HipHoponomics Lyrical Lesson: "The Brexit Battle Rap (Leave or Remain?)"

The official Brexit rap battle! Off of "HipHoponomics Vol. 2: The Man, The Myth, Adam Smith", this song delves into the Brexit debate, featuring soundbites from two individuals come immediately to mind when thinking of each side of the “Leave” and “Remain” debate, namely the British politician and Eurosceptic Nigel Farage (Leave) and former Prime Minster David Cameron (Remain). The song is set up as a rap battle between a supporter of the “Remain” side and a supporter of the “Leave” side. Although the Brexit vote is past, I loved writing this track, particularly the Brexit issue remains to be as relevant as ever in terms of its economic and political relevance. Each side rigorously puts forth arguments supporting their side of the debate, as well as attacking the position of the other side. For example, the “Remain” rapper references that the UK would lose access to the Single Market and the free flow of capital, goods, services, and people, while the “Leave” rapper references that the EU has morphed into something entirely different from when the UK originally joined in 1973, infringing upon its state sovereignty. "The Brexit Battle Rap" lyrical lesson includes a link to my SoundCloud account to play the track, as well as vocabulary building activities, lyrical analysis, and four different follow-up activities. The HipHoponomics strategy has been a dynamic learning tool in my classroom for years, and I believe it could be in yours as well!