A Long Way From College Dropout: Kanye West Receives Honorary Doctorate From The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago

By Lisa White in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 16, 2015 9:45PM

It's a big jump from The College Dropout to honorary doctorate, but if anyone has the drive and gumption to do it, our money would be on Kanye West. In a recent interview with Clique, West announced the news that he'll be receiving an honorary doctorate on May 11 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. (Editor's Note: the original post had an incorrect date, West misspoke in the interview. Also the official school name is the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. We've updated the post to reflect both of these facts.) West did not previously attend SAIC, but did attend art school in the past before dropping out at the age of 20 to focus on his career. As Consequence of Sound points out, a few years later he would release his debut album, The College Dropout, a critical and commercial darling. Dropping out of college isn't the best idea for most people, but it sure worked out pretty damn fine for Kanye.

Given his wide foray into various forms of art, including his recent fashion line collaboration with Adidas, it's not that surprising that an art school would want to give West high honors and praise. And hey, he's already taught a few classes (granted, it was mandated by law) but we still wouldn't be that surprised if Dr. West stepped into a classroom in the future again.

Watch the full interview with West below, where he discusses his future work including fashion and education, and we send our congrats to the newest member of the graduating class of 2015.