Drop everything and apply to the Institute of Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship while you still can

Hip-hop has been shaping American culture in a very big way since its emergence in the 1970s. That influence includes a considerable footprint in the American business world.

The trajectories of MCs-turned-entrepreneurs such as Dr. Dre and Jay Z or producers-turned-moguls such as Sean Combs and Russell Simmons bear a lot of lessons that The Institute of Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship (IHHE) will look to pass on to willing pupils.

With startup funding from the latest Knight Cities Challenge, IHHE is the brainchild of Little Giant Creative founder Tayyib Smith, who said IHHE hopes to empower aspiring entrepreneurs from low-income communities.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 1, but Smith said slots for the first cohort of students are filling up quickly. That might be due to some recent high-profile media nods.

Applicants should be between the ages of 18 and 32 and ready to participate in a nine-month program that begins this November and closes out next July.