Rapper Joe Flizzow is now an English teacher in new learning app

Joe Flizzow hopes that by learning English, students can get better opportunities in life. Photo: Handout

Malaysian rapper Joe Flizzow seems to always be full of surprises, from opening his own chain of barber shops to, more recently, launching his own microwavable burgers. His latest venture has him taking on the role of an English teacher.

Joe will be teaching students English in a series of videos on the SOLS Edu app.

At the launch of the app on Oct 26, Joe shared: "It’s a course that is accessible to anyone and the most exciting thing that I’d like to share is that it’s completely free and has no hidden charges."

When asked why he had chosen to teach English, the 42-year-old recalled that his father was not able to speak fluent English and even failed his SPM, but it was learning the language that helped him build a better life for his family.

Joe added: "If I can help one person, 10 people or a million kids out there ... I hope it would improve their chances and build a better life."

SOLS 24/7 has spent the past 10 years working on programmes which help support students in their education. Its founder and teacher Raj Ridvan Singh shared that this new app has been eight months in the making. “One unique thing (is) we use Bahasa Malaysia to teach English," he said.

Joe added that this was another reason for his interest in SOLS. "When I was approached by Teacher Raj, I was taken aback when I found out that the teaching methods in schools did not permit the English language to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia." Though it was not his intention to call out any parties, Joe felt that this teaching method was not as effective.

The rapper said he still learns new English words today. "I’ve got this new habit of turning on subtitles when I watch shows on Netflix. Every time I see a new word, I would pause and write it down. So I’m still learning too," he said.

"Sometimes when I don’t know how to use a word, I would still call my mum and ask (her for help). For real!" Flizzow admitted.

SOLS Edu app is available for download on its website and app stores across any device and consists of 52 free English lessons.