ESL Hip Hop

Learn English with hip-hop and rap.

Getting Into Trouble with Afroman

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The hip-hop genre has many talented artists who discuss important social issues, such as poverty, racism, and violence… Afroman is not one of those artists! He is known as a “one-hit wonder” because he became famous for only one song that he wrote in 2000. “Because I Got High” is a story about a man whose […]

Catch a Break with Kurtis Blow!

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Kurtis Blow is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. “The Breaks“, a single from his 1980 debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song (taken verbatim from Wikipedia). “The Breaks” is a song about bad luck and misfortune. Everybody has ups and downs in life, and when we are experiencing difficult […]

Picture Dictionary: Learn Christmas Vocabulary with Run-D.M.C.

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Run€“D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York, founded in 1981 by Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels, and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell. The group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture. Run€“D.M.C. was one of the most well-known hip hop acts in the 1980s who, along with LL Cool […]

Wordplay and Vocabulary with Big Daddy Kane

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Big Daddy Kane is an MC from Brooklyn, New York who indisputably defined the term €œlyricist€ in the world of hip-hop. Along with the lyrical ingenuity he brought to the genre, he also introduced innovative live performances as well. These lives performances, which consisted of theatrics, choreography and tailored costumes, proved that Big Daddy Kane was […]

Past Perfect and Vocabulary with ATCQ

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A Tribe Called Quest is one of hip-hop’s most legendary, beloved and revered groups of all time and for good reason. Easily recognized for their unique approach to rap music by employing jazz infused soundscapes to Afro-centric rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest was largely responsible for the popularity of a new genre that dominated the East […]

Zero Conditional and Vocabulary with M.I.A.

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“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 Vocabulary with Immortal Technique

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Immortal Technique is a Peruvian born American rapper as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics and are largely commentary on issues such as class struggle, Marxism, poverty, religion,government, imperialism and institutional racism. Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to retain control over his production and has stated in his music that […]

Old School for New Beginners: ‘Have Got To’ and Vocabulary with EPMD

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EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group’s name is an acronym for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars”, referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon (“E” aka E Double) and Parrish J Smith (“PMD” aka Parrish Mic Doc). Strictly Business is their debut album, and it was released on August 30, 1988.  “You Gots to Chill” is an adamant declaration of EPMD€™s total dominance. Erick and Parrish are […]

Learn English Idioms with Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake

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“Holy Grail” is a song by American hip hop artist Jay-Z from his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail. It features vocals from singer Justin Timberlake and serves as the album’s first single. It was produced by The-Dream, Timbaland and Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon, with additional production from No ID and contains elements of Nirvana‘s 1991 hit single “Smells Like Teen Spirit“. Following the release of the album, the […]

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