HBCU parents guide daughter VanVan to viral rap career

One of the newest viral stars on social media is five-year-old Savannah McConneaughey, affectionately known as VanVan. Her popular rap videos have landed her the opportunity to perform on the Tamron Hall Show, at the Kennedy Center for Queen Latifah, and recently alongside hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg. The parents who helped her craft her rhymes and manage her career are HBCU graduates of North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).

Her father, Reggie McConneaughey, is a high school history teacher in Salisbury, North Carolina, and graduated from NCAT, an HBCU in Greensboro, North Carolina. VanVan's mother, Tikenjna Mcconneaughey, is a graduate of WSSU.

When it came time to teach his daughter counting and the ABCs, Reggie used Beats to teach VanVan.

“We rapped about numbers, colors, her alphabet. And that's how – through music – I taught her how to learn,” he told radio station WFAE.

Over time, she has developed her freestyle skills. She chooses her own beats and raps about whatever she feels. The two practice together wherever they are, in the car or at home.

Earlier this month, she had the opportunity to pen a few bars about cleaning up for Snoop Dogg, and the video exploded on social media. To date, the video has over 1.7 million likes.

Releasing tracks with Snoop Dogg and more

It wasn't just a chance meeting with Snoop Dogg, VanVan has already released a track with Snoop for his children's album “Doggyland”.

According to Reggie McConneaughey's LinkedIn profile, he spent some time in the military before returning home to pursue an education. He enrolled at North Carolina A&T in 2015 and graduated from the HBCU four years later with a degree in African American history. He now teaches 9th grade world history.

Together with his wife, he now also takes care of his daughter's career and social media accounts, which have over 610,000 followers on Instagram.

“When we walk down the street, people ask, 'Is that VanVan? Are you VanVan's dad?' We can't go anywhere without someone noticing them,” he told WFAE.

The McConneaugheys say they will let their daughter decide if she wants to step away when she's had enough of the spotlight, but for now, she seems to be enjoying the process.

“I like to rap about myself. I like to rap about things that I like to do and that make me happy,” she said. “When the beat comes on, I just feel the beat and I just get a beat.”

She currently has a new single, “My Daddy,” with Grammy-nominated producer and artist Fyütch and his daughter Aura V. This month, she was also nominated as a BET Young Stars honoree for the 2024 BET Awards, which will air on June 30.

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HBCU parents guide daughter VanVan to viral rap career