After 10 years, the Understand Rap website is no longer being maintained.

The main pages of the site have been preserved, but all user accounts and data have been removed. We no longer serve advertisements or track any visitor information as referenced in the Privacy Policy or Terms of Use.

You can still order the book from Abrams Books, Indie Bound, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

I'd like to thank all the people in my life who inspired and supported this idea back in 2009, the artists around the world making rap music every day, the anonymous individuals on IRC who helped me implement the site, everyone who contributed content in the form of confusing lyrics or insightful explanations, the media outlets who reviewed the site and interviewed me, and Abrams Books for believing in the concept in book form and approaching me to draft a manuscript.

Help

You can add an artist, album, song, lyric, or explanation to Understand Rap.

How do I add an artist?
  • Choose artist from the add menu, or click here.
  • A form will appear.
  • Type the artist's name in the Artist field.
  • Solve the CAPTCHA (type the letters, numbers, or symbols which prevent people from adding spam) if there is one.
  • Click Save.
How do I add an album?
  • Choose album from the add menu, or click here.
  • A form will appear.
  • Type the album title in the Album field.
  • If you know it, type the artist's name in the Artist field.
  • Solve the CAPTCHA (type the letters, numbers, or symbols which prevent people from adding spam) if there is one.
  • Click Save.
How do I add a song?
  • Choose song from the add menu, or click here.
  • A form will appear.
  • Type the song title in the Song field.
  • If you know it, type the album title in the Album field.
  • Solve the CAPTCHA (type the letters, numbers, or symbols which prevent people from adding spam) if there is one.
  • Click Save.
How do I add a lyric?
  • Choose lyric from the add menu, or click here.
  • A form will appear.
  • Type the lyric in the Lyric field.
  • If you know it, type the song title in the Song field.
  • Solve the CAPTCHA (type the letters, numbers, or symbols which prevent people from adding spam) if there is one.
  • Click Save.
How do I explain a lyric?
  • Note: you must sign up or log in to explain a lyric.
  • Find a lyric you want to explain (see lyrics that need explanations).
  • Click the "explain" text below the lyric.
  • A form will appear.
  • Type your explanation in the Explanation field.
  • Solve the CAPTCHA (type the letters, numbers, or symbols which prevent people from adding spam) if there is one.
  • Click Save.