Nas Receives W.E.B. DuBois Medal from Harvard University

Nas is no stranger to the Ivy League world. Two years ago, Harvard established the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship in honor of the rapper, and most recently, he was awarded the university’s W.E.B. DuBois medal from the prestigious school, reports The New York Daily News.

The esteemed medal is the highest honor given out by Harvard’s African and African-American studies department and goes to Black individuals who have had an influence on our world. Nas, along with Eric Holder, Muhammad Ali and other Black scholars were honored at the ceremony.

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“These are the things kids need to see,” Nas said during his acceptance speech. “The real things. This is a light I want on me. I hope that I can be a great role model for those kids…You can be more than the typical image of rap.”

Congrats, Nas!