Mickey Factz, rapper, educator, and Pendulum Ink founder.
Carvomusic
Factz’s new role bridges academia and hip-hop, offering students an inside look at the technical and creative process being expert level MCing.
Renowned hip-hop artist and Pendulum Ink Academy founder Mickey Factz has been appointed to an adjunct professorship at the Clive Davis School Institute of Recorded Music within New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he is set to teach the “The Art of the MC” course.
The course was previously taught by Black Thought of The Roots, and starting October 23, Factz, a dignitary of the hip-hop blog era, will take the torch for the Fall 2025 semester.
“I hope to educate on the foundational and historical aspects of what it means to be an Emcee in Hip-Hop,” Factz told me exclusively. “Through the lens of many great Emcee’s in a 50+ year span, we will be embarking on a journey that will take them as far as their talent will allow.”
Mickey Factz, rapper, educator, and Pendulum Ink founder.
Carvomusic
This is not necessarily Factz’s first foray into merging hip-hop theory, technique, and history with an academic format. In 2021, Factz alongside co-founder and notable battle rapper Chilla Jones, launched Pendulum Ink, the first comprehensive online school for rap and lyricism, where aspiring emcees are taught rap theory, showmanship, lyrical techniques, advanced rhymes schemes, and more. Currently offered via subscription-based model, the Pendulum Ink curriculum also covers the inner workings of the music industry, modern branding, and mental health—supported by a framework developed by Pendulum Ink partner Jeff Walker known as “Rhymecology.”
Pendulum Ink notably offers a celebrity lecture series, having hosted acclaimed rap acts such as Method Man, Styles P, Bun B, Xzibit, Lady London and more, with CURREN$Y currently lined up as the program’s next celebrity lecturer. This initiative has served as an ideal precursor to Factz’s NYU professorship, further solidifying his qualifications for the position.
“It’s an honor to continue the legacy of MC’s that preceded me to teach at the Clive Davis Institute. I will be bringing my expertise, wealth of knowledge and mentoring to a historic space such as NYU,” Factz stated in the press release. “I want to acknowledge the incredible faculty at NYU for their support as well as my friend Shawn Setaro for his words of recommendation. Long, Live, Lyricism. Class is in session. Literally.”
Factz is a luminous figure from the blog-era of hip-hop, with a trifecta of his works that define the period including his 2006 debut mixtape In Search of the N.E.R.D., 2007’s Back to the Future, and his debut album The Achievement: Circa ‘82. The Bronx native’s intricate use of figurative language, witty lines, multi-syllable rhymes, and sly rhyme constructions has cemented his status as a being amongst the most skilled rappers of contemporary hip-hop music. As a result, Factz was part of the 2009 XXL Freshman class and cover.
Factz is also recognized as a notable figure in the world of battle rap, having been an active participant during the genre’s most defining era. He took on nichely iconic battles in top battle rap leagues, including the Ultimate Rap League (URL), King of the Dot (KOTD), and Kwik Flip DVD.
Factz appointment at NYU marks a milestone in hip-hop’s recognition as an academic and artistic discipline. He joins a roster of notable hip-hop practitioners who have brought the art into academia including Black Thought, Questlove, Bun B, 9th Wonder and J Rawls—contributing to the evolving definition of hip-hop theory.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/imeekpo/2025/10/17/nyu-appoints-mickey-factz-as-adjunct-professor-for-rap-theory-course/
