Hip-hop artist Epiphany “Big Piph” Morrow visited Chapel Hill March 7 to provide students with an introductory workshop in hip-hop and rap.
English teacher Michael Irwin organized the event, and the first 20 students who signed up were admitted to the workshop.
Morrow began the workshop with the presentation of a video detailing his forays in music, community activism and public speaking. He then explained the meaning of his stage name, “Epiphany,” and asked the students in attendance to choose names for themselves.
“I chose my rap name to be ‘The Moment’ because I live in the moment,” junior Jake Genderson said.
Then Morrow went over the four elements of hip-hop: emceeing, DJing, graffiti and breakdancing. He also discussed how to make lyrics truthful and impactful.
“You have to inject your personality into your music to tell your story,” Morrow said at the event.
Morrow also had students practice rapping while staying on beat and gave them 15 minutes to write a rap. Several students performed their raps in front of the group.
Senior Jerry Cai performed his rap about his recent acceptance to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and incorporated some freestyle into his performance.
“It was pretty awesome getting to talk to a real artist in the industry and getting tips to improve your storytelling,” Cai said.
Though she did not perform a rap in front of the class, senior Corrina Johnson appreciated the workshop’s positive atmosphere.
“I enjoy seeing others do what they love. It was nice for me because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and [allowed me to] create a form of art,” she said.
While Morrow had only one class period to hold his workshop at Chapel Hill, his appearances at some other schools, such as his workshop at UNC on March 6, are generally longer and more focused. However, at all schools, Morrow attempts to use hip-hop as a tool to teach about larger issues.
“[At schools], I really focus on creativity, discipline, communication and confidence. Those are things that good hip-hop has all through it, and I use hip-hop to teach other things,” Morrow said.
In addition to teaching workshops, Morrow is currently on tour performing his one-man show, The Glow.
“If TED Talks were a hip hop concert, wrapped in a Spike Lee narrative, that’s the best way to describe [my show],” he said.
Morrow also prioritizes community activism in his career through his speeches and workshops, citing his principle of giving back.
“Every time I progress in life, I feel like there’s more required of me,” he said. “As you get more and do more, you need to do more to figure out how to help people out.”
