Lyrics for Rap Music

What is It About Lyrics for Rap Music

Don't let the angry rap songs produced by Eminem lead you to believe that all rap music is bad. Artists like Eminem may write songs that talk about violent acts and other questionable things, but other artists are just about having fun. More recently, several hip hip singers have emerged from the southern part of the United States -- particularly Atlanta -- creating rap songs that simply talk about dancing.

Many mainstream rap songs, like those by the Black Eyed Peas, are also equally accepted in society, playing right alongside music that the general public agrees is safe, like Avril Lavigne, John Mayer, and Hoobastank. Just like rock music, the effect that rap music can have on our nation's children has a lot to do with parenting style and the child's upbringing in general.

For some people, listening to rap lyrics is quite the exercise, not only because they may not be familiar with all the lingo -- what's a grill or a shorty? -- but also because the words come out so quickly. Thankfully, there are several resources available on the web that break it all down for you... or at least write out the hip hop lyrics so that you can analyze them yourself.

Looking Up Lyrics Online

The websites that you can go to find rap lyrics are usually the same ones that would go to when you're looking for any other sort of music lyrics. Here is a small handful to get you started.

• SongLyrics.com has a huge collection of song lyrics, as you can probably imagine. They have them organized largely by artist, but you can also make use of their search tools to narrow down the results. The advertising, particularly the animated banners, can be a bit distracting however.

• A-Z Lyrics Universe is very similar to the above mentioned website, except the color scheme is considerably easier on the eyes. Like before, lyrics are listed by artist, but there is also a handy search tool to use as well.

• Lyrics.com has the easiest web address to remember, as well as one of the cleanest interfaces I've seen among sites like these. The search tool has a pull-down menu that lets you search by artist name, album name, or song title.

Rap and Hip Hop Specific Sites

If you're looking for rap music lyrics specifically, you may have better luck with websites that cater specifically to that genre. These sites are particularly good for more obscure artists.

• OhhLa.com not only has lyrics from a variety of rap artists, but this site also has a series of additional resources like a FAQ, press, reviews, and more.

• Rap Lyrics Search has an impressive collection, but with advertisements bursting at the seams and even delayed page loads because of these ads, it is a resource that you may want to avoid.

• The Underground Rap Lyrics Source has music videos, useful links, and wallpapers, in addition to a lyrics archive for lesser known hip hop singers. This includes lyrics to songs by Boot Camp Clik, Ugly Duckling, Danger Room, and more.