“Paper Planes” is a song by British musician M.I.A. from her second studio album, Kala (2007). The song ignited wide acclaim upon its release, and contemporary critics complimented the musical direction as well as the subversive, unconventional subject matter of the piece, citing its chorus and lyrical humor in the promotion of globalization. The single peaked in the Top 20 in […]
Learn English Grammar: Perfect Modals with T.I.
T.I. is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He comes from Atlanta, Georgia and is one of the most influential Southern hip-hop artists. He embarked on his music career with his longtime friends, and they formed a group called Pimp Squad Click in 2001. Two years later, T.I. founded and became CEO of Grand Hustle Records. During his 12 years as a […]
Learn English Grammar: Second Conditional with Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is a hip hop recording artist from Compton, California. Initially signed to independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment, in 2012 Lamar and the label signed a joint venture deal with Aftermath and Interscope Records. Lamar is also a member of the West Coast group, Black Hippy, along with fellow California-based rappers and label-mates Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul (taken verbatim from Wikipedia). In “Poetic Justice” Lamar discusses the ups and […]
2nd Conditional in “The Light”
Common, a hip-hop performer from Chicago, released one of the best hip-hop songs about love. In “The Light” (2000), he writes a letter to a woman that describes their strong and loving relationship. If heaven had a height, you would be that tall. This grammar is called the second conditional. Use the second conditional for unreal or hypothetical situations […]