Michigan rapper creates ‘Hip-Hop for Self-Expression’ class at Kalamazoo middle school

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Trevon Hobson, a Michigan-born hip-hop artist who goes by the stage name “Skitzo,” never wanted to be a teacher.

Nevertheless, the morning of Wednesday, June 4, Hobson was giving feedback to 12 middle school students in his “Hip-Hop for Self-Expression” class. Hobson piloted the class at Milwood Magnet School this year.

Next year, he’ll teach the class to a full group of 25 to 29 students.

Hobson uses hip-hop as a medium to teach students about social, emotional development and community activism, he said.

“We talk about hip-hop and how it affects our everyday life, with music, culture, sexism, racial boundaries, everything that it touches on,” Hobson said. “Especially now with our youth, music kind of dictates the culture.”

Students start the class at 7:27 a.m., writ