Hip-Hop Artist Dee-1 To Teach At Tufts

MEDFORD, MA — Tufts University announced Wednesday that hip-hop artist Dee-1 has been named the inaugural Alan Solmont Artist/Scholar-in-Residence in the University's Tisch College of Civic Life for the current academic year.

The 34-year-old Dee-1, whose real name is David Augustine, is an award-winning artist and activist who was the recipient of the 2020 NAACP "Power of Influence Award," highlighting his activism and commitment to inspiring youth.

According to the university, Dee-1's residency will focus on the transformative power of art, especially hip-hop music, as an instrument of social change.

Dee-1 will have an academic appointment as a professor of practice and will teach a Civic Studies course in the spring semester. The artist also will engage in different types of programming, including workshops, podcasts and creative collaborations, the university said.

"I'm honored to have this opportunity to share my expertise and creativity with others —particularly young people — and to learn from and collaborate with the diverse community here at Tufts," Dee-1 said.

The Alan Solmont Artist/Scholar-in-Residence was created with support from Alan Solomont, the Tisch College dean emeritus. Solomont said there are links between Dee-1's music and the protest songs of the 1960s.

"Having come of age during the 1960s and listening to the politically charged songs of Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and others, I experienced the power of music to serve as a tool of social change. Dee-1's music and message represent a powerful continuation of this tradition, and his residency will greatly benefit the Tufts community," Solomont said.

According to Dayna Cunningham, dean of Tisch College, Dee-1's visit to campus last spring helped pave the way for his residency.

"We were inspired not only by his unique perspective and talents in the art and activism space but also by his sheer enthusiasm for this work," Cunningham said. "As both an artist and a civic leader, he was a natural choice for the inaugural residency, and we are thrilled to bring his voice back to the Tufts campus."

Dee-1's latest album, 2022's "Finding Balance" debuted at No. 4 in the world on the Apple Music/iTunes Hip-Hop Charts. He also was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2021 for hosting "Manhattan Project."

In 2021, in his home state of Louisiana, Dee-1 was appointed to the Louisiana Council for the "Success of Black Men and Boys" by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

Dee-1 also has served as the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellow at Harvard University.