Mark Grist

Grist performed in various musicals and productions whilst at school, including many performances with the Bristol Youth Theatre (he later went on to co-direct the company[9]). He studied American and English literature at the University of East Anglia before becoming an English teacher. He noticed that his students felt disconnected from the English curriculum and decided to start working with his students, learning about rap. Following a bet with his students, Grist entered rap battle tournament 'The East of England King of the Mic' held in a Peterborough nightclub, eventually making it through the grand final of the tournament, which he lost to fellow Peterborough MC Mixy (Michael Riccardi). Grist began using rap techniques to teach his students about poetic devices and other elements of the English language, inspiring them to take a stronger interest in the subject.

Grist left teaching in 2008 and with MC Mixy formed Dead Poets, a double act that fused spoken-word poetry with hip-hop, touring the United Kingdom and performing at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010.[10] After deciding to try out rapping in the Don't Flop battle league, Grist's battle against MC Blizzard received coverage in the British media,[11][12][13] gathering over 5 million internet views in the process and becoming the UK's most viewed rap battle of all time.[14]

Grist performed at the Edinburgh Festival again in 2012, receiving positive reviews from The Guardian, the Scotsman and other publications.[15][16] His storytelling skills and passion for his subject often being cited as his strengths, alongside a complex grasp of rhyme and writing techniques.[17][18]

Grist has written poetry along with collaborator Larsen for their YouTube channel Grist & Larsen, garnering millions of views amongst the poetry scene. Grist's rhymes are inspired by an eclectic range of themes, and are usually upbeat, covering themes of identity, creativity, freedom of expression and colloquial aspects of modern life.