There is Hip-Hop in West Roxbury

Teachers Kirk Womack and Bill Madden-Fuoco recently created a hip-hop after school program made for and facilitated by students at the , one of the four schools at the .

 “I was inspired by a lot of the initiatives that other Urban Science Academy teachers had launched to make the school experience more compelling and relevant for students,” said Fuoco.

Using hip-hop as a reference point, Womack and Madden-Fuoco recognized the need to supplement their student’s education by creating a respectful atmosphere where students can share their opinions on the week’s chosen album in an articulate discussion.  

The goals of the club are not only appealing to hip-hop music fans, but music fans of all varieties. For example, the group is able to listen to three songs from an album of their choice. After a brief sampling of the album, students jot down a few notes about the songs for discussion. 

What sets this club apart from other clubs is that the students are able to choose and vote for everything they listen to and discuss.

After the deep discussion begins to run its course, students along with the teachers gain new insights and notice new things that are not necessarily just about the music, but also about what the music suggest and its connections with things going on in the world. 

For example, senior Osahla Aim, when discussing the late rapper 2Pac’s magnum opus, All Eyes On Me, said, “I don’t get how it’s okay to say don’t go out and kill your brothers when he’s talking about guns and shooting people who are still his brothers in the end.” 

One meeting focused more on the authenticity of rappers and the credibility they have in respects to what they rap about. What may seem authentic to one person may not be authentic to the next person. 

This is where the ground rules of the club come into play. One of the group’s ground rules is to be respectful of someone else’s opinion. In a respectful manner, junior Bernardo Brugos quickly retorted, “It’s all about how you take it that matters. It’s all about how you interpret it.”

The most compelling aspect of the club are its students. 

“The students are now taking a lead role in running our meetings and facilitating the discussions, which is very gratifying,” said Madden-Fuoco. 

The attendance at the weekly meetings on Monday after school normally tends to fluctuate as people are just beginning to hear about this new and exciting program. However, the students that come on a regular basis are quickly becoming expert at dialogue. 

Brandon Bell, one of the group’s members who opened up the club, may appear young, but his knowledge on hip-hop music dates back to its origins. As he defended 2Pac’s gangster rap success, he stated that some of his conscious raps stem from rap groups such as NWA and Grandmaster Flash. 

These kids not only knew the beginnings of rap or the contemporary, but they also knew how to articulate their thoughts into coherently stated statements. They did not seem like your average high school students.

“Last week we did Nas’ Illmatic album,” said sophomore Derrell Sanford. That was enough to get him to come to his second meeting. While freshman Jomane Hutchinson who was rather quiet most of the meeting said just enough to keep the club members happy.

“I would check out more of 2pac’s music,” said Hutchinson. The hip-hop discussion group is such a hit that after your first time you’ll be begging to return.

From during Brugos’s first meeting, Bernardo said, "This, right here, should be a class. I'd get an A."