GHOTIING MIT: Public Art

Sculpture made of tainless steel, white enamel paint featuring collages of letters, numbers, or symbols that appear to be in the process of organization.

Jaume Plensa, Alchemist, 2010. Commissioned by an anonymous alumnus on the occasion of the Institute’s 150th anniversary. © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VEGAP, Madrid

A collaboration between Lupe Fiasco and the MIT List Visual Arts Center, GHOTIING MIT: Public Art is a site-specific rap and field recording project that explores the relationship between rap and MIT’s public art collection. 

By composing and recording on-site, Lupe engages directly with the sculptures, murals, and installations across campus, using their forms, histories, and surroundings as creative catalysts. 

Capturing ambient sounds and crafting lyrics in response to each piece, the project transforms public art into a living sonic experience—where rap and visual art intersect in real time.

“GHOTIING” is an innovative, site-specific approach to rap creation that integrates field recording and En Plein Air composition. Pioneered by rapper & professor Lupe Fiasco at MIT, this method encourages rappers to compose and record in dynamic, real-world environments rather than within the controlled confines of a studio.

By venturing into various outdoor and public spaces—such as bustling city streets, quiet parks, transit hubs, or culturally significant landmarks—artists engage directly with their surroundings, allowing ambient sounds, atmosphere, and social context to shape their lyrical content, flow, and delivery. The process incorporates field recording techniques, capturing environmental noise and spontaneous interactions, which can serve as sonic textures or conceptual inspiration for compositions.

Much like how En Plein Air painters immerse themselves in a setting to capture its essence in real time, GHOTIING encourages rappers to respond to their environment spontaneously, adapting their creative process to the unique energy of each space. This approach fosters greater improvisation, a deeper connection to place, and an expanded understanding of how setting influences artistic expression. The result is a more organic, unfiltered form of rap that exists at the intersection of soundscape, lyricism, and lived experience.

Inspired by fishing expeditions, GHOTIING (pronounced “fishing”) reimagines rap creation as a hunt for big ideas—where beats serve as bait, microphones as fishing rods, and both the object and the artist’s mind act as the body of water. By immersing themselves in different environments, rappers cast their creative lines, hoping to reel in unexpected inspiration.

Experience the tour

About Lupe Fiasco

With over two decades of tenure in the rap game, Lupe Fiasco is a savvy veteran of hip-hop, but that doesn't mean he doesn't take the time to hone and perfect his craft at every turn. 2024 saw the release of his acclaimed album Samurai, named one of the best albums of 2024 by The Needle Drop, Okayplayer, FLOOD, and more, which earned praise for its dense lyricism and Amy Winehouse-inspired concept. Samurai was Lupe's first new album since 2022's DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, which earned critical acclaim from NPR, Complex, The FADER, and many others, including Vinyl Me Please, who wrote "At their best, Lupe’s bars are as visually and phonetically pleasing as popped bubble wrap." In 2023, the iconic Chicago native also settled into his position as a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches "Rap Theory and Practice." Beyond music, Lupe continues to focus on the community organizations he founded, including We Are M.U.R.A.L, The Neighborhood Start-Up Fund, Society of Spoken Art, and his cross-cultural content venture, Studio SV. Most recently, Lupe's single "Pound For Pound" became the theme song for the AAA video game Undisputed. Lupe plans to perform throughout the year, including an upcoming performance at MIT's Artfinity festival on May 2nd.

A man looking passed the camera in a dark green hoodie wearing glasses in front of a brick wall.

Artfinity Festival

GHOTIING MIT: Public Art is in partnership with Artfinity, a festival of the arts at MIT featuring 80 free events across the performing and visual arts, celebrating creativity and community at MIT. The festival culminates with the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts public lecture by 2025 recipient Es Devlin on May 1, 2025, and a concert by Grammy-winning rapper and Visiting Scholar Lupe Fiasco on May 2, 2025. 

Artfinity features the work of MIT faculty, students, staff, and alumni, alongside guest artists from the Greater Boston area and around the world. All 80 events are open to the public, including dozens of concerts and performances plus an array of visual arts such as projections, films, installations, exhibitions, and augmented reality experiences, as well as lectures and workshops for attendees to participate in. With a wide range of visual and performing arts events open to all, Artfinity embodies MIT’s commitment to the arts and the intersection of art, science, and technology. Artfinity is an Institute-sponsored event, organized by the Office of the Arts at MIT, with faculty leads Institute Professor of Music Marcus Thompson and Professor of Art, Culture and Technology Azra Aksamija. 

Upcoming Concert

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