ESL Hip Hop

Learn English with hip-hop and rap.

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Sound Like a Native with Gang Starr

May 3, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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 […]

Filed Under: Other, Pronunciation, Students Tagged With: east coast, pronunciation, reductions, speaking

Learn How to Chill with Souls of Mischief

May 1, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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 […]

Filed Under: Other, Slang & Idioms, Students Tagged With: pronunciation, slang, vocabulary, west coast

Become Fluent and Learn Grammar with The Notorious B.I.G.

April 30, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

The Notorious B.I.G. is a rapper and hip-hop artist from Brooklyn, New York City, and he is sometimes 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. His songs are usually dark and autobiographical, but “Juicy” is […]

Filed Under: Grammar, Level 2, Students Tagged With: east coast, grammar, New York City, past

Quickly Pick Up 9 New Words with Ice Cube

April 29, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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 […]

Filed Under: Other, Slang & Idioms, Students Tagged With: Ice Cube, idioms, slang, vocabulary, west coast

Level 1 Lesson 6: This, That, These, Those

April 28, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

KRS-One is an American rapper of Jamaican descent. He was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1965, and has been a vegetarian and Hindu since his youth. His influence on hip-hop music and culture is very significant, and he is considered one of the best hip-hop artists. Interestingly enough, KRS-One is actually an acronym, which stands for […]

Filed Under: Grammar, Level 1, Students Tagged With: east coast, grammar, KRS-One, New York City, pronouns, the Bronx, vocabulary

Level 1 Lesson 11: Simple Past

April 25, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

2Pac is one of the greatest rappers of all time, and his music is recognized across the world. Most of 2Pac’s songs revolved around the struggles and violence in the inner city, racism and other social problems that he encountered during his life. In “Life Goes On” he reflects on and pays respect to his […]

Filed Under: Grammar, Level 1, Students Tagged With: 2Pac, death, grammar, irregular verbs, past, simple past, Tupac, verbs, west coast

Pass the TOEFL with MC Lars

April 24, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

MC Lars is an American rapper who is well known for his unique nerdcore and post-punk laptop rap style. In this track, he answers the question “What is hip-hop?” and sings with legendary and talented artist KRS-One as well as MC Chris and Rittz. MC Lars would make a great English teacher! His verse has not only […]

Filed Under: Grammar, Level 5, Students Tagged With: Berkeley, grammar, MC Lars, nerd, nerdcore, noun clauses, present continuous, present progressive, vocabulary, west coast, writing

7 Idioms about Bad Days in “8 Million Stories”

April 23, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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, […]

Filed Under: Other, Slang & Idioms, Students Tagged With: A Tribe Called Quest, bad day, bad news, idioms, New York City, Queens, vocabulary

Negative Questions with “Feel Good”

April 22, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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 […]

Filed Under: Grammar, Level 3, Students Tagged With: grammar, King Chip, Ohio, opinions, questions

5 Party Phrasal Verbs in “Swimming Pools”

April 20, 2013 by Stephen Mayeux

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 […]

Filed Under: Other, Students, Vocabulary Tagged With: grammar, kendrick lamar, party, phrasal verbs, west coast

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About The Founder

Stephen Mayeux is the founder of ESLhiphop.com. He used to be an English Teacher, but now he lives in Austin, TX and works as a software developer.

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