some really great live performers who never really learned how to capture that in a studio.

[00:16:11] And I think teaching that thing, just as you say, kind of makes a more complete artist.

[00:16:15] Yeah.

[00:16:16] Yeah.

[00:16:17] And that's a super focus in the hip hop and R&B program is that you can't have one without the other.

[00:16:23] Right.

[00:16:24] Right.

[00:16:24] In artist development, their final project is to have a product, monetize some portion of it, have a live activation, and there has to be a video element.

[00:16:36] Okay.

[00:16:37] Right?

[00:16:38] The whole thing.

[00:16:38] So, yeah, the whole thing because none of those pillars can stand without the other.

[00:16:44] You can have the record and say link in bio, but what does that even mean?

[00:16:48] Like, who cares that there's a link in your bio that has a song?

[00:16:52] Like, what's going to make people listen to your record when millions are being uploaded on the daily?

[00:16:57] Yeah.

[00:16:58] You have to be able to put it all together.

[00:17:00] Speaking about sort of like the state of, you know, current artistry, you must have young folk coming in into this college level around that age.

[00:17:09] They're artists.

[00:17:10] They want to be artists.

[00:17:11] They may have been doing some work already or they may just be kind of just breaking in.

[00:17:14] But they see that there are superstars, there are folks who make it on, you know, again, to some mainstream visibility, some level of success without going to college for it.

[00:17:24] So, you know, how do you kind of weigh that balance that say, hey, listen, what you're talking about, artist development, putting out stuff, doing the business, having everything lined up.

[00:17:33] No, I just put something on TikTok and I'll be famous in like a month.

[00:17:37] Let me just get in the studio and rock.

[00:17:38] How do you kind of counter some of that, that way of thinking that, you know, I guess we're seeing some folks come up with?

[00:17:44] Yeah.

[00:17:45] So I'm a big believer that you got to hone your craft and you need mentorship and guidance to do so in an efficient way, but also in a way that's going to give you a long lasting pedigree.

[00:17:58] So we liken it to like professional leagues, right?

[00:18:01] So, yeah, you could be LeBron and go straight out of high school to the league and be the greatest ever.

[00:18:07] But a lot of people got to go do two, three, four years playing college basketball.

[00:18:13] Right.

[00:18:14] Right.

[00:18:14] It's good at housing.

[00:18:15] Yep.

[00:18:15] But then also the reality is those people that play D1 sports, 95% of them don't make it to the league.

[00:18:24] Right.

[00:18:25] But a lot of them do become trainers.

[00:18:27] Right.

[00:18:28] Execs.

[00:18:29] Sure.

[00:18:29] You know what I mean?

[00:18:31] Coaches.

[00:18:31] Right.

[00:18:32] You know.

[00:18:33] Or staff.

[00:18:33] Yeah.

[00:18:33] Yeah.

[00:18:34] And they're still tied to the thing they love and they make a career out of it.

[00:18:37] Same thing with music and hip hop, which you don't normally think of.

[00:18:40] Don't forget, you don't have to be the front facing person all the time.

[00:18:43] There's all this industry that you could be working in the background.

[00:18:45] Not at all.

[00:18:46] So you could be the talent and we're going to treat you as the talent.

[00:18:50] But we're also going to educate you in a way where you can be of service to the talent as the producer, the songwriter, whatever.

[00:18:58] Or as a service to the service of the artist.

[00:19:02] So you are one of those, you know, management folks or the executive folks or you have a different space in the entertainment industry that serves the art.

[00:19:12] So we just try to make sure that our students understand this is a place for you to come and incubate, a place for you to come and learn and grow.

[00:19:21] Because when those people go out, you can have people with that one hit and now they're playing Bonnaroo or they're playing, you know, the something in the Waterfest or whatever.

[00:19:33] But you got two records released to your knee.

[00:19:36] Right.

[00:19:37] But you're popular.

[00:19:39] So they're going to put you up there.

[00:19:40] Right.

[00:19:41] But you don't know how to perform.

[00:19:43] You don't know what to do.

[00:19:44] And then people make fun of you on social media because your performance was what?

[00:19:49] Right.

