Best Hip Hop Dictionary Podcasts (2025)

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Unpacking the Trump administration's immigration raid in Chicago 17:13

Play Pause

14h ago17:13

17:13

After midnight on September 30th, helicopters hovered above a large Chicago apartment building, and heavily armored agents rappelled from the choppers onto the roof. What unfolded became a spectacle that swept up both undocumented migrants and U.S. citizens alike. We’re looking at one of the most high-profile and aggressive raids in President Trump…

1
Racist slurs, naughty words, and how dictionary editors define them 36:40

4d ago36:40

36:40

How do we define slurs like the N-word? Whether it’s heated debates about racist or ableist slurs, arguments about gender, or even new kinds of profanity, dictionary editors have been at the center of these fights for a long time. We're joined by Stefan Fatsis, the author of Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary, for a dee…

1
What does Israel mean to American Jews? 41:38

8d ago41:38

41:38

Even since before October 7, 2023, American Jews have found themselves grappling with what it means to speak out against Israel and the rifts in their communities over their political views. And despite a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the division among Jews in the U.S. about Zionism and anti-Zionism could go on for years to com…

1
Stacey Abrams on how voter suppression threatens democracy 15:05

12d ago15:05

15:05

Stacey Abrams is one of the most high-profile voting rights activists in the U.S. She says whether we have an actual democracy might literally depend on protecting voting rights in the next election cycle or two. How to prevent that? Keep an eye on the 10 steps from democracy to autocracy. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.co…

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Voting rights are at risk. Here's why. 33:57

15d ago33:57

33:57

Next Wednesday, the Supreme Court hears a case that could further weaken the Voting Rights Act, which was passed to ensure fair districting and voting practices across different racial groups. Meanwhile, lawmakers across states are taking other paths to limit who can vote, from redrawing districts in order to favor a single party to limiting which …

1
Why Malala Yousafzai is a hero in the West but not back home 41:34

22d ago41:34

41:34

Why is Malala Yousafzai so revered in the West while being much less popular in her home country of Pakistan? On this week's Code Switch, we unpack how Pakistani skepticism of Malala extends from a suspicion of U.S. and other foreign interests. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

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Is the American dream a scam? 33:10

29d ago33:10

33:10

This week on the pod: author Edgar Gomez talks about what it was like growing up poor, queer, and Nicaraguan Puerto Rican in Florida. His new memoir, Alligator Tears, chronicles his dreams of making it big, the various mini-scams he got into along the way, and his realization that a rich life might not ever come with bundles of money. Learn more ab…

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The stakes of calling Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide 43:50

1M ago43:50

43:50

This week: why the term "genocide" matters when talking about Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza. On Tuesday, a UN commission said it found that Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, as more people, groups and countries are alleging the same. We break down what the word genocide means on both a personal and geopolitical level,…

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How calls for mass deportations went mainstream 43:10

2M ago43:10

43:10

Calls to ban “third world immigration” in favor of “remigration” -- or, mass deportation -- went from fringe ideas in far right circles to ones pedaled by mainstream conservatives. Now, those ideas are mirrored in government policy. On this week's Code Switch, we track how these ideas got their start among white nationalists and neo-Nazis in the U.…

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Digging into our ancestors' drama 41:23

2M ago41:23

41:23

This week, we're bringing you a special episode from our play cousins over at the podcast "Our Ancestors Were Messy." We hear about how Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes went from being best friends to not friends. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

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How racism kept Americans out of pools 35:24

2M ago35:24

35:24

This week, we're looking into the history of public swimming pools in the U.S., and the legacy that pool segregation has had on swimming skills in the country today. Earlier this year, Jasmine Romero found herself surrounded by four- and five-year-olds, ready to take her first ever swim class. Jasmine, who is in her mid-thirties, has had a fear of …

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How Trump's D.C. takeover criminalizes homelessness 39:27

2M ago39:27

39:27

On August 11, President Trump announced his intention to "rescue" the nation's capital. A central feature of his plan involved using federal officials to remove people experiencing homelessness from the city — people that he listed alongside "violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, and drugged out maniacs." On this episode…

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Statelessness, but make it funny 30:42

2M ago30:42

30:42

Mo Amer is the creator and star of the hit Netflix comedy series Mo. It's a first-of-its kind Palestinian-American sitcom with a fraught plot line about the American immigration system and the hope to return, at least for a visit, to his family's homeland. We talk to Mo Amer what it’s like to make a show so centered on the real facts of his own lif…

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Hot weather kills. Who gets protected? 32:00

3M ago32:00

32:00

The heat disproportionately kills poor, elderly and people of color. So on this episode we're focusing on the lives of those impacted, from roofers in Florida to prisoners who live and die in cells that feel more like ovens in Texas. We’re asking why so many people are dying from the heat and whose lives we value enough to count their deaths and tr…

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You told us — what brings you joy 16:53

3M ago16:53

16:53

On this bonus episode of the show, we're hearing from some of YOU about what brings you joy, how you connect joy and justice work, and why joy is so important in your lives. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

