Bowie State Professor and Hip Hop Pioneer MC SHA ROCK to Be Inducted into North Carolina Music Hall of Fame

BOWIE, Md. Hip hop pioneer and Bowie State University professor MC SHA ROCK will receive one of North Carolina’s highest musical honors this fall as she is inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Known off the stage as Sharon Jackson, MC SHA ROCK made history as hip hop’s first female MC and helped shape the culture during its earliest days. Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, she had no idea she was becoming part of music history. She simply loved performing. Nearly five decades later, her groundbreaking contributions continue to be recognized around the world.

She will join an impressive class of inductees that includes go go music pioneer Sugar Bear (Gregory Elliott), legendary jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, and George Clinton, founder of Parliament Funkadelic and recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Today, Jackson is inspiring a new generation as an adjunct professor in Bowie State University’s Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts (VCDMA) program. She also serves as one of the architects behind the university’s Hip Hop Studies & Visual Culture minor, the first academic program of its kind at any Historically Black College or University.

As a founding member of the legendary Funky 4 + 1, MC SHA ROCK helped establish many of the performance techniques that define hip hop today, including microphone control, lyrical delivery, and stage presence. In 1981, the group became the first hip hop act to perform on national television when they appeared on Saturday Night Live, introducing the emerging culture to audiences across America.

“My induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is more than a personal honor,” Jackson said. “It recognizes a history that helped shape a culture heard and felt around the world. As hip hop’s first female MC, I have dedicated my life to preserving our story and ensuring the pioneers who built this movement are never forgotten.”

Bowie State faculty say Jackson’s influence extends well beyond music.

“We are proud to celebrate Professor Jackson’s induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame,” said Tewodross Williams, professor and coordinator of the Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts program. “She has made extraordinary contributions to hip hop culture, education, and the creative industries while inspiring the next generation of artists and scholars.”

Since launching its Hip Hop Studies & Visual Culture minor in 2016, Bowie State has become a national leader in hip hop scholarship, treating the culture as a serious academic discipline that explores history, creativity, entrepreneurship, and social impact.

Outside the classroom, MC SHA ROCK continues to influence hip hop through media and public speaking. She co hosts the daily SiriusXM show “That’s the Joint” on LL COOL J’s Rock the Bells Radio alongside fellow hip hop legend Grandmaster Caz. She has also spoken at national conferences on entrepreneurship, emphasizing ownership, intellectual property, and building generational wealth within Black communities.

Despite the numerous awards and accolades, Jackson says the recognition is about honoring everyone who helped build hip hop from the ground up.

“Hip hop has become a global language, but its roots remain grounded in the communities and innovators who created something the world had never seen before,” she said. “This honor celebrates not only my journey, but the countless women and pioneers whose contributions shaped the foundation of this culture. Our responsibility is to preserve that history and pass it on to the next generation.”

For Bowie State students, learning from Professor Jackson means hearing the story of hip hop from someone who helped write it. Her legacy continues not only through music but through education, ensuring the culture’s history and impact will inspire generations to come.