When a Baltimore class asked their substitute teacher to spit some lyrics off the cuff then probably didn't expect him to erupt into a four-minute long rap about his experiences of death and drugs.
But that's exactly what 22-year-old Kondwani Fidel did, and now a video of his spoken word poetry posted on Facebook has had more than 2.6m views.
Fidel's performance recalls memories of armed police raiding his house and his father's drug problem, as well as the moment he discovered his best friend had been stabbed to death.
He tells the class: "Laying on the living room floor watching Hey, Arnold! and Rugrats, six deep the police came and burst through the back, fully-equipped and strapped with black gats [guns].
"I had to beat bad luck because I was the young black cat."
Fidel continues: "I leave Baltimore and go to Virginia, hoping to clear my mind, but how can I when all my friends are dropping like flies ... It's hard to carry on when no one loves you, it's even harder when all your friends are floating above you."
The part-time teacher, who also describes himself as a poet, author, songwriter and actor, says he feels blessed, and just wanted to "inspire the youth".
Fidel has also recently released a book of his spoken word poetry called Asperous Artistry, which is inspired by his own life and the events around him.