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Inspiration can come from many sources. For Yara Shahidi, the star of “Grown-ish,” one of the many influential figures in her life is her cousin — Grammy-Award-winning rapper and entrepreneur Nas.
During a recent appearance on the “Sherri” show, the actress, producer, and Harvard graduate shared Nas’ role in inspiring her to attend the Ivy League institution, according to Because Of Them We Can (BOTWC).
“There’s so many artists in your family. I did not know that Nas is your cousin. And that Nas, the great, inspired you to go to Harvard,” host Sherri Shepherd told Shahidi.
The actress replied, “Yes! I think the one thing people know about him just through, even his music, is just how smart he is. And he has such a deep passion for our culture and for education. And so, the first time I got to step foot on Harvard’s campus was when he was announcing a fellowship for graduate students that were studying hip-hop.”
Harvard launched the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellowship in 2013. Designed to support scholars demonstrating exceptional creativity at the intersection of Hip-Hop culture and academia, the fellowship is the first of its kind named for a Hip-Hop artist, according to a press release.
“Nas is a true visionary, and he consistently shows how boundaries can be pushed and expanded to further the cause of education and knowledge,” Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard, said when the fellowship was announced.
Gates asked Nas to endorse the project, and the rapper said he agreed to the proposal “in a nanosecond,” Rolling Stone previously reported.
“I said no to a lot of things in my 20s,” Nas told the outlet. “In the beginning, I was a fighter. I’m always going to be a fighter, but I fight differently, for different reasons, today.”
He added, “Hip-hop is important like computer science. The world is changing. If you want to understand the youth, listen to the music. This is what’s happening right underneath your nose.”
While Shahidi says she had always excelled academically, she didn’t initially see herself attending an institution like Harvard. However, she credits her cousin with having the foresight to call her mother, Keri Shahidi, to encourage her to visit Harvard for the fellowship’s launch.
“I just remember it made such an impact on me that I worked so hard through high school to then be able to claim my spot at Harvard, but it started because of the experience he created,” Shahidi told Shepherd, per BOTWC.
In a heartfelt moment, Nas, who credited as one of the greatest rappers of all time, reposted a clip from Shahidi’s “Sherri” appearance on his Instagram stories with the caption, “You inspire me cuz.”
Shahidi was at the peak of her acting career when she graduated from Harvard in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in African American studies and interdisciplinary sociology.
While her educational journey was a significant milestone, her ambitions extend beyond academia. On Nov. 20, 2024, she launched a podcast, “The Optimist Project,” alongside her mother and business partner.
Each week, the mother-daughter duo chats with changemakers and visionaries who are “activating optimism,” uncovering their secrets to navigating “life, love, career, and everything in between with unwavering confidence and hope,” according to Apple.
So far, the podcast has featured singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe; comedian and social commentator Hasan Minhaj; actress, author, and TV personality Keke Palmer; veteran journalist Ari Shapiro; and Yale University psychology professor Dr. Laurie Santos.
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