“Keep Ya Head Up” is a 1993 hit single by Tupac Shakur. The song is dedicated to a young African-American girl named Latasha Harlins, who was shot and killed by a Los Angeles store owner in 1992. The shooting occurred thirteen days after the Rodney King beating, and many people believed it was one of the causes […]
Learn English Phrasal Verbs with Atmosphere
Learn 16 new English idioms and phrasal verbs with one of America’s best Midwest hip-hop groups. Atmosphere is an American hip-hop duo currently consisting of rapper Slug and DJ Ant. The group formed in 1989 and has released six studio albums and ten EPs. Slug’s lyrics are usually metaphorical and autobiographical, and he often uses […]
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 […]
Noun Clause Basics and Vocabulary with Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill is a singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actress. Her musical career started in high school when Pras Michael and Wyclef Jean encouraged her to join their hip-hop group, The Fugees. The trio formed in 1992 and released two critically successfully albums, but they eventually disbanded in 1997. One year later, she released The Miseducation […]
Time Prepositions and Vocabulary with Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo from Long Island, New York. The group was composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim, and they are considered by aficionados as one of hip-hop’s greatest pairs. They rose to fame during the “Golden Age” of hip-hop, which covered the late 1980s to early 1990s. Eric […]
Learn New Vocabulary and Idioms with Jay-Z
Jay-Z is a rapper, record producer and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York City. In addition to being one of the most talented and best-selling MCs in the world, Jay-Z is also one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists. He owns several companies and was even the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings. In 1998, […]
Idioms and Vocabulary with Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Pete Rock and CL Smooth are a hip-hop duo from Mount Vernon, New York, which is a small city outside of New York City. They released their debut album, Mecca and the Soul Brother, in 1992 and released The Main Ingredient two years later. In “T.R.O.Y.” they pay respects and honor their deceased friend, Troy ‘Double T-Roy’ […]
10 New Idioms You Must Learn Now with Yasiin Bey
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American MC and actor whose lyrics often focus on political and social issues. In 1998, he formed the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli, and they were a major force in the 1990s underground hip-hop scene. In “Mathematics” Yasiin Bey cleverly discusses social problems using numbers […]
Celebrate Mother’s Day with Kanye West
Kanye West is a rapper, record producer, film director and fashion designer from Chicago, Illinois. He made his first big break as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records where he worked on Jaz-Z’s 2001 album The Blueprint. In “Hey Mama” Kanye West dedicates the song to his mother, Donda West. He praises her for raising him in […]
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 […]