Swizz Beatz Is Reportedly Bunking at Harvard This Summer

Image via Associated Press

Harvard is, once again, proving that it’s a hotbed for nurturing hip-hop culture.

Last summer, the school kicked off a fellowship program in honor of Queens’ finest, Nasir “Nas” Jones. Then, just months later, the school crowned L.L. Cool J, “Artist of the Year,” during the Harvard Foundation’s annual ceremony. And now, producer Swizz Beatz is getting ready to pack his bags and head to the prestigious university for a summer course focused on all things business.

“This might be one of the happiest days of my life. From the [Bronx] to Harvard,” Beatz, who’s real name is Kasseem Dean, wrote on Instagram on April 16, after posting a photo of an email sent from school officials letting him know he was accepted into the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program.

The nine-week course, taught in three-week sections over three years, costs accepted “clients” $38,000 annually and includes tuition, books, case materials, most meals, and accommodations—something Beatz has reportedly said he plans on taking full advantage of.

In an exclusive interview with Showbiz411 on Thursday, while Beatz attended the premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in New York, the famed producer and songwriter said he plans on crashing on Harvard’s campus while he completes his class schedule. He even hopes his wife, Alicia Keys, and kid, Egypt Dean, come to visit on the weekends.

Beatz told the website:

I could have stayed with a lot of different famous people…But I didn’t want to pull strings. And I wanted to have the full experience of being there.

Beatz, who admitted that he’s a little bit nervous about coming to Cambridge, decided to apply for the Harvard course so he could hone his business skills, now that he’s working with larger companies like Monster on Dr. Dre’s Beats headphones, and funneling money into startup ventures.

He told Showbiz411 that he didn’t attend college, and shifted directly from high school to his music career when he first started off, so he hopes to gain some of the benefits of higher education.

While the executive education program doesn’t give applicants an actual Harvard degree, it does teach students applicable entrepreneurial skills in strategy development, financial management, team building, and negotiation, all of which is bestowed upon them by business school faculty members. “In this program, [they will] learn how to improve [their] leadership effectiveness, build strategic consensus, and gain the skills necessary to position [their] company for future success,” according to course details.

Beatz won’t be the first celebrity to take on the Owner/President Management program, however. While he claims he is “making history” by attending the school’s special course, Tyra Banks already beat Beatz to the finish line. Back in 2012, the actress and model completed the same program.