IDK to Enroll DMV Artists for Music Business Crash Course at Harvard
British-born but Prince George’s County-raised rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer IDK (formerly Jay IDK). @ishereal.wtf/Instagram
On Wednesday, Jason Mills, professionally known as IDK, announced the launch of “No Label Academy,” a 10-day music business crash course at Harvard, in an interview with Rolling Stone. While the course is planned to take place on Harvard’s Boston campus (though the timing is unclear due to COVID-19), the Maryland-born artist indicated that the search for students would be nationwide with a focus on his home region.
Describing the impossibility he felt against him as an ex-felon pursuing music, IDK spoke particularly about the added odds of growing up in a region where the music industry is not yet prominent. “The idea of a felon coming out of prison and trying to be successful is almost like… no, it doesn’t make sense, it’s not real, especially in the area that I’m from,” he told Rolling Stone. “It’s not like it’s New York or L.A., where the music industry is prominent. There’s a lot of people with the potential to be like me. I want to find those people and educate them on how to properly go about creating that career in music.”
IDK’s team will select fledgling musicians, managers, publicists, A&Rs, and others and invite them to complete the Harvard course. Such an opportunity was made possible with the participation of No Label, a non-profit media platform focused on showcasing underrepresented narratives, whose co-founders Marcelo HD and Miles Weddle had invited IDK to speak about criminal justice reform at Harvard in February 2020. Though the rapper will be the course’s main instructor, Harvard Law professor Brian Price has signed on as a curriculum advisor.
Lessons will revolve around “memorable exercises” rather than quizzes or exams because IDK believes it’s easier to learn through experience than studying and memorization. Following the course, students will be given paths to internships, mentorships, or employment, though IDK says his team is still ascertaining the ways and means. Moreover, he plans on signing some No Label Academy artists to Clue, his joint venture with Warner. Currently, IDK is the only artist signed to the Clue/Warner roster, and he only plans to sign people who finish the course.
IDK intends to expand the program into all 50 states and a wide variety of colleges, and wants it to support rising music talent for years to come.
IDK’s name is Jason Mills. His last name was incorrect in an earlier version of this post.
