Dr. Rawls is an avid educator with almost two decades of K-12 experience. He is currently an Associate Professor of Instruction at Ohio University and Dr. has presented workshops on the music industry, Hip-Hop Education and beat making at several major universities around the country.

 

In addition to his work in education, he is also known in the independent hip-hop and soul music scene for his production. Known as a producer and DJ, (PKA J Rawls), he first gained prominence on the national scene after his work with Black Star, a hip hop group comprised of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Dr. Rawls contributed production on “Brown Skin Lady” and “Yo, Yeah,” which placed him on the map among independent hip hop producers. The album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was critically acclaimed as one of the best albums of 1998 and was a major force in the late-1990s underground hip hop explosion.  Dr. Rawls has also worked with artists such as Dose One, Domo Genesis (Odd Future), Capital Steez (Pro Era), Beastie Boys, Slum Village, El Da Sensei, Sadat X, Count Bass D, Grand Agent, 9th Wonder, J-Live, Us3, John Robinson (JayARE) and King Combs (the son of Sean “P Diddy” Combs).  Dr. Rawls has released three solo albums and contributed to the NEO-SOUL movement producing the likes of Aloe Blacc, Eric Roberson, Dudley Perkins, and many others. Fusing jazz and hip hop, (coining the term “Jazz-Hop”) his 2006 work with The Liquid Crystal Project led to national acclaim. His Columbus-based production company and record label continues to make an impact on the national hip hop scene, and he is in demand as a DJ for top clubs and private functions around the country.

 

Dr. Rawls is also a featured presenter for the Places of Invention, Bronx NY exhibit that opened in July of 2015, at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. In this exhibit, a virtual J Rawls walks visitors through the nuances of how to scratch and mix on a replica turntable.

 

Dr. Rawls, alongside his partner in the group JayARE, John Robinson published his first book, titled Youth Culture Power (YCP). The book, part of Dr. Christopher Emdin’s #HipHopEd book series via Peter Lang Publishing, aligns with Ladson-Billing’s theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy with a look into Rawls and Robinson’s theory of Youth Culture Pedagogy (YCP). YCP details the many ways that youth in marginalized schools identify with hip-hop culture, as well as the ways that culture can be used as a tool and asset in education. What sets this book apart is that Rawls & Robinson have created an album to accompany the book. The album consists of J Rawls produced, jazz-infused hip-hop tracks over which John Robinson rhymes on the state of educating inner city youth today. Each chapter corresponds to a track from the album, and throughout the book are scenarios of application in various situations to which all educators can relate.

 

Dr. Rawls is also co-creator of the first Hip-Hop Based Education (HHBE) program at The Patton College of Education at OHIO University. The program, named Hip Hop Ohio Patton Education (HOPE), is The Patton College’s innovative and progressive HOPE program prepares pre-service teachers to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy into their own teaching styles. Using theoretical constructs from Hip-Hop Based Education (HHBE), the program teaches the value of hip-hop based education, culturally relevant pedagogy, and relational pedagogy. This program is the FIRST program of its kind in Higher Education in the United States.