DORCHESTER – A Berklee music professor and renowned Massachusetts rapper is helping at-risk teens turn their life experiences into clean content music.
Rod Studmire, also known by his rap name, the International Show, first brought the program to Massachusetts inmates, but now it is helping these kids to find an avenue into rap music and production.
“Clean content music is impactful and fun”
It is called the TRIM Program, which is an acronym for “the route into music.” In addition to being an artist, Studmire is a professor at the Berklee College of Music, where he teaches hip-hop songwriting and production. Throughout his career, he has always written clean content music, which means there are no curse words or provocative language.
“The majority of what we see online is very toxic to the point that I can’t even allow my 10-year-old son to watch award shows,” says Studmire, “Clean content music is impactful and fun, as well sonically it sounds the same, but with a different message. All of my music is clean, and I have been able to get my music on NFL, USA, MTV, and BET. I have gotten music all over the place.”