Hip Hop Lives is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and producer Marley Marl. This is a historical album in the sense that 20 years prior, KRS and Marley were bitter rivals involved in the legendary Bridge Wars. In an interview with Unkut.com, KRS-One spoke on how the album came together and as it was released 20 years after his debut album Criminal […]
Learn English Grammar: Negative Questions with Gang Starr
Hard to Earn is the fourth album from the hip hop duo Gang Starr. It was released in March 1994 and featured the singles “Mass Appeal”, “DWYCK” and “Code of the Streets”. Musically, the album is constructed around a harder, more stripped-down sound that is distinctively less melodic than the duo’s previous work. Guest appearances on the album come from Group […]
The Verb ‘Think’ with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
“Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” is a song by gangsta rapper Dr. Dre from his debut solo album, The Chronic. It features rapper Snoop Dogg and is the first single from the album. This track reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, outperforming The Chronic’s other singles, “Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody’s Celebratin’)“, which peaked at #8, and “Let Me Ride“, which peaked […]
The Preposition ‘On’: Collocations with Warren G
Warren G is a West Coast rapper and hip-hop producer for Long Beach, California. In 1990, he formed the group 213, named after the Long Beach area code, with his friends Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg. While practicing with 213 and working a full-time job, the young Warren used all his free time on creating his own sound and aspired to […]
Hip-Hop for Beginners: “You got to fight for your right to party!”
“Fight for Your Right” is a song by the Beastie Boys, released as the fourth single from their debut album Licensed to Ill. One of their best-known songs, it reached #7 on the Billboard 100 in the week of March 7, and was later named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll (taken […]
Learn Adverbs and Vocabulary with The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G. is a rapper and hip-hop artist from Brooklyn, New York City, and he is also known as Biggie Smalls. He released his debut album, Ready to Die, in 1994, and it is one of the best east coast hip-hop albums of all time. He also formed the hip-hop collective Junior M.A.F.I.A., but the group […]
Present Perfect Progressive with Coolio
Coolio is a rapper, actor and record producer from Compton, California. He is best known for his track “Gangsta’s Parasdise” which features R&B singer L.V.. This track was produced for the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, and it later won the Grammy for Best Solo Rap Performance as well as two MTV Video Music Awards in 1996. We’ve […]
First Conditional with Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah is a versatile entertainer. She is a singer-songwriter, rapper, model, comedienne and actress. Over her career, she has won countless awards, including a Grammy in 1995 for Best Rap Performance. In her track “U.N.I.T.Y.” she speaks out against the disrespect of women in society and condemns sexist language that is often pervasive in […]
The Best Hip-Hop Song for the Present Perfect
The Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip-hop group from Staten Island, New York City. They are one of the biggest and most successful hip-hop groups on the East Coast. The Wu-Tang Clan has nine members, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. This […]
Negative Questions with “Feel Good”
King Chip is a hip-hop musician from Cleveland, Ohio and often collaborates with Kid Cudi. He was formerly known as “Chip tha Ripper” but he changed his name in August 2012. As the title suggests, “Feel Good” is a great song for parties or relaxing, but it also has a very good example of a […]