The weekend starboy rap genius
But translating rap into white-speak is only peripherally related to analyzing its meaning. Tom Lehman contends that " entire project is dedicated to a single joke: rap lyrics sound funny when translated into intentionally white-sounding language. In an AOL News article from Januin which Rap Genius and another rap lyric explanation site - Understand Rap - are featured, the author of the article claimed that the creators of Rap Genius have a "beef" with the creator of Understand Rap, William Buckholz. Victor Vazquez of Das Racist said " is white-devil sophistry/Urban Dictionary is for demons with college degrees" on the group's 2011 album RELAX. Nick Antosca of the Huffington Post described the site as "ingenious.", while website Daily Swarm describes the explanations as "bland" and uninformative.
Initial reception to the site has been mixed. The site has been featured on numerous blogs and websites, including the Huffington Post, AOL News, and Above the Law. The video is played on the left side of the screen, while the explanations flash on the right side of the screen. Rap Genius has also explained various music videos. Some places that are shown on the Rap Map are 2Pac's elementary school, T.I.'s mansion, and Notorious B.I.G's boyhood home. Users can add places to the Rap Map as well. It utilizes the same pop-up explanation format as lyrics on the site do. The Rap Map, the brainchild of early Rap Genius partner Dan Berger, utilizes Google Earth to show places that are mentioned in famous (and some not so famous) rap lyrics in their exact geographical locations. Several of the blog posts have been featured on other online blogs, including. The posts vary in style and length and are authored by various contributors, including the founders themselves. Examples of artists that have been covered in the blog are Tyler the Creator, Lil B the Basedgod, Eminem, Jay-Z, Wiz Khalifa, XV, and | Fabolous (rapper)Fabolous. The Rap Genius Blog covers features on specific artists and/or albums as well as the analysis of popular hip-hop memes, phenomenons and trends. Users are rewarded with greater editorial and moderating privileges as more Rap IQ points are awarded. Points are rewarded on the basis of not only the quantity of lyrics explained, but also the quality of the explanations. Users earn "Rap IQ" with every published explanation. Explanations and comments are moderated by editors and other members. They can also offer suggestions to improve already published lyrics and explanations. Registered members with an account can upload, correct, and explain lyrics. Contribution is easy because "anyone can create an account and start explaining rap" simply by highlighting lyrics and filling in the pop-up explanations. On Rap Genius users can "listen to songs, read their lyrics, and click the lines that interest for pop-up explanations." The site's content is user-generated. The Rap Map was linked by several sites including Mashable and Kottke. The ability to listen to the songs while viewing their lyrics, the Rap Map, and Music Video explanations were eventually added to the site as well.
Introduction of Audio, the Rap Map, and Music Video Explanations In a March 2010 interview with John Wray, Vampire Weekend lyricist Ezra Koenig said he preferred the website's original name. Originally named Rap Exegesis, the site changed its name in December 2009 to Rap Genius because "exegesis" was difficult for users to spell. Lehman, the programmer of the site, and Zechory soon joined him and brought the idea to fruition.
After Lehman built the earliest version of the site, Moghadam, a 2008 graduate of Stanford Law School and a first year employee at Dewey and LeBoeuf who was on a paid sabattical leave, decided to pursue the idea full-time. Lehman and Moghadam came up with the idea for the site in the summer of 2009 when Lehman asked Moghadam about the meaning of a Cam'ron lyric. Rap Genius was created in October 2009 by founders Mahbod Moghadam, Tom Lehman, and Ilan Zechory, who met years ago during their undergraduate years at Yale University. 5.1 Reported "Beef" With Understand RapĪs of June 2012, Rap Genius receives approximately 10 million unique visitors per month.2.3 Introduction of Audio, the Rap Map, and Music Video Explanations.