rapper dee-1 discusses rap as a teaching tool in s olomont speaker s eries

by Aditya Acharya News Editor

Rapper, activist and educator Dee-1 spoke about hip-hop as a force for social justice, education and community engagement on April 19 as part of the Tisch College Solomont Speaker Series.

Dee-1 currently serves as the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellow at Harvard University and is the recipient of the 2020 NAACP “Power of Influence Award,” highlighting his activism and commitment to inspiring youth. His recent album, “Finding Balance,” debuted at No. 4 in the world on the Apple Music/iTunes Hip-Hop Charts.

Dayna Cunningham, dean of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, opened the event by acknowledging that fellow rapper, record producer, entrepre- neur and MIT Visiting Professor Lupe Fiasco could not attend as scheduled.

She situated the event in the context of hardships currently facing Black Americans, noting the recent shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black teen who was shot by a white homeowner after he rang the wrong doorbell when picking up his younger siblings.

“What really hurts is that after being shot … this 16-year-old, doe-eyed boy goes from house to house seeking help, and nobody would help him,” Cunningham said. “He finally knocks on the third door, and somebody says, ‘I won’t let you in, but I’ll call EMS.’ And it makes me wonder sometimes what kind of country we live in. That is the context for this conversation tonight.”

Dee-1 began his lecture in artistic form, giving the audience a synopsis of the music he produces and its deeper significance.

“I need another title / I’m no longer a rapper / I’m a rhyming revolutionary / authoring chapters / In this book we call life / here to give you instructions / on fighting self-destruction / over beautiful production,” Dee-1 rapped.

As Dee-1 began describing the function of rap as a teaching tool, an audience member informed him and event administrators that racist messages from the livestream’s chat function were appearing on the screen. Dee-1 decided to proceed with the conversation without the prepared slideshow, an act praised by both Cunningham and University President Anthony Monaco in an email sent to the Tufts community the next morning.

“That teaches us about the kind of stuff we just spoke about, called grit,” Dee-1 said. “Grit is the ability to keep going, even when things may not be convenient, may not even be in your favor, so if it’s okay with y’all, we’re gonna keep going.”

To exemplify the impact that rap music can have on students’ learning, Dee-1 recounted his experience as a middle school math teacher after graduating from college.

“While I’m teaching, I’m realizing that my students are learn-