Rapper Turned Mathematics Teacher

Ever since I was young, I wanted to convey messages. I was always of the opinion that one should never preach what they had learnt but display it in such a way that others would want to share in its beauty or its application.

Being a nerd lead me more easily into rap that one might think: the manner in which these rappers (I regarded them as superheroes) would eloquently explore politics, history and even science, would incite a thirst for knowledge in my adolescent brain. This formed the basis of my love of Math(s).

The foundation of science and logic, Mathematics could be both algorithmic and completely open-ended - it was this fact that made me believe that just as rap had imbued me with a love for learning through explanation and non-judgemental 'teaching', Mathematics could spark the minds of others through its wide stretching influence, simplicity and its complexity.

If, like me, you care about the next generation and society in general, you will understand the message I’m trying to convey here. Younger people can become apathetic and disillusioned with the current system. This is just the beginning of a movement I am hoping to start through music.

It was suggested to me by a fellow teacher that we start a project, showing young boys that music can be a catalyst for positive action in their lives. Whilst my musical journey will inevitably be aimed in this direction, I want to be wary of preaching a hypocritical and sanitised vision of positivity.

An effective way of teaching certain areas of Mathematics is to allow students to spot errors and make errors. This allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and not only an instrumental understanding. I want to mirror this in music (a medium which is undoubtedly more popular with young people than Mathematics), bearing flaws, ‘modelled’ scenarios and emotions to give people another error to examine, another problem to think about and ultimately, another tool they can use to navigate other areas of life.

I have questioned this method through the lens of both music and pedagogy. Is this the type of song that could resonate with young people? Is music approved as a teaching tool by the wider pedagogical research? I am still pondering both of these questions and they will effect what I do in future: this could be changing the style, changing the substance or completely abandoning this journey. I really don’t want to have to do that last one.

My belief is that music, specifically rap music (being the Zeitgeist of modern times) is a tool. A tool that is being used to influence and, yes, TEACH. The teaching being done is not orthodox, neither is it positive for the most part. The repetition with which many popular songs are played by young people is the what many people wish was mirrored in their instances of studying.

Before we expect people to love knowledge, we must give them incentive and alter the culture surrounding it (again, without being preachy!). My hope is to create music that does just this and that’s not to say there aren’t great, modern artists doing similar things.

UK rapper and scholar ‘Akala’ has been pushing a similar message for over a decade. He has certainly been one of my more contemporary inspirations. Despite the presence of Akala, great teachers and others like them, I want to perfect a method (for want of a better term) of serving knowledge and ‘inspiration’ in an appetising and accessible way. This has always been my hope with Math(s) and this is merely an expansion of this.

Prevail explores my beginnings as a 'geek', how arrogance and laziness caused me to become complacent and how my love for knowledge and sharing a message brought me back.

This is just the beginning.