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Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, has rolled out a special course to recognize the impact popular Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake Graham alias Drake and singer Abel Makkonen Tesfaye alias The Weeknd, have had over the years.
According to news sources, the course titled RTA 950: Deconstructing Drake and The Weeknd, will present an opportunity for those who will enroll to formally study about the stars’ record-breaking careers.
Set to launch early next year in the public research university, the course is said to be attracting a growing number of sign-ups. Reports further indicate that the much-anticipated course will be taught by Dalton Higgins, a prolific writer, podcaster and Hip-Hop scholar, who aims to give Drake and The Weeknd what is being termed as a well-deserved academic recognition as he sets to examine the Toronto Hip Hop/R&B scene they both rose from and helped shape.
Through a social media post, Higgins revealed that just like other pop stars whose careers have been documented in academia, Drake and Weeknd deserve recognition.
“Well, there are great courses out there being taught about numerous rock, folk and pop stars like Miley Cyrus, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, so why not The Weeknd and Drizzy,” he wrote in part.
Further justifying the move, the Hip-Hop scholar went on to add that the Toronto music scene created the two stars who are shaping the world’s music industry.
“It’s time to get our Canadian rap & R&B icons recognized & canonized academically or otherwise. And it is CRITICAL for scholars, historians, to examine the Toronto music scene that birthed Drake/Weeknd and helped create the conditions for them to become mega-successful,” he wrote.
He further added that the two award-winning artistes are on their way to becoming top billionaires and there’s a lot to learn from them.
“When you have two Black artists born and bred in Toronto who perform rap, R&B and pop, and who are arguably well on their way to becoming billionaires at some point in time, there is apparently a lot to learn,” he added.
In the past, we have seen other artists such as Kanye West, OutKast, Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé being recognised academically for their musical and cultural impact, and courses about them rolled out.
