Christian Foley makes it up as he goes along. His improvised, interactive, fast-paced, and lyrical rap performances have taken him from school classrooms to Oprah’s Television Networks and PMQs at Westminster, from the festival circuit to the Premier League. Christian is a writer, rapper, and teacher—all at once. His work has drawn effusive praise from stars like 50 Cent, John Legend, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton.

Christian’s ability to freestyle has earned him international attention, with viral moments amassing over thirty million views worldwide, making him a regular on television and radio. Recently, the BBC One documentary Extraordinary Portraits followed Christian in his classroom and beyond, giving an in-depth look at his unique approach to education. He’s one of the few poets in the world selected for Goldsmiths University’s ‘Spoken Word Education Programme,’ and his PhD research in ‘Hip Hop Education’ focuses on the power of rap to transform learning.

As an author, Christian has written two ‘Hip-Hop picture books’ for Early Years students, The Oddsocktopus (2023) and Some Bears (2024), along with a poetry collection, BARS (2024), featuring his trademark tongue-twisting rhymes. His book Moving Up (Scholastic, 2024) is a guide of raps and advice for students starting Secondary school. His next project, Barney’s Rock (Flying Eye, 2026), explores the healing power of music for children in turbulent times.

Beyond his creative work, he’s spent over a decade working with thousands of students and hundreds of teachers worldwide, delivering workshops and mentoring young poets.