ABOUT

SCHOOL OF RAP IS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE THAT SEEKS TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH INCLUSIVE AND INNOVATIVE HIP HOP
SONGWRITING PROGRAMS.

SCHOOL OF RAP WAS FOUNDED IN 2014 BY RESPECTED HIP HOP MC AND EDUCATOR JOEL RAPAPORT (BIG VILLAGE RECORDS, SKETCH THE RHYME).

WE DESIGN AND DELIVER SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS TO HIGH SCHOOLS,VACATION CENTRES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS.

OUR HIP HOP WORKSHOPS ARE BASED AROUND COLLABORATIVE SONGWRITING ACTIVITIES LED BY EXPERIENCED FACILITATORS.

WE OFFER A SAFE CREATIVE SPACE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENABLED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, WORK WITH PEERS AND EXPLORE LANGUAGE, MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE.

OUR WORKSHOPS OFFER YOUNG PEOPLE AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF DEVELOPING THEIR COMMUNICATION SKILLS, SELF-EXPRESSION AND CONFIDENCE.

WE STAND FOR SOCIAL EQUALITY, CULTURAL DIVERSITY, HONESTY AND ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

 

Why Hip Hop?

THE MUSIC STYLE HIP HOP EMERGED IN 1970S NEW YORK AS A VOICE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO COMMUNITIES, AND HAS SINCE BECOME A UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT AND CULTURE. ALTHOUGH HIP HOP MUSIC TAKES MANY FORMS, IT REMAINS PRIMARILY A PLATFORM FOR SELF EXPRESSION AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE.

AS PERFORMERS AND ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE HIP HOP SCENE IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, WE SHARE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THE POSITIVE AND EMPOWERING MESSAGE OF HIP HOP CULTURE, ‘PEACE LOVE AND UNITY’, SOCIAL EQUALITY AND JUSTICE, AND CELEBRATION OF ALL RACES, CULTURES AND RELIGIONS.


Crew

Joel JOEL RAPAPORT – FOUNDER, MANAGING DIRECTOR

JOEL RAPAPORT IS A RESPECTED HIP HOP MC, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL BIG VILLAGE RECORDS (EST. 2010) AND FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF HIP HOP THEATRE SHOW SKETCH THE RHYME. FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS RAPAPORT HAS CONTRIBUTED EXTENSIVELY TO THE SYDNEY HIP HOP/ARTS SCENE, RELEASING ALBUMS SOLO AND WITH THE GROUP LOOSE CHANGE, AND TOURING NATIONALLY WITH SKETCH THE RHYME.

RAPAPORT HAS DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED HIP HOP WORKSHOPS FOR A DIVERSE RANGE OF ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS. HE HAS MANAGED PROGRAMS WITH DESERT PEA MEDIA IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN REGIONAL NSW, IS A CASUAL TEACHER AT MISSION AUSTRALIA’S SOUNDS OF THE STREETS MUSIC MENTORING PROGRAM, AND HAS FACILITATED

ONE OFF WORKSHOPS FOR MUSIC NSW, MARRICKVILLE YOUTH CENTRE AND NUMEROUS HIGH SCHOOLS.

HE HAS A BACHELOR OF MUSIC FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY, AND FOR NINE YEARS HAS BEEN A PRIVATE GUITAR TUTOR AT ROUSE HILL ANGLICAN COLLEGE AND STANMORE PRIMARY SCHOOL.

“I LOVE SHARING HIP HOP WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS KIDS TO BE CREATIVE IN A WAY THAT IS SO OUTSIDE OF THEIR USUAL SCHOOLWORK. THERE IS A TRUTH, AN HONESTY, IN HIP HOP THAT ALLOWS YOUNG PEOPLE TO OPEN UP AND APPROACH ISSUES THAT THEY WOULDN’T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT OTHERWISE.”

JOEL RAPAPORT, FOUNDER

Lorenz LORENZ PRICHARD (P.SMURF) – FACILITATOR

LORENZ PRICHARD IS CO-FOUNDER OF BIG VILLAGE RECORDS AND PERFORMS AS P.SMURF IN THE GROUPS DAILY MEDS AND REVERSE POLARITIES. HE HAS RELEASED A SOLO EP AND MIXTAPE AND TOURED EXTENSIVELY AROUND AUSTRALIA WITH DAILY MEDS AND SKETCH THE RHYME. LORENZ HAS WORKED FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL-HOURS CARE FOR MARRICKVILLE COUNCIL AND THE MAGIC YELLOW BUS, A MOBILE PLAYGROUP FOR CHILDREN AGED 6 WEEKS – 12 YEARS. HE IS ALSO MANAGER OF PROMOTIONS COMPANY FRESHLY SQUEEZED, WHO PRESENT A RANGE OF HIP HOP EVENTS IN SYDNEY.

LORENZ HAS WORKED FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL-HOURS CARE FOR MARRICKVILLE COUNCIL AND THE MAGIC YELLOW BUS, A MOBILE PLAYGROUP FOR CHILDREN AGED 6 WEEKS – 12 YEARS. HE IS ALSO MANAGER OF PROMOTIONS COMPANY FRESHLY SQUEEZED, WHO PRESENT A RANGE OF HIP HOP EVENTS IN SYDNEY.