[00:19:50] So when it comes to the game, yeah, can you do it all on your own?

[00:19:54] I mean, you could pretty much outside of practice law and practice medicine.

[00:19:59] You could pretty much do anything in America without a degree.

[00:20:03] Right.

[00:20:04] But those people that study their craft and put in those 10,000 hours, those are the people that win and win at a consistent basis.

[00:20:11] So we let them know like, hey, when you come to Loyola, you're going to meet industry songwriters, producers, artists.

[00:20:20] They come here.

[00:20:20] So we use our networks to educate and enrich our students.

[00:20:25] It's not every day that you're sitting in my office, your professor's office, and we're talking about the state of R&B.

[00:20:32] And y'all bring up a Normani record.

[00:20:35] And then you make a comment of this literally happened yesterday.

[00:20:38] One of my students made a comment was like, yo, this hook is crazy.

[00:20:41] Like whoever did this really went crazy.

[00:20:43] So in Apple Music, I look at the bottom of the lyrics to see who wrote.

[00:20:48] Yeah.

[00:20:49] I saw my guy, Cortland Jabray on there, who I've worked with.

[00:20:52] We have a record on my homie Benji called Josephine that we all wrote together.

[00:20:56] And I was like, wait, Cortland was on this?

[00:20:59] I was like, he probably wrote this hook.

[00:21:00] So I called him.

[00:21:02] I called him.

[00:21:03] Right.

[00:21:03] And I was like, say, bro.

[00:21:05] He was like, what's up?

[00:21:06] I said, look, we talking about this Normani record.

[00:21:09] I think it was like 159 or 259, something like that.

[00:21:12] And I was like, this hook kind of sounded like you.

[00:21:15] You did this?

[00:21:16] And he started laughing.

[00:21:17] He said, yeah.

[00:21:18] And it's crazy because I'm sitting right here with Leather Jacket, the dude who produced it.

[00:21:21] So they got to have a conversation with the people who made the record that they were impressed by.

[00:21:26] You dig what I'm saying?

[00:21:27] Like, that's the type of enrichment we want.

[00:21:30] And in the same fashion, you have people like D-Mile.

[00:21:33] You have people like Christo, songwriters like A-Chic and Ricky Rich, who platinum, Grammy nominated, Grammy award winning.

[00:21:43] They come down and we do camps once a semester.

[00:21:47] Right.

[00:21:48] And our students get to work with and make records for these types of people.

[00:21:53] Same thing with my guy, Benji of Spillage Village.

[00:21:55] He was our very first camp.

[00:21:57] And like of all of the students that participate in that camp, I believe 10% of them right now today have had an actual major label release because of that camp.

[00:22:12] Interesting.

[00:22:12] I was going to ask, like, what are some of the receipts that the program actually does put out?

[00:22:18] Exactly what y'all say.

[00:22:19] That sounds like receipts to me.

[00:22:21] Yeah, bro.

[00:22:21] Like they own portions of these records.

[00:22:23] And then at the same time, some former students like Lucrative.

[00:22:26] He did Poland by Lil Yachty.

[00:22:29] And, you know, he's a primary producer for King Carson and Playboy Cardi.

[00:22:35] And then we have Incognita.

[00:22:37] She signed to Issa Rae at radio.

[00:22:39] Okay.

[00:22:39] Right.

[00:22:40] And then you got Kobe Cohen, who's an industry manager, and he has his own label in print now.

[00:22:47] And then we got the little homies who just graduated up working in studios in New York and producing and working at the radio stations.

[00:22:55] And we have people working at all the major labels at some level, even the social media platforms.

[00:23:00] So that's what our program puts out.

[00:23:03] It puts out both the artists, the creatives, as well as the industry folks.

[00:23:09] Yeah.

[00:23:09] That's brilliant.

[00:23:10] Good stuff.

[00:23:10] What about you as an artist?

[00:23:13] Now, taking off that hat, that professor hat, that you were just cheerleading for Loyola.

[00:23:18] They don't like that.

[00:23:18] They're like, oh, put that in the pamphlet.

[00:23:22] But as an artist, as a musician, you said you did some records.

[00:23:25] You've been, you know, doing stuff for a long time.

