TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: From Aaliyah to Jay Z: Captured Moments in Hip Hop History
Jonathan Mannion once convinced rapper DMX to climb into a pool of blood- all in pursuit of the perfect photo. In this passionate TEDYouth talk, the photographer shares how fighting for the moments he needs to capture has helped him tell...
Black Past
Black Past: Rap/hip Hop
This encyclopedia entry gives a brief history of rap and hip hop and the influences of the music on modern culture.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 36: Cross Genre Comparisons in Hip Hop
From being viewed as a fad, hip-hop's commercial success has allowed it to permeate virtually all aspects of popular culture. By critically analyzing hip-hop music and comparing it with established music forms, the cultural relevance,...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: The Birth of Hip Hop
Article focuses on the birth of hip-hop and the four elements of the movement: graffiti art, break dancing, DJing, and MCing (rapping). Author continues with the history of the movement and the personalities involved.
Other
Davey D's Hip Hop Corner: History of Hip Hop
This site offers an extensive history of hip hop and rap, for those who want to know where it all came from!
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 33: 8 Rap
Rap music and hip-hop were the pop music of the nineties. Students of all ages liked to mimic the rappers they listened to on CD's, tapes, and the radio. This lesson builds on students' interest in rap music as well as their enjoyment of...
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: The Legacy of Blackface
This site is an NPR two-part report for the Travis Smiley Show explores the history of Blackface and it's impact on society both past and present. There are related stories on Hip-hop and Racial Harassment.
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: Techno Pop
Feature series on "The Secret History of Technology and Pop Music," traced partly through the story of an Indiana company that stopped making pianos and started cutting 78 rpm records using the talents of famous jazz musicians and others.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Snoop Dogg
Learn about the life of American rapper and songwriter, Snoop Dogg, who became one of the best-known figures in gangsta rap in the 1990s and was for many the epitome of West Coast hip-hop culture.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Run d.m.c.
Biographical details on Run-D.M.C., the American rap group that brought hip-hop into the musical and cultural mainstream, introducing what became known as "new-school" rap.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Nas
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Nas, an American rapper and songwriter who became a dominant voice in 1990s East Coast hip-hop. Nas built a reputation as an expressive chronicler of inner-city street life.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: De La Soul
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features De La Soul, an American rap group whose debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), was one of the most influential albums in hip-hop history.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Out Kast
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features OutKast, an American rap duo, formed in 1992, that put Atlanta, Ga., on the hip-hop map in the 1990s and redefined the G-Funk (a variation of gangsta rap) and Dirty South (often profane...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, an American group that was instrumental in the development of hip-hop music.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Jay Z
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Jay Z, an American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 21st century.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Ludacris
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Ludacris, an American rapper who exemplified the Dirty South school of hip-hop, an exuberant, profanity-laden musical style popularized by artists in the southern United States. Ludacris's...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Missy Elliott
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Missy Elliott, an American rapper and music producer who made a mark on the male-dominated hip-hop world with her talents for writing, rapping, singing, and music production.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Timbaland
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Timbaland, an influential American producer and hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues performer who contributed to the chart-scaling success of a host of recording artists in the early 21st century.
Black Past
Black Past: Queen Latifah
This encyclopedia entry extols Queen Latifah as the most influential female rap singer. You can read about her evolution as a rap singer and actress.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: Will Smith
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Will Smith, an American actor and musician whose charisma, clean-cut good looks, and quick wit helped him transition from rap music to a successful career in acting.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Understanding Poetry of Maya Angelou Through Rap Lyric
By examining the lives and lyrics of popular, positive black female rappers such as Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill, students can trace a direct line back to the inspirational writer and poet, Maya Angelou. Rap lyrics will help explicate...
Black Past
Black Past: Public Enemy
In this encyclopedia entry, you read about the rap group, Public Enemy, their songs, and the evolution of their message. There is a link to a website for more information.
Curated OER
A Woodcut Print of Famous White Minstrel t.d. Rice
This site is an NPR two-part report for the Travis Smiley Show explores the history of Blackface and it's impact on society both past and present. There are related stories on Hip-hop and Racial Harassment.