In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we’re highlighting some of the masterful word choices that exemplify music’s most language-loving genre.

🎤 I brought butter for the popcorn, dip for the chips
And ego for your trip, some scripts for you to flip
Corrections for mishaps, errors, or mistakes
Fly raps for beats, and pop and lock for breaks
A legend in my own lifetime, from one rhyme
That was specially designed, from the hook to bottom line

GZA, "Alphabets" (Pro Tools, 2008, Babygrande Records)

✏️ Stylish is a conventional word to describe someone or something as attractively fashionable, especially in a timeless or elegant way. Fly is a very informal term, popularized by hip-hop culture, that suggests not just style and sophistication but also coolness and creativity.

Check out our full hip-hop vocab playlist!

In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we’re highlighting some of the masterful word choices that exemplify music’s most language-loving genre.

🎤 A rhythm recipe that you'll savor
Doesn't matter if you're minor or major
Yes, the Tribe of the game we're the player
As you inhale like a breath of fresh air

A Tribe Called Quest, "Can I Kick It?" (People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990, Jive Records)

✏️ Enjoy and savor both mean to take pleasure or delight in the experience of something. Savor particularly suggests mindfully delighting in sensory experiences, such as taste and smell, as they are occurring, so as to prolong them and commit such sensations to memory.

Tune in to tomorrow’s Synonym of the Day for a perfect word choice from a track by GZA.

Watch the answers to our question: What does hip-hop mean to you?

@dictionarycom We asked music fans on the street: "how do you define hip-hop?" Listen to their answers, and let us know how you define hip-hop in the comments below! #hiphop50 #hiphopanniversary #hiphop #music #language #hiphop50th #hiphop50thanniversary #vocabulary ♬ original sound - Dictionary.com

In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we’re highlighting some of the masterful word choices that exemplify music’s most language-loving genre.

🎤 Ladies first, there's no time to rehearse
I'm divine and my mind expands throughout the universe
A female rapper with the message to send
The Queen Latifah is a perfect specimen

Queen Latifah and Monie Love, "Ladies First" (All Hail the Queen, 1989, Tommy Boy Records)

✏️ Excellent is used to describe someone or something as being outstanding, but divine goes even further, suggesting supernatural superiority. Divine is often used hyperbolically to express the utmost appreciation for someone or something, such as a person’s world-class talents.

Tune in to tomorrow’s Synonym of the Day for a perfect word choice from a track by A Tribe Called Quest.