[00:23:28] And you never stop, obviously, but you're working hard.

[00:23:31] So how do you balance that life, you know, artist, educator?

[00:23:34] And what have you been up to, I guess, lately?

[00:23:36] And, you know, how do you balance that life?

[00:23:38] I mean, I've been balancing the life since, like I said, 7 to 12.

[00:23:43] So it's like I'm in school, but then after school, I go to choir rehearsal and piano lessons and piano lessons.

[00:23:49] And then I traded that out in college where it's like I got an exam at 9.30 a.m.

[00:23:56] I got a rehearsal at 12 p.m.

[00:23:59] And then a show that night.

[00:24:01] Or it's like we're playing Spring Fest at an HBCU down here at Xavier University.

[00:24:08] And it's us, a local act, Kendrick Lamar and Melanie Fiona.

[00:24:13] And I'm MDing for the opener.

[00:24:16] So it's like I'm in class at like noon.

[00:24:19] But then by the evening, I'm backstage with Kendrick.

[00:24:22] Yeah.

[00:24:22] Like during Section 80 Days.

[00:24:24] And I was like, I didn't know this dude was going to turn into my favorite rapper.

[00:24:28] I just got on him because I played the show with him.

[00:24:31] Right.

[00:24:31] Oh, yo, this guy's good.

[00:24:33] No, you did?

[00:24:34] It was crazy.

[00:24:35] This guy's good.

[00:24:36] He might be okay.

[00:24:37] He might have a career.

[00:24:39] It was.

[00:24:39] So it's like that balance had always been there.

[00:24:42] It's like I'm in class, but then I'm also like production assistant for the NBA when they come down here for All-Star Weekend.

[00:24:48] So the balance is pretty much just like keep working, bro.

[00:24:52] So lately what I've been on is teaching and growing the program, but just continuing to make meaningful relationships in the industry.

[00:25:01] Like with a person like Benji, with different brands and companies in the New Orleans area.

[00:25:08] I mean, in 2020, I got the opportunity to compose a soundscape for an architectural installation that debuted on the National Mall kind of during that like racial unrest moment.

[00:25:20] So it was really cool to be able to contribute to my culture in that fashion.

[00:25:26] Right.

[00:25:26] Yeah.

[00:25:27] The thing that was supposed to be for like a, I think one weekend turned into a few weekends in a row.

[00:25:32] So it was like there for like three weeks straight.

[00:25:35] So even to be able to compose a piece of music like that is incredible.

[00:25:39] And then, you know, just recently a few of the records that I made with my guy Benji of Spillage Village just released on his second installment on the Love Gun Trilogy.

[00:25:52] Third installment is coming very soon.

[00:25:55] Got a few on there.

[00:25:56] I'm putting out a record very, very soon, hopefully before the end of the year.

[00:26:02] But then at the same time, like there's a black owned liquor brand, Exclave Spirits down here in New Orleans.

[00:26:11] And it's like award winning.

[00:26:12] Right.

[00:26:13] So it's like really cool.

[00:26:14] And a guy that went to Loyola with me and he's getting more into the cultural space right now.

[00:26:19] And he's like, let's put a sound to this brand.

[00:26:24] And I was like, I got you.

[00:26:25] Yeah.

[00:26:26] So it's like now I'm crafting a sound for this cultural brand that, yes, it's liquor, but it's really culture.

[00:26:31] I understand.

[00:26:32] And telling black stories with black voices unapologetically about everything that's been appropriated, stolen or otherwise from our community.

[00:26:40] So it's like I live.

[00:26:42] Like music.

[00:26:43] You feel me?

[00:26:45] For example.

[00:26:46] Right.

[00:26:46] Right.

[00:26:47] Yeah.

[00:26:47] And then at that same time, he and I having a conversation, I'm like, you know, I want to start kind of curating the music for different spaces.

[00:26:55] Like I'm a foodie.

[00:26:56] So it's like, I'm talking about like scoring dinners just the same way that we score.

[00:27:01] Like Tyler, the creator scored the Louis Vuitton.

[00:27:06] Right.

[00:27:06] Like, so he was like, oh, yeah, we actually do this dinner.

