Career opportunities for rappers

ACM Birmingham launches pioneering rap & MC degree.

Aspiring Birmingham rappers now have the chance to graduate with honours in their chosen field. The Academy of Contemporary Music Birmingham has announced the launch of a brand new pioneering course option – the BA (Hons) Music Industry Practice – Rap & MC pathway.

The degree programme, which starts in September 2019 and is the first of its kind in the city, will give students the opportunity to study modules including lyricism, flow, delivery and originality, all vital skills for a professional rapper.

The launch event, on Monday 10th June, will see performances from rising stars of the Birmingham Grime scene; Lady Sanity and Mayday, alongside appearances from BBC WM’s VITAL and course leader ShaoDow. ShaoDow is a professional Rapper, Manga Author, trained in Shaolin Kung Fu in China and the winner of the AIM Independence artist award for hardest working rapper.

The Rap and MC pathway launch follows a recently published study commissioned by Youth Music, investigating the teaching of electronic, grime and hip hop music in schools. The Study, which made national headlines, showed that studying artists like Stormzy instead of Mozart boosted attendance and engagement amongst young people.

Kainne Clements, CEO and Executive Chairman of ACM commented, “I could not be more proud of the team at ACM who have put together this incredible programme for lyricists, rappers, MCs, and those of you who want to make beats. You know that you can really only get to where you want to be by collaborating – so that is what this is all about, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.”

The course option will be available at both ACM Guildford and ACM Birmingham. With the option to fast-track your studies, students can choose the accelerated two-year pathway which offers a saving of up to £5,500 in tuition fees and an average of £12,000 in livings costs.

ACM has been building sustainable, long-lasting careers for its students in all corners of the music industry since 1995. With its innovative learning-by-doing approach, ACM ensures it brings students fresh knowledge direct from industry via its world-class tutors, and teaches them in an industry environment. Partnered with Europe’s largest recording facility, Metropolis Studios, ACM’s exclusive industry connections mean that ACM students receive an unparalleled learning experience, making ACM graduates highly regarded by music business professionals.