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Is joy an act of resistance? 36:38

3M ago36:38

36:38

The phrase "joy is resistance" has been popping up all over the place lately. But what, exactly, does it mean? In this episode, we're unpacking what joy is, when it can actually be used as a tool for social change, and why the slogan has become so popular (even when joy itself feels more tenuous.) Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastch…

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Protests are near constant. Do they work? 30:35

3M ago30:35

30:35

To the casual observer, it might seem like the U.S. has been spent years in a constant state of protest, from the Women's March in 2017 to the racial uprisings in 2020 to the No Kings protests earlier in the summer. But some are starting to wonder: How effective are any of those protests? When it comes to achieving lasting social change, do any of …

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Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media 2:01

3M ago2:01

2:01

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential American service survive and thrive. Visit donate.npr.org now. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

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The books, movies and music that shaped the Code Switch team 30:45

3M ago30:45

30:45

Once upon a time, members of the Code Switch team were just kids, learning about race and identity for the first time. So on this episode, we're sharing some of the books, movies and music that deeply influenced each of us at an early age — and set us on the path to being the race nerds we are today. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcas…

1
From gr*pists to nip nops, how self-censorship shapes the language of TikTok 33:58

4M ago33:58

33:58

Have you noticed people using terms like "unalive" and "pew pews" on social media? There's a reason for that: some people are changing the way they speak on TikTok and other social media platforms to bypass what they think are algorithm blocks. For some users, it's a fun game — but for others, self-censoring certain words is crucial to being able t…

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The lighter side of immigration: A day at the park in Queens 38:18

4M ago38:18

38:18

This week on Code Switch, we're doing a different kind of immigration coverage. We're telling a New York story: one that celebrates the beautiful, everyday life of the immigrant. Code Switch producer, Xavier Lopez and NPR immigration reporter, Jasmine Garsd spend a day at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podca…

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Dispatches from the living memory of trans people of color 39:00

4M ago39:00

39:00

Trans people are major targets of the second Trump administration. But in a way, that's nothing new; trans people have been fighting for their rights, dignity, and liberation for generations. So on this episode, we hear from trans elders about what their lives have looked like over the decades, and what messages they have for young people. Learn mo…

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Iranian American identity was under scrutiny long before the U.S. struck Iran 32:15

4M ago32:15

32:15

We're throwing back to a conversation we had in 2020 with Jason Rezaian, Iranian American journalist who had been previously jailed in Iran. Back in January of 2020, the first Trump administration carried out a military operation killing Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian military commander. Now, the second Trump administration is striking Iranian nuclea…

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The administration's fight against antisemitism is dividing Jews 37:51

4M ago37:51

37:51

In recent months we've seen the Trump administration punishing speech critical of Israel in its widening effort to combat what it sees as antisemitism. As protestors have been detained for pro-Palestinian activism, we've seen attacks on Jews and people expressing concern for Israeli hostages in Gaza — and in the wake of all this, a lot Jews don't a…

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How the news can make us think we need more policing 29:19

5M ago29:19

29:19

As President Trump flirts with invoking the Insurrection Act on anti-ICE demonstrators in LA, we look back at the national protests of 2020, when Trump last talked about invoking the act. Back then, there was broad energy around rethinking policing, but polls show that that energy has largely vanished. In this episode, we ask: what happened? Our gu…

Hip Hop Dictionary Podcasts

1
Code Switch

NPR

1
Reading the Rap Dictionary

DailyRapFacts

1
Hip Hop Heads Podcast

Hip Hop Heads

1
Syntax Records: Christian Hip Hop, MMA, Comedy & More!

Syntax Creative

1
Unpacking the Trump administration's immigration raid in Chicago 17:13

1
Racist slurs, naughty words, and how dictionary editors define them 36:40

1
What does Israel mean to American Jews? 41:38

1
Stacey Abrams on how voter suppression threatens democracy 15:05

1
Voting rights are at risk. Here's why. 33:57

1
Why Malala Yousafzai is a hero in the West but not back home 41:34

1
Is the American dream a scam? 33:10

1
The stakes of calling Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide 43:50

1
How calls for mass deportations went mainstream 43:10

1
Digging into our ancestors' drama 41:23

1
How racism kept Americans out of pools 35:24

1
How Trump's D.C. takeover criminalizes homelessness 39:27

1
Statelessness, but make it funny 30:42

1
Hot weather kills. Who gets protected? 32:00

1
You told us — what brings you joy 16:53

1
Is joy an act of resistance? 36:38

1
Protests are near constant. Do they work? 30:35

1
Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media 2:01

1
The books, movies and music that shaped the Code Switch team 30:45

1
From gr*pists to nip nops, how self-censorship shapes the language of TikTok 33:58

1
The lighter side of immigration: A day at the park in Queens 38:18

1
Dispatches from the living memory of trans people of color 39:00

1
Iranian American identity was under scrutiny long before the U.S. struck Iran 32:15

1
The administration's fight against antisemitism is dividing Jews 37:51

1
How the news can make us think we need more policing 29:19