Wizdom Layne on how Hip Hop and Rap can support engagement and inclusion in education

Following a dynamic panel discussion at Music Mark’s conference last year, Wizdom Layne, Deputy Director of Sound Connections considers how incorporating wider musical genres, namely Hip Hop and Rap, into music education can support with the engagement, inclusion, and progression of young people.

Through this think piece, Wizdom demonstrates how collaborative approaches are the key to change, and to helping nurture local ecosystems and music scenes within the context of the revised National Plan for Music Education and the relaunch of the Music Hubs from this September.

I recently attended my first Music Mark conference in November 2023 and had the privilege of hosting the Hip Hop and Education panel. The conference looked great, with different exhibitors as you would expect, however when you are running a session, checking your PowerPoint, seeing if your guests have arrived, and making sure you know what points you want to cover, you seldom get to take it all in. By the time all that had been sorted, I managed to catch Phil Nelson and Chris Cooke’s Pathways into Music (Industry) talk which was really well attended, and I was encouraged by the sector’s interest in connecting with the wider creative industries, as I discussed in my previous article. 

My panel ‘Rap and Hip Hop to support engagement, inclusion, and wider learning outcomes’ showcased three organisations using elements of Hip Hop culture to educate and connect with young talent. The organisations were; Future Music Makers from Bedford who were working with the Beatboxer Conrad Murray of the Battersea Arts Centre; the Rap & Literacy Project with freestyler Rob the Rapper from Southampton; and Rap Club from East London, from which Spit Game originates. 

With the relaunch of the 43 Music Hubs, I am very aware that the revised National Plan for Music Education will be encouraging them to incorporate wider musical genres and approaches, and can appreciate that there is a level of anxiety around this. Whilst preparing my talk, I realised the need to address concerns about what Hip Hop is actually about, to an audience who may be unfamiliar or even hostile towards the artform.  

A brief history of Hip Hop  

I grew up on Hip Hop, which – like me – was a child of the 70s, emerging from the Caribbean Sound System culture in the South Bronx, New York, as a form of music expression and particularly as a response to US schools removing instrumental lessons from the curriculum. Musical kids were forced to create their own artistic expression out of what they had around them, including beatboxing, banging beats on tables, or remixing their parents’ record collections. 

DJ Kool Herc pioneered the “merry-go-round” technique of DJing across two turntables to extend the length of the breakdown section in 70s soul and funk records. These parties, which were regularly attended in Bronx neighbourhoods, attracted the cool or “Hip” kids and created a platform for dancers who would “Hop” into the dance circles when the breakdowns or “breaks” would play to the delight of ever-growing crowds. To better engage the crowds in the house parties, parks or street corners, a master of ceremonies or mic controller (MC) would “toast” over these beats, which developed into rhythm and poetry (RAP). Hence the birth of “Hip Hop” as a culture, encapsulating four elements of “break” dancing, DJing (producing), Graffiti art and MCing. It was literally a way to make music out of things around you, even your own body.   

Incorporating Hip Hop into music education 

Fast forward 50 years, it can feel as though some of Hip Hop and Rap we see today are very different from their origins, due to their tendency to lean into misogynistic or violent tropes. I understand that it can cause concern for those in education about safety and the genre’s appropriateness within education settings.

I offer the perspective of the difference between professional wrestling which, like commercial Hip Hop/Rap music, is wrapped up in storylines and narrative, whereas amateur or grassroots Hip Hop (like amateur wrestling) is about the essential elements of the artform and retains its focus on peace, love, unity and having fun, which is what Hip Hop was built upon. 

During the panel discussion at the Music Mark conference, these three organisations shared their differing approaches to incorporating Hip Hop into their educational programmes: 

Rap and Literacy Project 

Working alongside local artists in Southampton, the Rap and Literacy Project used rap lyrics and structure to support Year 5 students with their literacy. The project not only helped open the young people up to musical forms of expression, but also helped them as an emotional outlet when a member of staff sadly passed away. The course dramatically improved the literacy of the lowest achieving classmates who were not from a rap music background. It also provided roles for the local rap community, who took part in supporting the project. 

Future Music Makers 

Based in Bedford, the project utilised Beatbox as a real leveller for musical skills, allowing the young people to create using their own voices and bodies. The introduction of the loop pedal allowed the young people to create actual songs, and working alongside artists led by Beatbox legend Conrad Murray (Battersea Arts Centre), helped to support a local musical ecosystem. The young people were inspired by the local young performers, who were in-turn able to generate an income from their involvement in supporting the young people’s progression within the local music scene. 

Rap Club 

The organisation responsible for the group known as Spit Game, started as an after-school music club in London Secondary Schools and has since developed into a standalone community organisation, led by Ben Turner, incorporating music and film.  

Beginning as a safe space for young people to express their experiences through music, Rap Club has developed a number of young artists, working with platforms including Youth Music and gaining recognition for the individual artists involved, including Shakes (currently with Def Jam 0207) & Abz Heartless. 

They have also traversed the tricky transition from community project to functioning business entity, helping their artists to become professional musicians. 

Change through Collaboration 

With the new world of Music hubs imminently upon us, and wider musical genres and approaches being encouraged by the Plan, I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage Hub Lead Organisations to not be afraid of Rap and Hip Hop as viable forms of musical training and expression, even if it is an artform that they are unfamiliar with. The expertise is out there with organisations from around the country who would be interested in partnering to deliver local programmes. 

As always, Sound Connections are here to help, to advise and support relationships with new providers, whether it be in Hip Hop or other musical forms like Gospel, which will be another musical genre to consider. RSL have just launched a Gospel music qualification and a number of churches intend to open their doors and expertise to help support the wider music education landscape. 

The important thing to remember is that while change will always be challenging, the expertise to support these different forms of musical education are all out there and willing to collaborate. Rap, Gospel, Jazz, Drum’n’Bass and DJing all represent new vehicles for artistic expression open to young people being served by the Music Hubs, wherever they may be. 

If you like to discuss any of this further, or if you would like to find out how we might support you and your organisation please email wizdom@sound-connections.org.uk