Hear how one Nova Scotian earned a PhD in education by recording a rap record

Michael McGuire, a multi-disciplinary artist, educatorand rapper, has justcompleted his PhD in education at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax by recording a rap record.

McGuire, who performs and records under the moniker Hermit of the Woods, saidhis evolution from high school dropout to doctorate degree holder is rooted in his love and respect for hip hop.

"Growing up listening to Public Enemy and Canadians like Maestro Fresh Wes, they were always talking about interesting ideas and things that I wasn't necessarily learning in school," McGuiretold CBC Radio's Information Morning on Wednesday.

"For me, hip hop was not just an exciting musical form and a cultural expression, but it was a way of learning about things in the world I didn't otherwise know about."

McGuire said hisown struggles inschool showed him the need for different approaches to education in order to be more inclusive of youth with different learning styles.

Listen to guest host Preston Mulligan's full interview with McGuire to hear how he went from giving workshops on how to rap and make beats to teaching university-level courses like Rap, Resistance and Religion.