[00:27:11] So I'm about to score a dinner.

[00:27:14] Like, it's I love creating.

[00:27:17] Of course, you're a foodie.

[00:27:18] You're in New Orleans.

[00:27:18] You have no choice.

[00:27:19] You feel me?

[00:27:20] The best food in the world.

[00:27:21] Really?

[00:27:22] Really?

[00:27:22] I ain't gonna lie.

[00:27:23] I said, but I understand like secretly they'll just kick you out of the city if you can't cook and you can't or if a restaurant.

[00:27:29] Oh, yeah.

[00:27:29] They'll just banish you.

[00:27:30] So that's the prerequisite.

[00:27:32] I get it.

[00:27:32] I understand.

[00:27:33] Yeah.

[00:27:33] Because if I go to your restaurant and my mama cook better than you.

[00:27:37] Yeah, of course.

[00:27:38] I could go to my mama.

[00:27:39] That's right.

[00:27:40] Why would I stick my money here?

[00:27:41] Man, I ain't gonna lie.

[00:27:43] I know where I went.

[00:27:43] Just a random, random old place.

[00:27:45] And it's the best random place.

[00:27:47] Yeah.

[00:27:48] Consistently.

[00:27:48] We have.

[00:27:49] You ain't gonna lie.

[00:27:50] We have food at a gas station.

[00:27:53] 100%.

[00:27:54] That is better than some people.

[00:27:56] 100%.

[00:27:56] I get it.

[00:27:57] Absolutely.

[00:27:57] Yeah.

[00:27:58] The rumors are real.

[00:27:59] The rumors are true.

[00:28:00] One million.

[00:28:00] Yeah.

[00:28:01] But as though I love that sort of I'm an intersection guy, right?

[00:28:05] Hip hop and education, hip hop and mental health therapy.

[00:28:07] That's what I talk about on the show.

[00:28:08] That's what we advocate for.

[00:28:09] And that's what I, you know, I amplify the people doing that work.

[00:28:12] So anything that's sort of getting the music culture like into a place that's not

[00:28:18] typically associated with, you know, I just recognize the value of that.

[00:28:22] We all recognize the value of that.

[00:28:23] You know, people will say that, you know, hip hop social justice connection that it's

[00:28:29] always had is lesser today because we don't hear X, Y, Z on the radio or in the mainstream.

[00:28:34] But what you did with the Society's Cage installation, like that social justice through music and

[00:28:42] and or hip hop.

[00:28:43] You know, what I do, I do a project.

[00:28:45] It's journalism.

[00:28:45] And we tell stories of social justice and equities and injustices.

[00:28:49] And then we interview people.

[00:28:51] And it's a regular podcasty kind of thing.

[00:28:53] We weave music underneath.

[00:28:54] So it's like a score.

[00:28:55] We kind of, you know, it sounds like you're listening to a documentary.

[00:28:57] And then we'll break up the the episode by inviting an independent hip hop artist to write

[00:29:03] three 16s about that episode.

[00:29:05] Like they're writing it through that episode.

[00:29:07] And so you get that.

[00:29:08] We like to say it's like Democracy Now and Black Thought Had a Podcast, baby.

[00:29:12] And I mean, but that's hip hop as social justice journalism.

[00:29:16] It's still being done in these ways.

[00:29:18] So even what you're talking about linking up with, you know, the Spirits Company and being

[00:29:22] able to amplify stories of, you know, underrepresented stories, you know, untold stories through music.

[00:29:29] That is social justice work.

[00:29:31] Having a program at Loyola, letting, you know, young folks come up and get in the business

[00:29:36] and not get taken advantage of, not have to sell their soul, not have to give away their

[00:29:40] creations, that social justice work.

[00:29:43] So it's all wrapped up in sort of what you're doing.

[00:29:45] Yeah.

[00:29:45] And talking about the justice and like kind of the mental health and things like that,

[00:29:50] I actually just linked up with my guy, PR Seth at Notre Dame.

[00:29:56] He actually has like a really, really dope course that he's doing up there, but he has

[00:30:02] an actual research lab that's like backed by like Johns Hopkins and the Mellon Foundation

[00:30:09] and Black Beyond Data.

