Issue Date: October 5, 2003
Where on the Web
Yo, peep this
Mad sites with the sickest, most up-to-the-minute hip-hop speak.
Trying to keep up with hip-hop lingo can be as futile as investing in the hottest stock; it changes faster than a DJ scratches records. But recognize, homey: Several Web sites can school you on what expressions to spit when you want your game to sound official.
The Rap Dictionary, rapdict.org, is a crash course for beginning, intermediate and advanced hip-hop heads rolled into one as tight as A.I.'s cornrows. It patiently defines more than 1,200 words, products and expressions -- everything from "MC'ing" (for those who are helplessly out of it) to "scrilla" (for those who consider themselves real G's).
The definitions, which are found by clicking the "Dictionary" tab on the home page, are thorough, sometimes to the point of overkill. Most of the terms are put in the context of popular rap songs, and -- one of the site's most fascinating elements -- etymologies often are given. Rapdict.org also dishes biographical info on old-school and breaking stars in its "Artists" section, so you will never confuse Queen Latifah with Queen Bee.
Another site, laughpit.com/dictionary, is sparser on the whole but contains an "aye-ite" pronunciation guide.
Perhaps the wisest decision the creators of both sites made was not claiming to be the Mos Def of street lingo. Regarding a predominantly spoken language that rewrites itself faster than Eminem's rapid-fire lyrics, such a claim would be ridiculous, even by rap's braggadocious standards. As new terms emerge, the sites' managers solicit help from insiders and revise definitions if challenged. And that's my word. Fa shizzle rizzle bizzle.
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