TheLetterLBeats And Jarrel Young Created The Anthem For University

The school anthems are usually old, rapidly out-fashioned, and often “hail” to something or someone.

Campuses, especially those in the middle of nowhere, sometimes live in their own imaginary world. It’s almost crazy. Imagine some random small town packed with opioid addicts, dead small businesses, superstores killing small companies, and other modern world problems.

However, after a fifteen-minute ride, you’re in the 1960s. Students dress up in t-shirts with Karl Marx, call for socialism, and consider taking shrooms eloquent to a religious experience. Many professors also like to remember how hip they were back in the days.

It almost seems like something has happened to schools, making them want to stick to the rebellious past. Or pretend to stick.

The 1980s brought many curious things. Among those is the commercialization of the universities. Look at the picture below. It’s the same stadium at the University of Illinois within a 40-year range. Notice the difference? State Farm logo clearly signs the modern times.

TheLetterLBeats And Jarrel Young Created The Anthem For University. Image source: University Icons/Henderson Engineers.

It’s hard to admit that different companies now own the schools and use them for massive advertising of high-interest student loans.

“illini anthem”

TheLetterLBeats and Jarrel Young seemingly found a formula to make schools look cool in the modern age of commercialized everything.

The State Farm logo takes half of the video, which doesn’t make it any worse. At the same time, the overall video footage shows a modern-day university life instead of a dreamy 1960s image.

“The hard part is moving and shifting culture, shifting minds and hearts, and showing people that more of this in the future is more than worthwhile,” TheLetterLBeats explains. “I guess that’s the part you call the music business, the music industry, the business of entertainment, sports, marketing, recruiting”

TheLetterLBeats & Jarrel Young

TheLetterLBeats is also a professor at the University of Illinois. He’s also making music for the past decade.

“I want to say it started in Chicago probably about twelve or 13 years ago. I was working with an artist named Young General,” the professor shares. “And funny story, I was buying a piece of music equipment. The person that was selling it had him stopped by the studio. And my artist was like, hey, have him come in and play some beats, played him a beat.”

Discovering his new hobby, the artist eventually moved to Atlanta. While in Georgia, TheLetterLBeats learned more about the ways and means of the music business and the industry.

Back in Chicago, the producer then became a professor. He also met Jarrel Young here, the song’s performed. Eventually, both decided to create a piece. Young also studies social work at the university, which he mixes with his music career.

“It’s therapy for me,” Jarrel explains. “There are also other young men out there in this world that want to become an MC someday. And the message that I’m trying to show and convey to them is that it’s cool to go to school, you know what I’m saying? You can still dress like this and be yourself but have some type of purpose, you know what I’m saying? Therapy.”

Hip-Hop Helps

Both Jarell Young and TheLetterLBeats are also working on the project, which will provide educational support. It’s yet to announce.

“When you talk about finding interest in social work, these types of projects is what it’s about,” TheLetterLBeats explained. “A chance to express. They can envision themselves as college students and have those bright and positive futures.”

Watch the “illini anthem” video below:

Written by Nikita Serdiuk