[00:30:11] And of course, Notre Dame.

[00:30:13] And basically he just compiles a bunch of academics and I'm the first academic and

[00:30:19] creative that he's brought on as a research associate.

[00:30:22] Cause he was like, bro, a lot of us are, we're just on the academic side of things.

[00:30:27] He was like, you actually do both.

[00:30:29] Right.

[00:30:30] So it'd be really dope for you to do some projects where we can kind of link the thing.

[00:30:34] So we're definitely about to activate with that big time.

[00:30:39] The importance of bringing practitioners into the spaces.

[00:30:42] There's a lot of, you know, hip hop academia, for instance, which we talk about a lot here,

[00:30:46] sometimes gets that bad rap.

[00:30:48] Ha ha.

[00:30:48] You see what I did there?

[00:30:50] Because you have folks that are academics, but they're not always connected to the culture

[00:30:54] and some of them can, can still do a good job and they can find ways to interact with

[00:30:58] the culture on an authentic level.

[00:30:59] Um, but then you have, you don't get enough practitioners, you know, actually doing the

[00:31:04] thing.

[00:31:05] It's probably like what you faced when you went to Loyola, you wanted to have a practitioner

[00:31:08] of your style of music, great practitioners, great teachers, but not of your thing.

[00:31:13] And so you're talking about the importance of, of practitioners being in these spaces that,

[00:31:18] you know, to really help capture and, and make, uh, bring progress to the space.

[00:31:24] Yeah, man.

[00:31:26] And, and that's, that's what matters.

[00:31:28] And with hip hop RX, the, the research lab, that's the work that, that we're focused on.

[00:31:33] And that's the work that we do is like, it's literally, it's, uh, spanning black studies,

[00:31:39] history, anthropology, ethnomusicology, the whole thing.

[00:31:43] So, um, any way that I can place our craft in a legitimate space so that we can be respected

[00:31:52] so that it can be, um, like within academia, you can study anything.

[00:31:58] Right.

[00:31:58] Sure.

[00:31:58] But our craft hasn't been preserved.

[00:32:02] The craft of medicine is preserved in academia to teach people how to do it properly.

[00:32:06] Right.

[00:32:07] When we complain about hip hop and R and B artists, who's teaching them how to do it?

[00:32:13] Where are they learning?

[00:32:15] Right.

[00:32:15] Uh, traditionally when it came, when it came to hip hop, you had the big homies in the

[00:32:22] community.

[00:32:23] Right.

[00:32:23] That puts you on game.

[00:32:25] Sure.

[00:32:25] Right.

[00:32:26] The OG.

[00:32:26] As R and B artists, majority of the greats came out of the church.

[00:32:31] Right.

[00:32:32] Statistically, that's not happening.

[00:32:33] It's not happening as much.

[00:32:35] Right.

[00:32:35] That's why R and B feels the way it feels right now.

[00:32:37] That's why it lacks a certain soul of certain texture because.

[00:32:41] Sure.

[00:32:41] Young R and B artists aren't raised in church to figure out how to sing like that.

[00:32:47] Right.

[00:32:47] Right.

[00:32:48] Um, so where can our artisans go to learn the craft?

[00:32:54] And it's like, that's the type of music that I want to make is music that makes people feel

[00:32:59] something.

[00:32:59] Right.

[00:33:00] So as an artist, that's what I always hunt.

[00:33:02] I hunt for the opportunities, like making records with artists is that's the bread and

[00:33:07] butter of, of our craft.

[00:33:09] Right.

[00:33:09] Right.

[00:33:09] And I love this studio.

[00:33:11] Um, I'm working on a hip hop project right now with my guy, uh, Chicago born and bred

[00:33:16] artist, uh, Sozi, super dope rapper.

[00:33:20] And then I'm working with my guy, Na'Ve, um, on this next record I'm about to put out.

[00:33:26] So the artists are endless, but the collaborative work is the stuff that I'm most passionate about

[00:33:33] right now.

[00:33:33] Right.

[00:33:34] Because that's the thing that puts like our music and our craft into different spaces.

[00:33:39] Yeah.

[00:33:39] Right.

