3. LUDACRIS

College: Georgia State University

Major: Music Management

The lyrics to Luda's "Tell It Like It Is" - "Start up ya own company, trademark the name/ That's gon' run ya bout a grand so start savin' ya change" - sounds like a lesson in Music Business 101. Maybe that's because Ludacris majored in Music Management at Georgia State University.

The ATL rapper scored an internship at the radio station Hot 107.9 where he later held down on-air hosting gig under the moniker Chris Lova Lova. That Music Management degree came in hand when the Ludameister took his own advice and launched the label Disturbing tha Peace in 2000.

4. CHUCK D

College: Adelphi University

Major: Graphic Design

What do Pulitzer Prize winners Jonathan Larson, Paul Moravec, and Chuck D have in common? All three graduated from Adelphi University's arts program. Chuck is also literally married to education; his wife is an assistant professor in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The hip-hop great is also a board member of the TransAfrica Forum, a Pan African organization that works for the right of Africa, Caribbean and Latin American issues.

5. DAVID BANNER

College: Southern University

Major: Business

David Banner not only obtained a business degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., he was an active college student. Banner served as president of his school's Student Government Association. He put that experience to use when he was tapped to defend hip-hop at U.S. congressional hearing.

Banner also enrolled in the University of Maryland's master's in education program, but dropped out to pursue music.

HONORABLE MENTION

Paul Wall: The Houston rapper studied mass communications at the University of Houston for three years.

Common: The Chicago MC (Sarah Palin's favorite!) majored in business at Florida A&M University for two years under an academic scholarship.

Ice Cube: Cube briefly studied architectural drafting at the Phoenix Institute of Technology in the late 1980s.

Plies: Plies played football at wide receiver while attending Miami University in 1996. In his sophomore year, he caught 25 passes for 262 yards and scored 2 TDs. He later transferred to the University of Central Florida before dropping out to pursue a music career.

Lil Wayne: After obtaining his GED, Lil Wayne attended the University of Houston as a psychology major. He later transferred to the University of Phoenix, where he's currently taking classes online.