Why do rap lyrics continue to be used to demonize people inside and outside the courtroom, in ways that no other art form has to contend with?
Articles on Hip hop lyrics
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When delivered with integrity, rap can be a cathartic experience for both the speaker and the community receiving the message
Eminem has routinely used the lead singles from his studio albums to reintroduce himself. And Houdini is no different.
A reconsideration of Nas’s literary clout, 30 years after the release of Illmatic.
Social and literary realism have long detailed people’s everyday lives – and they have been a staple in popular music for decades.
A critical race theory scholar explains why it’s problematic to use rap lyrics as evidence of a crime, and what some lawmakers are doing to protect artistic expression.
Afrofuturism, a mix of science fiction, magic realism and liberation politics, has shaped some hip-hop artists’ work for decades.
Greater representation in rap from LGBTQ artists comes as mainstream artists atone for past lyrics.
Latino artists have been forging their own paths in hip-hop for decades, giving voice to young peoples’ pain, faith and demands for change.
Ronald Reagan may have been known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ but rap artists don’t view his legacy through such rose-colored glasses. A professor of Black studies and history takes a closer look.
A hip-hop artist and scholar says that while rap stresses the oral tradition, the music is also rife with references to a rich range of literature that spans the globe.
The world of rap music has no shortage of artists who turned their backs on formal education only to become some of education’s biggest benefactors.
Rappers have been taking listeners on lyrical journeys to outer space for decades. A hip-hop scholar says their music helps inspire more students to pursue careers among the stars.
Can college professors rap their way into academic publishing? One professor makes an album to prove they can.
Rap songs from Public Enemy and Ludacris have been heard at marches over the killing of George Floyd. But the history of Black American music as a form of protest dates back to the 19th century.
When prosecutors introduce lyrics, they’re asking juries to suspend the distinction between author and narrator, reality and fiction, and to read them as literal confessions of guilt.
For the second year in a row, hip-hop music is the most popular form of music in the US. So why isn’t it in more of America’s classrooms? A hip-hop scholar weighs in.
Hip-hop artists in Nigeria unpack the realities of the country’s cyber fraudsters.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia
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Assistant Professor of Practice, Mills College
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Rap Lyricist and Lecturer in Music Performance at Confetti Institute of Creative Technology, Nottingham Trent University
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Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester
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Associate Professor of Religion, San Diego State University
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Professor of Black Studies and History, Amherst College
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Professor of Liberal Arts, University of Richmond
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Professor of Sociology, University of Richmond
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Visiting Lecturer, University of Greenwich
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Associate Professor of History, University of Arizona
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Professor of Religious Studies, University of Arizona
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CRT Forward Project Director, University of California, Los Angeles