Lupe Fiasco is taking his talents to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The acclaimed lyricist has been enlisted as part of the MLK Visiting Professor Program for the 2022-2023 academic year to teach a course on rap music. He was a visiting artist at MIT from 2020-2021.
“I been holding this for a while,” he wrote on Twitter announcing the news. “I’ll put together something more sophisticated later that really captures the nuance and gravity but for now I’ll just say it straight and raw: I’m going to teach Rap at @MIT.“
According to the school’s website, the course focuses on “breaking down and building up the languages of rap.” Together with Professor of Digital Media Nick Montfort, Lupe Fiasco will explore the intersection of rap, computing, and activism and educate eager students in the process.
I been holding this for a while. I’ll put together something more sophisticated later that really captures the nuance and gravity but for now I’ll just say it straight and raw:
I’m going to teach Rap at @MIT
?
— “DRILL MUSIC IN ZION” JUNE 24th (@LupeFiasco) May 20, 2022
The Chicago rapper recently announced his eighth studio album Drill Music In Zion set to be released on June 24. His last album, Drogas Wave, dropped in 2018. Lupe Fiasco’s longtime collaborator and beatsmith Soundtrakk produced the entire 10-track project. Equipped with a folder of beats, the “Kick Push” rapper locked himself at home and recorded the album in a nearly 72-hour session.
“Soundtrakk is the swordmaker, I’m the samurai, he’s the mechanic, and I’m the driver,” explained Lupe in a press statement.
Lupe Fiasco released the album’s first single “AUTOBOTO” featuring Nayirah on May 19th. Listen to the song below.
