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.

🎤 Constant elevation causes expansion
I write my rhymes while I cool in my mansion
Then put it on tape and in the city I test it
Then on the radio the R is requested

Eric B & Rakim, "I Know You Got Soul" (Paid in Full, 1987, 4th & B'way Records)

✏️ Advancement refers to the process of moving forward, while elevation specifically refers to moving upward—and both terms are used literally and figuratively. When used metaphorically, elevation suggests that something, such as an art form, has been raised to a new level.

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

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.

🎤 Cause I am not a word, I am not a line
I am not a girl that could ever be defined
I am not fly, I am levitation
I represent an entire generation

Nicki Minaj, "Fly (feat. Rihanna)" (Pink Friday, 2010, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown Records)

✏️ Embody and represent both mean to serve as a symbol for something larger. Embody suggests a purposeful effort to reflect an ideal. Represent is often used in the context of a group or movement for which an exceptional person has become a prominent emblem.

Tune in to tomorrow’s Synonym of the Day for a perfect word choice from a track by Erik B & Rakim.

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.

🎤 If you battle me, I will revile
People always saying my style is wild
You've got gall, you've got guile
To step to me, I’m a rapophile

Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (Hello Nasty, 1998, Capitol Records and Grand Royal Records)

✏️ Cleverness emphasizes being intelligent, whereas guile emphasizes being cunning or crafty and often deceitful and manipulative. While the word guile is often used negatively, guile can be seen as an admirable quality, especially when used in pursuit of a worthy goal.

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