Perhaps more than in any other musical genre, words are crucial
components in rap and hip hop. Rappers aren’t usually instrumentalists in the
traditional sense, but instead rely on the careful selection of words and the
cadence and speed with which they deliver them—their “flow.” As a result, rap
is rife with lyrical inventiveness and wordplay, including puns, double
entendres, cleverly veiled references, and even words invented from scratch.
Here are five words that hip hop has contributed to the lexicon.