At HBCU Shaw University, Dreamville And For The Students Reimagine What Breaking Into Music Looks Like

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Much like J. Cole’s music reflects his North Carolina upbringing and the journey of making it as a successful rapper while working toward earning his degree at St. John’s University, his Dreamville Festival does the same.

Ahead of this year’s fifth and final music event, Dreamville reached out to For The Students (an Austin-based platform helping aspiring artists and pros build a career on the business side of music), and expressed a desire to partner with Shaw University, the South’s first historically Black college or university, to help expose students to careers in the music industry outside of working toward becoming an artist.

“Shaw being the first HBCU in the South just felt powerful — it set the tone,” FTS founder Ogden Payne told Blavity. “It shows that this could be the start of something much bigger: a pipeline of opportunity for students to break into the music industry. Our mission is to show both students and non-students that their dream of working in music is possible. Sometimes all it takes is someone opening the door, and we want to help someone take that step in their journey.”

The history of Shaw University

For context, Shaw University, which was founded in 1865, was the first HBCU to be founded in the South after the 13th amendment officially abolished slavery in the United States in 1865.

“It’s one of the first institutions to really create a grounding for us,” Jalen Baker, director of student success and retention at Shaw University, told Blavity. “We’re in a building right now called Estey Hall. Estey Hall was the first place for women, African American women, to actually come study, to stay, it was the first dormitory for women. It doesn’t look like a dormitory now; it’s an office building, but it has a history in that SNCC [or Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the civil rights organization that used nonviolent protest to fight racial segregation and discrimination in the 1960s]. This space has been historic in not only just cultivating what education looks like for African Americans since 1865, but also cultivating the front line of freedom for us as African Americans.”

He added, “So, the Civil Rights Movement, post slavery, all of our engagement, Shaw University, historically, we don’t currently [but we] had a pharmacy, a law school, a medical school and a divinity school. This was a place where a lot of people, especially, not just in this community, but all over the world, would travel down to get their education. The pioneers here at Shaw University did a lot of great things to set and mold what it looked like for African Americans to be progressive in that time. Being an alum of North Carolina Central University, even our founder attended Shaw University … and so for me to be so proud in another neighboring HBCU, I can’t be proud in that institution without acknowledging … that this institution has been able to mold and to provide for HBCUs just down the street.”

“There are so many schools in North Carolina whose founding actually came from this institution: North Carolina A&T, Fayetteville State University, Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina Central,” he said. “And so now, when we think about what Dreamville is to the Raleigh community, and how it’s been able to bring together, not only just for Black people in our community, but all over the nation, it’s been able to cultivate and create culture. Having them bring something like an education day to our campus, I think is really full circle in saying that a pioneer of education that has done the same thing that Dreamville is doing for the community and the culture, now, to be able to bring those conversations here and cultivate that dialogue, and for people to see and echo the energy of what is an HBCU, the energy of what is Dreamville, and tying it all together.”

The vision for Dreamville University

The “To Be a Dreamer Live Q&A” featured Dreamville Records president Ibrahim Hamad, director of operations and people MK Kasote, creative director Felton Brown, and a special surprise appearance from Dreamville artist Lute.

Students and guests got to hear firsthand about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a record label and how that manifested into the festival.

A select group of individuals were able to apply to attend the “Breaking into the Music Business Workshop” led by Cristela Rodriguez, the long-time manager of Chicago emcee Saba and the person who played a vital role in bringing forth Kendrick Lamar’s latest studio album, GNX, for which she worked on A&R.

“One thing that’s really important to me is to be intentional,” the California native told Blavity following her presentation. “When it comes to panels and workshops, there are so many that cater to people that are already in the industry. So whenever there’s an opportunity to do a panel or a workshop for a school or an organization that is trying to break through the business, I’m more inclined to do that. I think something that’s really important to me is to be accessible, so giving out my email at the end, making sure people know that they can reach out to me with the specific advice that they may need. And I think that it’s really important to get away from the gatekeeping, so I try to prioritize it in my career as I continue to grow, making sure that I’m still reachable by the execs and by the fans and by anybody in between.”

What’s next for conversations like this?

Looking ahead to the impact that FTS aims to make for students who have a dream of working in the music industry, Payne said the goal is to continue the same concept of Dreamville University with partnerships across more HBCUs and also in communities where there are individuals who are bold enough to act on their vision of making it big.

“Ideally, I’d love to bring music business education programs to every HBCU in the country,” Payne said. “Beyond that, I want to work with cities that have emerging artists and professionals who want to learn the business side of music. It’s important to include non-students, too — because so many people are out here chasing this dream without access. Whether it’s through cities, campuses or partnerships, we just want to meet people where they are and give them the tools to make it happen.”

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