Slick Rick, also known as Rick the Ruler, is a Grammy-nominated rapper from England. He started his career in 1983 during the Golden Age of hip-hop, and he joined Doug E Fresh’s Get Fresh Crew early in his career. Slick Rick is known for his narrative songs, and he is considered hip-hop’s best storyteller. In […]
Learn 10 New Words with Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco is a rapper, record producer and entrepreneur from Chicago, Illinois. He disliked hip-hop music in his early life because he thought it was too negative and vulgar, but he eventually developed an interest and joined a group when he was 19 years old. In “Around My Way” Lupe Fiasco offers his criticism of materialism, the […]
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 […]
Sound Like a Native with Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential hip-hop duo that consisted of MC Guru and DJ Premier. Although they are not as popular has mainstream artists, they are regarded as one of the best groups by underground and alternative hip-hop fans. DJ Premier is still a successful DJ/Producer, but Guru passed away on April 19, 2010. In […]
Learn How to Chill with Souls of Mischief
Souls of Mischief are a sub-group of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics, which is based in Oakland, California. The members are A-Plus, Opio, Phesto and Tajai. In “93 ‘Til Infinity” they discuss their daily lives in the year 1993, which includes women, money and just hanging out. Read the lesson and learn 8 new vocabulary words […]
Quickly Pick Up 9 New Words with Ice Cube
Ice Cube is an American rapper from South Central Los Angeles, and he is considered one of the founding members of gangsta rap. His lyrics are unflinchingly honest, and his songs usually revolve around the danger and violence of the inner city of Los Angeles. In “Dead Homiez” Ice Cube thinks about the many young men who […]
7 Idioms about Bad Days in “8 Million Stories”
A Tribe Called Quest is a hip-hop group from Queens, New York. They are regarded as one of the most talented and intelligent hip-hop groups of all time, and many of their songs are considered classics. In “8 Million Stories” Phife Dawg tells us about a very bad day. Many inconvenient things happen to him, […]
5 Party Phrasal Verbs in “Swimming Pools”
In Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pool” (2012), he tells a story about his alcoholism and discusses the dangers of peer pressure. He remembers his grandfather’s drinking problem and is worried that he will die from his addiction unless he changes his life. Read the lesson and leave a comment. This track contains many phrasal verbs about parties […]
9 Vocabulary Words about Money in “Deception”
Blackalicious is a hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California. In “Deception” (1999), Gift of Gab tells a story about a young rapper with big dreams. His music become popular really quickly, and he becomes a celebrity overnight. He forgets his true identity and becomes greedy. The young rapper’s love of money destroys his life because his […]
Pronounce “Get You” Like a Native Speaker with “Rebirth of Slick”
Learn how to talk like a native English speaker with Digable Planets’s Grammy-winning song “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)”. We getcha free ’cause the clips be fat boss (2:46) Many Americans pronounce “get you” like getcha. This is called a reduction. If you know IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) then getcha looks like /gɪtʃ/ Getcha for the present time […]