When Jadakiss appeared on Meek Mill’s Dreamchasers III, he rapped, “Right now, I’m praying for my son to get this scholarship [to] a nice university, one of these Black colleges.” More than a decade later, it’s clear that he’s made an impact at “at a nice university, one of these Black colleges.”
This week, his son, Jae’Won, was honored by his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, with the Young Alumni Achievement Award for graduates under the age of 40. He was recognized for his contributions as co-chief operating officer of Kiss Cafe’ Coffee. Ran in partnership with his father and grandfather, Bob Phillips, Kiss Cafe is a “family-owned company that produces premium coffee, uniquely blended and produced with legacy and quality in mind.”
“When I first started learning about coffee, it really overwhelmed me,” Bob Phillips told EDITION.
“I thought I was the dumbest guy in the world when these people reviewed this product with all this information. It became a natural connection once I saw this product helped me support my family before [Jadakiss] became who he is. We thought, with the years of experience, my knowledge of importing and trading the product, how to care for the bean and [Jadakiss’] legacy, why not have our own?”
Jae’Won graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 2018 with a degree in psychology. Mentored by longtime Chicago Public School System counselor Canielia Jarrell, Jae’Won is a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and participated in several on-campus organizations, including Project House and Collegiate 100 at CAU.
“It changed me, but it didn’t. It kind of just gave me a different point of view. My grandparents grew up during the Civil Rights Era,” he told Taj’Zhere Dillard of Her Campus when asked how his college experience changed him.
“Most of my family is from the South, too.It helped me a lot because I went to a prep school with a lot of white kids. Coming here just made me appreciate being Black more. You learn more about what you don’t get taught in your first twelve years of school.”
Upon graduation, he told the alumni association that he had two goals: work in his family’s coffee shop this summer and take a year off before applying to law school. At the moment, it’s unclear if he’ll return to law school, but he’s made good on the first goal.
Beyond working his father and grandfather, Phillips is also a media personality who regularly appears on The Joe Budden Podcast and recently sat down with Hynaken and Esso of Bag Fuel. Not to mention, he’s also an artist, recently appearing on the 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards.
It’s homecoming at Clark Atlanta University and I received an award for being one of the Top 40 Alumni under 40 years old, 6 years post graduation… pic.twitter.com/SNz4ML1Rhc
— Really, Jaewon?! (@JaewonOrNugg) October 18, 2024