After taking on a rigorous touring schedule, hosting a wrestling podcast “Mat Mania” and making high profile appearances on WWE television, Philadelphia-born, Phoenix resident teacher-turned-rapper Mega Ran returns to release the introspective and enlightening album “Extra Credit.”

Full of storytelling and craftsmanship, Mega Ran hops on tracks by DIBIA$E, Charlie Mumbles, K-Murdock and more, with tracks challenging our views of social media, aging in Hip-Hop, the music business, education and much more.

Mega Ran’s love for classic literature continues with “Mockingbird,” based on Harper Lee’s timeless novel. He turns road life into a party on “Airplane Mode,” while stopping to recruit the original teacher-rapper J-Live for a lesson on priorities on “Eyes On Your Own Paper.”

Mega Ran revisits 2016’s banger “Church” by adding a new arrangement, new haunting verses and scorching background vocals by multi-platinum (in more ways than one) singer SisQó.

The record ends on a mellow note with Ran giving thanks on “Wouldn’t Miss It For The World,” a gospel-tinged record with dedications to recently fallen collaborators Rustin (of the band Urizen) and Phoenix rapper Thaahum, who raps on “Defenders,” a song he conceptualized and completed just days before his untimely passing.

“Extra Credit” also includes new remixes from 2015’s critically acclaimed “RNDM” album, by Fingaz, Willie Green and Scottie Royal, who take classic tracks from those albums and make them new again from the ground up.

With its combination of depth and wit,”Extra Credit” will find a prominent place within Mega Ran’s solid discography.

Mega Ran’s “Extra Credit Tour” begins in Seattle at PAX West 9/1, and continues throughout the year until December.