Sound & Scholarship

Rep Your City

For our final episode of Sounds and Scholarship, host Sanai brings it home with a fun, heartfelt conversation featuring the podcast team themselves! It’s all about city pride, musical roots, and how hometown culture shapes identity, storytelling, and sound. From New York to Chicago, Jersey to the DMV, each guest reps their city and dives into how local music scenes, artists, and traditions influence who they are and what they create. Expect some hot takes, hometown love, and a game of “This or That” that sparks debate on everything from J Dilla vs. Big Sean to house music vs. hip-hop. It’s the perfect wrap-up to a season celebrating hip-hop, creativity, and culture at Howard University. Real voices, real stories, and a whole lot of city love.

Music Production and Why We Should Care

In this episode of Sounds and Scholarship, host Liyala Wesonga dives into the world of music production, the heartbeat of hip-hop. He is joined by Howard student producer Ariyanna Foster and special guest Professor Carolyn Malachi, a Grammy-nominated artist and educator at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. Together, they talk about how beats have changed over time, what it means to find your sound, and why producers play such a huge role in shaping hip-hop culture. Ariyanna brings a student’s perspective on learning the craft and coming up in today’s music scene, while Professor Malachi shares her insight on mentorship, legacy, and the power of using sound to tell stories. It’s an honest and inspiring conversation with different perspectives from both the student and professor side touching on everything from the evolution of hip-hop production to the impact of creative education and what makes a beat truly timeless.

Old School Vs. New School

In this episode of Sounds and Scholarship, host Celina Glenn sits down with Howard student artist Mike, also known as MJB The Prodigy, to explore the ongoing conversation of Old School vs. New School hip-hop. Together, they break down the defining traits of each era, from lyrical depth and production styles to evolving themes of Black empowerment, protest, and social justice. Mike shares his personal take on how the genre has shifted, what today’s artists can learn from the pioneers, and which musicians truly bridge the generational gap. Plus, they wrap up with a fun game of “First to Come to Mind,” testing his hip-hop instincts in real time. It’s a thoughtful, energetic look at the culture’s past, present, and futureball from a Howard student’s perspective at the center of hip-hop’s academic evolution.

Voices of the Movement: Women, Hip-Hop, Media, & Higher Ed

In this episode of Sounds and Scholarship, host Tyler Brown dives into the evolving role of women in hip-hop, the power of social media, and how Howard University’s new Hip-Hop Studies minor is shaping future creators and scholars. Tyler is joined by student DJ Madyson Patterson, who shares her journey in music, insights on the changing sound of hip-hop, and the impact of digital platforms on artists today. Professors Dr. Tyree and Timothy Jones offer a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the hip-hop minor, the cultural legacy of HBCUs in hip-hop, and how academia is embracing the genre’s influence. Whether you're a fan, a scholar, or both, this episode explores where hip-hop has been—and where it's headed.

Who Run The Yard?

In the second episode of Sounds and Scholarship, host Diamond Bazile sits down with three rising stars from Howard University, Me’Kayla, Liyala, and Zuri, for an inspiring and energetic conversation about artistry, culture, and the power of hip-hop on campus. These student artists, who recently opened for Lady London at the Howard Hip Hop Conference, discuss their journeys to Howard, the musical icons that shaped their sound, and the evolution of their creativity since stepping on the Yard. They get candid about the challenges they face balancing school and music, while also sharing how hip-hop culture influences campus life and fuels their vision for the future. Stream Our Howard Artists on Apple Music Liyala - Die 4 Me: https://music.apple.com/us/album/die-4-me/1806125270?i=1806125272 Me'Kayla Chenai: Say Sumn': https://music.apple.com/us/album/say-sumn-single/1783101704 Zuri - Miss the Memo: https://music.apple.com/us/album/miss-the-memo/1655061796?i=1655061798