Sparty losing recruits to the rap game

Submitted by Leaders And Best on

Wow. 2013 MSU commitment Jay Harris decides to turn down a scholarship to MSU for a rap career. I thought it couldn't get lower for Sparty after Drake Harris and Lawrence Marshall...

From Ace's twitter:

Scott Bell @sbell021 3m

Welp. RT @MSUDanK Report: '13 signee Jay Harris not coming to MSU, decides to focus on his dream of being a rapper instead

Story from Philly News:

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/rally/Jay-Harris-says-no-to-Michigan-State-decides-to-become-a-rapper-football.html

YouTube channel with his "hit" single:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKR4Xhis7rL_IhCqe9u5oTQ

Seth

May 14th, 2013 at 5:06 PM ^

No matter how low your opinion of a free degree from Michigan State, it has to be higher than the potential for this guy to make it as a rapper:

Roy G. Biv

May 14th, 2013 at 6:24 PM ^

I hate myself for watching that, and hate you only slightly less for posting it!  In the rapper parlance of my day, that was "wack."  That he would pass on a free education at MSU to foist that tripe on the world is a mind-numbingly bad decision.

Perkis-Size Me

May 14th, 2013 at 5:24 PM ^

Wow, passing up football and more importantly a free education, even if its a STAAE education, to focus on your bright future as a rapper? What's the success rate in that again?



Regardless, MSU may have dodged a bullet on this. A kid who raps about smoking blunts and has pictures up of himself doing it probably isn't someone you want hanging around your program. But if Dantonio is that desperate to find offensive talent, then that's his problem.

TexanGOBLUE

May 14th, 2013 at 5:56 PM ^

My favorite is the hit 'Kush & Lean'. BTW that's an awesome pic of a blunt hanging out his mouth through out the song. I'm sure MSU coaches had no beef with any of that. What is he thinking turning State down? He could of been the next Charles Rogers in all his glory.

Ron Utah

May 14th, 2013 at 6:01 PM ^

Funny story, but probably good for MSU he's not going.

I wish the kid the best, but a college degree would probably do him good.  Or do him well.  Whichever it is, you grammar nazis.

SalvatoreQuattro

May 14th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^

I appreciate his passion for rap, but he has to know that rap is a difficult business to break into. Why not  go to MSU for business so he has a backup plan in case his dreams of becoming Big Harry Dope Rhymes do  not pan out? At worst he can become an agent or a record company executive.  (Which appears to be the more likely path based on his rather atrocious rapping skills.)

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

big_ballers_only

May 14th, 2013 at 6:20 PM ^

Point 1: You give your rights to your name and likeness to the NCAA when you sign on to play football. So, he'd have to take a 4 year hiatus from pursuing this goal. Read on Minnesota wrestler: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/sports/wrestler-hoping-to-inspire-thr…



Point 2: a college degree has little value. Only 2/5 of college graduates begin career with a career he or she majored in. so, furthermore, college education is value based and more than likely he'll be focused on rap and football. meaning 0 value in that education.



Reform the education. Pay "student" athletes. While this is a risk, it seems to be calculated by the unlikeliness of an NFL career.



LOL at "free" education too. naive.

Leaders And Best

May 14th, 2013 at 6:30 PM ^

He could have pursued his rap career and gone to MSU at the same time because he was producing music under an alias and not his real name (a ridiculous rule by the way). This is why Jack Kennedy and Joe Reynolds were able to make music at Michigan under the name JDK and Rey while playing football. The Minnesota wrestler situation is not comparable as explained well here by John Infante of the Bylaw Blog:

http://www.athleticscholarships.net/2013/05/14/comparing-jay-harris-joel-bauman-and-myles-crosby.htm

get-on-my-lawn

May 14th, 2013 at 6:50 PM ^

The "2/5 people do not start out their career in the career that they majored in" statistic that you posted has very little valie to it. Just because the other 3/5 didn't start out their career in the same career feild that they majored in doesn't mean that their degree still didn't significantly help them land the job that they did get. Many times, when applying for and grtting a job, you don't necessarily need a degree in that exact feild for that job, any degree will do. Obviously that is not the case for all, but if I apply for most entry-level jobs and have any degree from MSU, it will give me a huge advantage over all of the other applicants. Just haveing ANY degree most times is enough. So saying that it has little value is so far off.

SalvatoreQuattro

May 14th, 2013 at 7:29 PM ^

You have overlooked a significant problem with point three. Whom do you pay? EMU football players don't generate near the revenue for Eastern that UM players do for UM. Schools like EMU already struggle to field teams.(Hece, the body bag games.) By forcing all schools to pay you'll end up seeing these programs get cut. In doin g so you will REDUCE opportunities for kids to attend college for free. Then there is the fact that not every UM player contributes in equal amounts to Michigan's on-the-field success.  How do can you justify paying Brian Cleary the same as Devin Gardner? Then there is the Title IX issue. How do you pay males and not females?

The system does need major reform and the revenue players do need to be paid. But in doing so you will be taking on athletic directors and activist groups.

Roy G. Biv

May 14th, 2013 at 6:32 PM ^

Is this where I make a comment regarding the abomination that is rap music circa 2013?  If that is record label caliber talent, Chuck D. and Eric B. weep for their art.

get-on-my-lawn

May 14th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^

That you are all so surprised.



Think about it, the rap game: drugs, "bitches", all of the other illegal but appearantly fun(?) things that most rappers do - not only not frowned upon, but it is common thing.



Or



Go to college: may or may not get

Playing time, has to continuously go to practices and "work hard", go to classes and pass them, have the chance of getting caught smoking weed or whatever else he may or may not get himself involved with - he knows that any of that will get magnified if he got caught as a student athlete.



Now i'm not saying that this HAS to be the case, but come on... Am I profiling? Of course I am. And rightfully so. But no, i am NOT being racist, since i don't even know what race this guy is. I however do not deny profiling like I said.

HELLE

May 14th, 2013 at 7:30 PM ^

When he doesn't make it big in the rap industry, their won't be a diploma handed to him after it's all over. Pretty dumb turning down a free education.

Don

May 14th, 2013 at 9:46 PM ^

The problem is that he thinks he'll be able to make a living as a rapper. He'd be better off ditching that adolescent fantasy and learning a trade like plumbing or electrical, but that ain't glamorous.