Rapsody is big stepping in high schools. The highly-featured rap lyricist has launched an eight-week program deemed the Rapsody Curriculum, in association with non-profit Reading with a Rapper (RWAR), a Houston-based organization that was created to teach students how to read and write via socially conscious lyrics, content and tech, according to RWAR’s Instagram page.
Hailing from Snow Hill, North Carolina, Rapsody is going back to her alma mater, Greene Central High, for the intensive lyrical masterclass as RWAR makes a soft launch of the program in the region. The Rapsody Curriculum lab is in collaboration with the Greene County School District and The Athlete’s Foot, which dedicated $10K to renovating a classroom in preparation for the Fall 2023 course and donating 300 Puma backpacks to students.
“So excited to go back home to Snow Hill, NC and celebrate homecoming with the announcement of a Rapsody curriculum by way of Reading With a Rapper!” Rapsody captioned a video of a RWAR school presentation on Instagram. “We can’t wait to unveil the renovated classroom at Greene Central High School! Principle Greene you get it! Thank you! See you fall 2023!”
In 2021, RWAR was started in Texas after research revealed that the state struggles as the 4th in the country for illiteracy. One of RWAR’s campaigns, the Get Lit Tour, has several dates at high schools across the nation, including at Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and North Carolina. Bun B., AJ McQueen, and Meek Mill are some of the talent that have partnered with RWAR to bring more insight to hip hop culture and enthusiasm for learning to secondary education.
Rapsody is a Grammy-nominated recording artist with three studio albums in her portfolio, including 2012’s The Idea of Beautiful, 2017’s Laila’s Wisdom, and 2019’s Eve. Over the summer, she teamed up with DJ Premier and Remy Ma for “Remy Rap,” from the album Hip Hop 50: Vol. 1 EP. Rapsody was also featured at the BET Hip Hop Awards 2022 in the Rap City booth, alongside hip hop connoisseur Big Tigga.
