"Culture is not a distraction. It is the curriculum."
Cultural Authenticity
We honor the roots. Everything we do is grounded in the authentic traditions, voices, and creative expressions of Black and urban culture — never appropriated, never diluted, always real.
Who We Are
Academic Excellence
Culture and rigor are not opposites. We hold the highest academic standards while ensuring that learning is culturally responsive, engaging, and intellectually demanding.
Creativity & Voice
Every student has a story worth telling. We provide the platforms, tools, and encouragement for young people to express themselves boldly and authentically.
Civic Responsibility
We prepare students to be active, informed citizens who understand their power to shape policy, challenge injustice, and build stronger communities.
Community Empowerment
Education is a collective act. We build with communities, not for them — centering the wisdom, strength, and aspirations of the people we serve.
Aja Blair
Meet the Visionary Behind RatchedeMIX
The founder of RatchedeMIX is a visionary educator, thought leader, and cultural architect whose career has been defined by a singular, unwavering belief: that every student — regardless of zip code, background, or circumstance — deserves an education that honors who they are while preparing them for who they will become. With deep roots in urban education, Hip Hop pedagogy, and service learning, the founder brings a rare combination of scholarly rigor and cultural fluency to the work of transforming how America's schools serve Black and Brown students.
With years of experience in K–12 classrooms, professional development spaces, and community-based organizations, the founder has built a reputation as a dynamic speaker, innovative curriculum designer, and passionate advocate for culturally responsive teaching. Their work in civic engagement programming has empowered young people to find their voice, understand their rights, and take action in their communities. Their approach to education — integrating cultural contexts, real-world applications, and hip hop frameworks — has been recognized as a model for making content accessible and engaging for students who have historically been excluded from those spaces.
Our Approach
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Uses music, lyricism, and storytelling as a critical framework for analyzing literature, history, science, and social studies — transforming passive learners into active thinkers.
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Encourages deep analysis of lyrics, cultural movements, and social issues — building the same analytical skills found in AP courses through content students already love.
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Builds reading, writing, and critical literacy through music composition, spoken word, and storytelling — meeting students where their strengths already live.
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Promotes social consciousness, voter education, and community organizing — connecting classroom learning to real-world action and systemic change.
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Validates and centers the knowledge, experiences, and cultural wealth that students from Black and Brown communities already bring to the learning space.
Get to
know us
The RatchedeMIX framework is built on the understanding that hip hop culture is not a single teaching strategy — it is an interconnected ecosystem of intellectual, creative, and civic practices that, when centered in education, produce transformative outcomes for students and communities alike.
Contact Us
Follow us on social Media
RatchedeMIX is active across social media, sharing workshop highlights, student showcases, educational resources, and behind-the-scenes looks at what it takes to transform education from the inside out. Follow us to stay inspired and connected.