[00:33:40] Yeah.

[00:33:40] Again, that intersections that those, you know, those, those vortexes that get created

[00:33:45] when all the creators create, that's how it goes.

[00:33:48] Yeah, man.

[00:33:48] Yeah.

[00:33:49] So that, okay.

[00:33:50] So then, and, and before I let you go, so what is sort of then the next plans for the

[00:33:55] program going back to the program that you're, that you're working with, you know, where

[00:33:59] does it stand now?

[00:34:00] Sort of are you looking to, uh, expand, add new components to it or is it kind of riding

[00:34:05] right now and, and, you know, in a good place?

[00:34:07] Yeah.

[00:34:08] Yeah.

[00:34:08] Well, we're in a great place, uh, at the current moment, cause we're the fastest growing program

[00:34:12] on campus.

[00:34:13] So that's one thing.

[00:34:15] There you go.

[00:34:15] Uh, the, the goal is to always give our students industry access, opportunity and experiences.

[00:34:22] So elevating the experiences, elevating the access, you know, we, we have a, a distribution

[00:34:30] deal with rock nation distribution.

[00:34:33] So every student, uh, the college, college class has a distribution deal.

[00:34:42] Yeah.

[00:34:43] That's, that's gotta be, I don't know if it's fair.

[00:34:45] I mean, that's, you know, yeah, that's wild.

[00:34:48] I love it.

[00:34:48] I used to say, everyone wanted to be a rapper at one point in time.

[00:34:51] So we go to college and then also like, you can come out on a district.

[00:34:56] Come on now.

[00:34:56] Yeah.

[00:34:57] That's great.

[00:34:57] So, yeah.

[00:34:58] So long that your GPA and your music meets a certain, you know, yeah.

[00:35:03] Yeah.

[00:35:04] It meets a certain level.

[00:35:05] You're in there.

[00:35:06] And then at the same time, it's like, you know, we partnered with Colin Leonard over there

[00:35:10] at Aria mastering.

[00:35:12] So every Loyola student, whether they're in the program or not have access to free mastering

[00:35:18] using Aria mastering.

[00:35:20] So it's like, yeah, it's via the internet, but it's analog mastering.

[00:35:24] Sure.

[00:35:25] So it's, it's, it's different.

[00:35:26] Get it.

[00:35:26] You know?

[00:35:27] Yeah.

[00:35:27] So our goals with hip hop and R&B is always to be the catalyst for pushing the narratives

[00:35:34] forward and pushing the craft forward and pushing our students as, as much into the limelight

[00:35:40] as a D1 athletic program.

[00:35:42] Right.

[00:35:43] Right.

[00:35:43] So you go there, you have a great time.

[00:35:45] Your school is sponsored by Nike and you're getting this and that and the third.

[00:35:49] Right.

[00:35:50] You know, your experience is incredible.

[00:35:51] And that's what our program is about.

[00:35:54] Linking up with different entities, companies and experiences and opportunities that allow

[00:36:00] our students' talents to shine and allow them to learn and grow all at the same time.

[00:36:06] Yeah.

[00:36:06] With the same respect and unapologetic nature as any other form of music or any other form

[00:36:13] of art or any other form of study that exists.

[00:36:15] It's just as worthy and just as powerful.

[00:36:18] Right.

[00:36:19] And then on my side as an artist, what's next is continuing to do this collaborative work.

[00:36:24] I'm really, really into the commission work as well as the in the studio making records.

[00:36:32] Yeah.

[00:36:32] Again, that's always going to be the bread and butter of our craft.

[00:36:35] But it's really intriguing to me, like the research associate situation where, you know,

[00:36:41] you have funding to be able to put on conferences and different things like that and actual experiences

[00:36:47] for community members and partnering with different community entities here in New Orleans.

[00:36:53] I just met with an incredible organization that gives out scholarships and training to local

[00:37:01] artists in fashion and music and even like gardening or farming.

[00:37:07] It's incredible.

[00:37:08] So just being able to lend my expertise and my craft to things like that, that are much larger

[00:37:16] than just putting out songs and putting out albums.

[00:37:20] Those are great.

