MC Grammar In Conversation with FAULT Magazine
With his first live tour, “Stop! It’s Grammar Time!”, just around the corner, we catch up with MC Grammar to find out more about his creative journey and quest to nurture growth and educational joy through music.
What inspired you to combine education with hip-hop?
Music and hip-hop were my outlets: places I would go to escape. One day, it became more than that, a tool. My way of remembering and recalling information. As soon as I discovered my ability to rhyme, I realized I could apply it anywhere. So I did. All of my revision notes, lecture lessons, and mnemonics became raps. The rest is history. Jacob, a Dictaphone, and a beat equaled success!
This just made sense when it came to my teaching, especially when the SPaG paper (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar) landed when I was a year 6 teacher. I broke the subject and topics down into raps, and bingo MC Grammar was born!
This has all happened organically as a fun learning approach to inspire children. For me, it’s always been about them.
You mentioned using rhymes to help with your own revision notes. How did this method benefit your learning?
It made sense to me. I got it! It was fun, and I enjoyed it. When we enjoy learning, it sticks.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in using music to educate children?
The biggest challenge is getting some people to take it seriously. For some, music is seen as a hobby or something you do after school or just in a music lesson. Wrong. Music is in all of us and all around us at all times. Tapping into its magic and motion creates emotion, and when we are connected like that, we are engaged and entertained. That’s why I call myself an edutainer: you learn and have fun at the same time. Magic!
Beyond grammar, what other subjects do you find particularly impactful to teach through rap?
Anything and everything. The music is simply the hook — the rest is up to you. On my Sky Kids’ series Wonder Raps, I have songs about the Tudors, the water cycle, the Romans, the ocean, and the 7 wonders of the world. You name it, and I’ll make a rap/song about it.
What advice would you give to aspiring educators who are having trouble connecting with their students?
I always say, know your audience. Think: what sparks their interests? What are they excited about? How do they learn best? Then tweak and tweak some more. It’s all about testing what works. The key is just to really know them as a group and as individuals.
You’ve mentioned performing internationally. Do you have any plans to expand your live tour beyond the UK?
Yes! 100%! I want to tour the world and visit as many schools and kids as possible. I aspire to inspire before I expire. So, wherever you are out there, if you want an MC Grammar show in your city, town, or school, you know what to do!
What are your hopes for the impact of your “Readers Are Leaders” song on children and World Book Day?
I have many hopes. First, I want kids to feel the song and from there pick up a book. It really does celebrate the magic of reading, and for them to get that, and then grab a book, well, that would be just incredible.
I also want the book to raise money for the WBD charity so they can continue their amazing mission to support children and families, providing books and raising the profile of reading for pleasure.
And, finally, I want people to enjoy my music and to see that you can make great songs about positive things like reading.
Looking back on your journey, what are you most proud of achieving in your career so far?
I am proud that I can wake up every day and live my purpose and what I am passionate about. I want to help people; I want to inspire people, and I want to connect with kids. Thankfully, I get to do that every day as a job. How wonderful! From the classroom to YouTube to a television screen to an arena stage, I am living my dream, and I am very proud to do this. So thank you so much to all of you out there for supporting me on this mission. It’s just the beginning!