99 Songs

In the song "99 Problems," Jay-Z, rather predictably, describes many (but not all) of his problems. I have a problem of my own: explaining my love of hip hop to people, particularly nonlisteners. This ongoing project will be my attempt to do so.

If you need a starting place, begin with Nas’ "It Ain’t Hard to Tell." It has 3 verses and 0 choruses, unless you count unintelligible chanting as a chorus. According to Genius.com, it has 338 words. Out of deference to this masterpiece, my thoughts on each song will never go beyond Nas' 338.

Whether you're a lifelong hip hop fan or you dislike that your grandchild listens to such "dangerous" and "offensive" music, I hope you find something to contemplate here. Just pick an artist and song. Then listen and read. And repeat.