[00:37:21] But it's like that collaborative work is everything that I'm going for, whether it's in film, television,

[00:37:28] community, the whole thing.

[00:37:30] That's what's up.

[00:37:30] You said earlier, you said when it comes to doing all that kind of thing and you look out

[00:37:35] in the world, you go, where do you learn this?

[00:37:37] Where do they?

[00:37:37] Where do they?

[00:37:38] Well, they learn it with you.

[00:37:39] So you feel?

[00:37:40] Yeah.

[00:37:41] I appreciate that work.

[00:37:42] I appreciate what you're doing.

[00:37:43] I'm glad you had time to really break it down for me and folks who pay attention to

[00:37:48] me over here.

[00:37:48] So we'll be looking forward to the two albums a year.

[00:37:51] We definitely want to hear which y'all are cooking up over there.

[00:37:55] And if that's cool with you, man, keep us updated on everything that's going on over

[00:37:59] there.

[00:38:00] And we'll definitely spread the gospel, as they say, because you're doing good work over

[00:38:05] there.

[00:38:05] It sounds like a fun program.

[00:38:06] It sounds like an impactful program.

[00:38:10] And most importantly, it's an important program.

[00:38:12] So, you know, it's good to be doing it's it's doing good by doing good.

[00:38:17] So, you know, appreciate that.

[00:38:19] Anything else?

[00:38:20] We got we covered everything.

[00:38:21] We're good, man.

[00:38:22] We good.

[00:38:22] How do people find you?

[00:38:23] Do all the end of interview things like what's the socials?

[00:38:26] What's the way to reach out?

[00:38:27] Listen to your music like, you know, and of course, where do they go to find out more

[00:38:30] information about the program?

[00:38:31] Ideally, hopefully we get some folks or folks of folks that would be like, oh, I'm sending

[00:38:35] my kids to Loyola now.

[00:38:37] You know, yeah.

[00:38:38] So how do we find you and the program?

[00:38:40] So the program Loyola University, New Orleans, hip hop and R&B, you Google that, it pops right

[00:38:46] up.

[00:38:47] It does.

[00:38:48] I didn't.

[00:38:49] Yep.

[00:38:50] And then it's the only one.

[00:38:52] And then for me personally, my handles on every social media platform is Rainey A Jr.

[00:38:59] R-A-N-U-I-A-J-R.

[00:39:01] And you'll find literally everything that I do right there.

[00:39:05] That's what's up.

[00:39:06] Yeah.

[00:39:06] Yeah.

[00:39:06] All right.

[00:39:07] Well, listen, Rainey, thank you, Professor, sir.

[00:39:09] Thank you for your time.

[00:39:10] Thank you for your work.

[00:39:11] And yell back anytime, man.

[00:39:13] Absolutely.

[00:39:14] Appreciate you.

[00:39:14] No doubt.

[00:39:15] Peace.

[00:39:16] Once again, thanks for listening to another episode of Hip Hop Can Save America, a.k.a.

[00:39:21] the world's most important hip hop podcast.

[00:39:23] My name is Manny Faces.

[00:39:25] You can find out more about the show at hip hop can save america dot com.

[00:39:28] You can watch the show now as a live stream on YouTube.

[00:39:30] Hip hop can save america dot com slash watch.

[00:39:33] Check back for all the replays as well.

[00:39:34] The interviews from the live stream will be brought here onto the audio feed.

[00:39:37] So you always get the best of the live stream.

[00:39:40] You can also check out our sub stack newsletter.

[00:39:42] It's free at many faces dot sub stack dot com.

[00:39:45] Filled with stories of hip hop innovation, inspiration, and in general, hip hop news that isn't about dumb.

[00:39:53] Eternal shouts to our consulting producer, Summer McCoy.

[00:39:55] Be sure to check out her dope initiatives, hip hop hacks, and the Mixtape Museum.

[00:40:00] We'll be back soon with another dope episode.

[00:40:02] But check us out on the live stream as well.

[00:40:03] Mondays 9 p.m.

[00:40:05] Eastern.

[00:40:06] Hip hop can save america dot com slash watch.

[00:40:08] Until next time, it's Manny Faces wishing peace and love to you and yours.