An Experimental, Tuition-Free Program Is Teaching Business Lessons Using Hip HopBudding entrepreneurs are using lessons from music-industry moguls to learn how to run their own businesses.

In a modishco-working spaceoverlooking downtown Philadelphia, Imowo "Veli" Udo-Uton has six minutes to persuade sixinvestorsto finance his startup.

He has an event production company he wants to take to the next level, and, clad in a baseball cap and black-framed glasses, he outlines his plan -- his ticket sale models, room occupancy caps and the first few big venues he can get with morecapital. He tries to keep it animated and conversational. But midway through, he falters.