Howard launches class on Cardi B's impact. It's highly anticipated.
Howard launches class on Cardi B's impact. It's highly anticipated.
Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY Thu, April 2, 2026 at 4:20 PM UTC
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Howard University is combining hip-hop culture and the music business to offer students a unique educational experience.
A new course, dubbed “The Cardi B: Am I The Drama? The Art, Production, Marketing, and Cultural Impact of Hip-Hop,” will examine all aspects of the Grammy-winning rapper’s rollout for her sophomore album, which she released seven years after her debut.
Jasmine Young is the director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Music Business Center at the prestigious Washington, DC-based historically black college and university (HBCU). Known as the Hip-Hop Professor, Young has worked with major acts throughout her career in the music business, including rap stars DMX and Jay Z.
Twenty four students will participate in “The Cardi B: Am I The Drama? The Art, Production, Marketing, and Cultural Impact of Hip-Hop" course in Fall 2026.
Now, through her efforts, she works to bridge that gap between the business and the students.
“This center came about because of the passion and community that we have at Howard University for the music industry and as a way to support students to be a pathway,” Young told USA TODAY.
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Cardi B has made a career off of being unapologetically herself from her start as a breakout star on "Love & Hip Hop: New York" through her Grammy-winning career of today. With hit songs from "I Like It" to "WAP" with Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B has become one of the most successful female rappers on the new age. Scroll through for some of Cardi B's best moments, fashion looks and performances throughout the years, starting here as she attends the Messika spring/summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 26, 2024, in Paris.
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'Speak to the students on their level,' Young says
An entrance sign near the main gate at Howard University October 25, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Since Young announced the three-credit experience, which has only 24 slots for the fall, it has been highly anticipated among underclassmen. Young said she and her co-teachers will be able to “speak to the students on their level and about what they're excited for."
“Cardi B is a household name at this point, a phenomenon. And we're going to talk about her rise, and what makes her this amazing, global, iconic person in the music business," she added.
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Sharing the news in a LinkedIn post, Young further explained, "This course is groundbreaking because it validates hip-hop as both a scholarly discipline and a living, breathing global economy, while giving students real-time access to the strategies, storytelling, and brand architecture behind a superstar like Cardi B. Students are excited because this isn’t theory alone, it’s access, it's proximity, it’s the REAL playbook."
Young is partnering with Msia Kibona Clark, associate professor in the Department of African Studies and director of the school’s hip-hop studies minor, as well as Professor Pat Parks, assistant professor and area coordinator in the Department of Theatre Arts. The curriculum would not only focus on Cardi B, but also the brains who helped “Am I The Drama?” become a platinum-level success.
Cardi B performs during her "Little Miss Drama" tour at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2026 in New York City.
From her court trial, rap feuds, fashion, and sold-out headlining tour, Cardi B has kept the world's attention during this era of her career. The "Magnet" has built her star power on vulnerability and relatability, interacting with fans online and in person at her shows nationwide.
Cardi B continues that approach with her business ventures. Last month, she hosted a pop-up event in her hometown, Bronx, New York, for her new haircare line, Grow Good Beauty.
Other universities have examined celebrities and their work
Cardi B performs during her "Little Miss Drama" tour at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2026 in New York City.
In addition to textbook research and case studies, Howard students will “be talking to production, and they'll be talking to marketing,” Young said. “Then also learning about gender and culture and the representation of Black women and minority women in the music business.”
Other universities around the country have centered music artists and their work in their academic courses. In recent years, for instance, Yale University and Cornell University have examined Beyoncé's cultural impact and influence. Earlier this year, Tina Knowles was a guest for Vanderbilt University's "Beyoncé: Epic Artist, Feminist Icon" course.
For Young, getting Cardi B into the School of Business would be the icing on the cake.“My dream workshop would be Cardi B and her team, for them to just teach... and talk to the students in real time about the success," Young said.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Howard University's new course centers on Cardi B's 'Am I The Drama?'
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