Students attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can expect an inside scoop on the rap game, thanks to Lupe Fiasco.
According to Complex, the rapper will soon become a visiting professor at the institution.
In excitement, Fiasco took to Twitter to share the news.
"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," Fiasco wrote.
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” Out Now! (@LupeFiasco) May 20, 2022
Opportunity Made Possible By Program Created To Increase Minority Representation In Academia
According to the school’s website, the opportunity is all made possible through MIT’s MLK Visiting Professor Program, which was created to increase minority scholar participation.
Visiting professors will be responsible for engaging with students while advancing the school’s research and academic programs. Fiasco joins two new teachers participating in the 2022-2023 program including theater teacher Eunice Ferreira and documentary maker Louis Massiah.
“MIT’s MLK Visiting Professor Program has announced their 2022-23 appointments! Three have expertise in the arts & humanities: associate professor of theater Eunice Ferreira, Grammy-award winning rapper @LupeFiasco & documentary filmmaker Louis Massiah. Congrats all,” according to an official statement released by the university on Twitter.
MIT’s MLK Visiting Professor Program has announced their 2022-23 appointments! Three have expertise in the arts & humanities: associate professor of theater Eunice Ferreira, Grammy-award winning rapper @LupeFiasco, & documentary filmmaker Louis Massiah. Congrats all!🎊 pic.twitter.com/vN2nuZwXHl
— Arts at MIT (@ArtsatMIT) May 20, 2022
Fiasco's Plans For Course
Fiasco’s involvement with MIT began in 2020 when he served as a Visiting Artist at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology.
During Fiasco’s time under the title, he spearheaded the “Code Cypher” programming competition in conjunction with Professor of Digital Media Nick Montfort to discuss the “intersection of rap, computing, and activism,” according to the institution’s website.
In a now-deleted tweet in response to a fan, Fiasco shared plans he has for the syllabus.
“Syllabus isn’t built yet but I’m thinking its fruit to be had in looking at neuromorphic computation through the lens of Rap as a lossless data compression model with a dash of energy efficiency via refining Landauer’s principle applied to cytoarchitectonics. And some rapping,” Fiasco wrote, according to Complex.