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 count my blessings
Studyin' my words, steady tryin' to learn my lesson
There's madness in this world, check me out, I ain't stressin'
Knowledge is the key, joy and peace, the essence

Salt-N-Pepa, "Hold On (feat. Sounds Of Blackness, Spinderella, Kirk Franklin)" (Brand New, 1997, London Records)

✏️ Core refers to the most essential, necessary part of something, from which other characteristics are derived. Essence refers to the basic nature of something or its most central, defining feature. Essence can be used in a lofty way that suggests a pervading, inescapable aspect or element.

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

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.

🎤 My Pop told me be your own boss
Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez, Mississippi
Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy
Bridging the gap, from the blues, to jazz, to rap
The history of music on this track

Nas, "Bridging the Gap (feat. Olu Dara)" (Street's Disciple, 2004, Columbia Records)

✏️ Honor suggests that you have a strong sense of what’s right and that you act accordingly. Having integrity is very similar. Describing someone as having integrity particularly suggests that they stick to their moral principles, even when the personal cost of doing so is very high.

Tune in to tomorrow’s Synonym of the Day for a perfect word choice from a track by Salt-N-Pepa.

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.

🎤 Now tell me your philosophy
On exactly what an artist should be.
Should they be someone with prosperity
And no concept of reality?

Lauryn Hill, “Superstar” (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, 1998, Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records)

✏️ While success broadly refers to the accomplishment of one’s goals, prosperity is often used more specifically to refer to a flourishing or thriving condition, especially in relation to financial status and material gain. The word prosperity is usually used positively, but a person can have prosperity without necessarily feeling like they’ve achieved success—or happiness.

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