Toni Blackman is one of the world’s foremost hip-hop educators. A pioneer in this lane, her influence permeates the field. Her approach to music education begins with a focus on emotional state, rather than formal or technical concepts. This approach springs from both her personal development journey and Toni’s own mastery of improvised rap. She has been a practicing emcee for several decades, has training in writing poetry and as a theater artist.  Teaching for Change, an organization in Washington, D.C. was where she began formalizing her ideas while leading workshops in teacher re-certification programs. She still does a lot of professional development work. One of the first rap artists to serve as artist-in-residence at major institutions, Toni has taught thousands of workshops around the world, taught a Hip Hop course at Binghamton University, served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan and most recently NYU.