It was just after midnight on Saturday morning (August 26) when BIA’s affirmation echoed through the Hasty Pudding Club building: “Everything you see us do, you can do.”
Her words tumbled from the third floor of the old Harvard building, down the stairwell, past framed photos of GOATS of the acting world — Helen Mirren and Amy Poehler, Richard Gere and Chris Pratt, to break down a small section — honored over the years by the elite social club. It was a moment of inspiration and irony: One of the most distinguished groups and schools in American history hosting an educational program specifically created to remove barriers for young artists on the cusp of rocking the music industry.
Welcome to the 2023 graduation afterparty at No Label Academy, an all-expenses-paid seminar that gathered 23 BIPOC musicians at Harvard University for nine days of panels, presentations, and showcases. Among them was Boston’s own kei (pictured above), one of the up-and-coming musicians between the ages 18 and 25 selected from a pool of 1,400 applicants. 2023 marked the program’s second year, following its 2021 debut that spearheaded the equitable vision of rapper IDK and education non-profit No Label.
Between August 19 and 27, the musicians gathered at the Harvard School of Engineering in Allston and the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge to learn directly from industry professionals, from Worcester rapper Joyner Lucas, to prominent videographer and director A Zae Production and Youtube’s program manager of Black Music & Culture, Adam McFarland. At last Sunday’s (August 17) Future Insiders Summit alone, students gleaned advice about social media strategies, breaking into the industry, relationships with record labels, and optimizing their revenue and online presence via YouTube.
But it was this weekend’s extravagant graduation festivities that truly captured the joy of sharing knowledge and success among artists. There was no better person to amplify the rapture than BIA, a particularly powerful local example of hometown heroism, with platinum records like “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY” and “Best on Earth” under her belt. The Medford-raised artist immersed herself in the huddle of young artists and select guests at the Hasty Pudding Club, wading through stuffy air that was thick with the blood, sweat, bars, and tears of the 23 recent graduates. As she rapped tracks like “Millions” and “WHOLE LOTTA MONEY,” she kept the stage to her back, literally removing the boundary between her and the party.
“I’m surrounded by so much love,” she told the intimate crowd, close enough to them to hop in a bevy of selfies and Instagram stories. “This is my hometown, I just want to get close to y’all.” And later: “Y’all making me motherfucking proud today… This is about the motherfucking people.”
Hours earlier at the official graduation ceremony, IDK originally echoed her sentiments in a chat with Vanyaland. The rapper said he was enthusiastic to provide this year’s students with “the confidence to believe,” something he says he didn’t necessary have when his own star was rising in the mid-2010s.
“I think that from the environment, to the things that were being taught, to some of the special guests, we gave them the confidence to believe,” he tells Vanyaland. “Now they can believe almost anything they want, because they saw a lot of the impossible happening.”
With its impressive roster of guests, the Academy enlisted in-the-flesh proof to back up the sentiment that truly nothing is impossible — not a smash Nicki Minaj collab, nor a Grammy-nominated music video with 150 million views. Not even wearing head-to-toe designer fashion, which became a reality as the students entered the Harvard Art Museums united by uniforms designed by IDK in collaboration with Dior and Fendi artistic director Kim Jones. They stepped into the Harvard Art Museums in Harvard-burgundy red sweatshirts, emblazoned with a “NLA Dior” crest and flowers, paired with Dior chino pants, white skirts, socks, and Explorer loafers. IDK donned the standout piece, a pesonalized white and teal varsity jacket.
After posing for photos on the red carpet in the museum lobby, the ceremony moved to the building’s indoor courtyard, which had been transformed to mimic the elegance of a wedding reception. One by one, the students strutted down a runway lined with roses to flaunt their new knowledge and couture, ultimately accepting a diploma and rose from Neemz. The Boston rapper attended the Academy in 2021, and has, among many other achievements, recently been spotlighted by Apple Music and TIDAL. Her distribution of roses was reminiscent of passing 23 torches, empowering each student to invest in their proven potential.
“Just know that everybody here is part of history,” IDK told attendees during the graduation.
A sumptuous dinner that included bone-in chicken and chocolate sesame waffles followed at the ornately-set tables, each topped with silverware of every size and trios of water, wine, and champagne glasses. The refined culmination of the Academy’s 2023 edition embodied IDK’s description of the program’s growth, which he described as more “elevated” compared to its 2021 debut.
“It was definitely a lot of work, but it was a lot of good work, and because the work is good, it fuels me,” IDK explains to Vanyaland. “I felt fulfilled to do this for these students, and I can’t wait to see their futures… I think that we really made a mark here.”
As for the next edition? The rapper hopes that the support behind No Label Academy will continue to snowball, pushing a new set of students closer to achieving their dreams.
“Long story short, I just want more support,” IDK concluded in the chat with Vanyaland. “That’s all I want. I just want to be supported more in this effort, so the students have more opportunity.”
All photos by Victoria Wasylak for Vanyaland. All rights reserved.