Annotations Explanations
Rap Genius, Wikipedia for Hip Hop LyricsFor those who don’t know, Rap Genius began as a Wikipedia for rap lyrics. The site has since grown far beyond hip hop to include other genres of music and literary and historical texts. As with Wikipedia, the website is moderated by a staff, but most of the content is created by users who sign up for accounts. (For this class, you will have to sign up for an account at Rap Genius. It's easy: all you need is a "nickname"--try the Wu-Tang name generator; that's how Donald Glover and "Lucky_Desperado" got their rap names--and an email address--don't forget your password!)The 411 on Rap GeniusRap Genius allows users to select text from a song and annotate, or as they say, "Break it down," in a pop-up bubble. White lines need annotating. Yellow lines already have an annotation.

Users can also “Suggest an improvement” to existing annotations by clicking on the yellow lines and adding a suggestion. Editors on Rap Genius like myself can then “accept” changes and further edit bubbles to provide users the best explanations possible.

Within bubbled explanations, it’s easy to embed images and video simply by pasting in the image URL or YouTube URL. (Note: to get an image URL, you can navigate to the image page or, on a Mac, simply "control click" on the image and "Copy image URL.")

You can also create links by just a little bit of coding (note that there is no space between brackets and parentheses below)--this is as complicated as your work in Rap Genius will get:

[Words to link in brackets](link URL in parentheses)Editing Guidelines (But What Do I Say?)Again, our goal here is to annotate texts, to provide analyses of textual meaning. Here are some questions to consider:

What literary and poetic devices like imagery, metaphor, and enjambment are at work in the song or poem?

How does the theme in the song or poem connect to the themes of other literary texts, especially those mentioned in the song itself?

What relevant historical events are referenced in the lyrics or could be helpful to understand the meaning of the lyrics?


There is an etiquette for the formatting and style of RG just as there are with formal English essays.

While the writing at Rap Genius is relatively informal, proper grammar is still expected.
Just as in more conventional paper-writing, songs should be in quotes and other titles should be appropriately formatted.

You cannot simply copy and paste from Wikipedia and other reference sites—that’s plagiarism anywhere you are writing. The fun thing about Rap Genius is that you can be rewarded for using your own voice!

As in conventional English essays, arguments need to be backed up with evidence. This is easier to do than using MLA format; simply link to a website that supports your point.

Digital writing requires a dynamism lacking in traditional paper writing. Be sure to include images, videos, or links in your posts to fully engage the online composition format.

Lastly, as with all digital writing, be sure to double-check, AKA proofread, your "published" explanations and suggestions to make sure links work and images and video are properly embedded.For More HelpCheck out the resources created by Rap Genius Editors and Rap Genius Educators, including:

Rap Genius Editors - Rap Genius for Beginners (a DO's and DON'Ts list)

Rap Genius Editors - Rap Genius Contributor Guidelines (some formatting tips and a 10 commandments list")