Hip Hop Origins
This group reminded you to "check the rhyme, yo, check the rhyme."
Who is A Tribe Called Quest
This U.S. state is known as the Prairie State.
What is Illinois
This Black-owned streetwear brand, founded in Chicago, became a cultural staple with its bold “Leaders 1354” designs.
What is Leaders / Corey Gilkey
This Bob James song has been sampled in “Children’s Story” by Slick Rick.
What is Nautilus
This is how you like your mornings: music, silence, and a full cup of ______
What is Bustello/Coffee
This artist famously sampled Bob James' “Nautilus” in their track “Daytona 500.”
Who is Ghostface Killah
This 1990s sitcom took place in Chicago and featured a cop named Carl Winslow.
What is Family Matters
This Chicago artist helped shape conscious hip-hop with albums like Resurrection and Like Water for Chocolate, long before Be.
Who is Common
This smooth 1974 Bob James track was sampled in Warren G’s Regulate.
What is “Sign of the Times”
This is the one artist you’ll never skip—EVER.
Who is Al Green
This duo from North Carolina are known for tracks like “Lovin’ It” and “Slow It Down.”
Who are Little Brother
This element, symbolized by ‘Fe’ on the periodic table, is known for strength and resilience.
What is iron
This Chicago neighborhood birthed the blues and saw legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf rise to fame.
What is the South Side
This Tribe Called Quest classic features a sample of “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed.
What is “Can I Kick It?”
This is your go-to line when people play themselves.
What is " Mmhmm, shhhhheeeiiiiiiitttttt"/ "C'mon Son!"
Known for conscious rhymes and Midwestern grit, this albino rapper dropped Shadows on the Sun in 2003.
Who is Brother Ali
This powerful poet, singer, and activist told us, “You may shoot me with your words, but still, like dust, I’ll rise.
Who is Maya Angelou
This long-running Chicago-based TV show, hosted by Don Cornelius, brought soul, funk, and Black joy into living rooms across America.
What is Soul Train
Bob James’ “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” was famously scratched in this Run DMC track.
What is “Peter Piper”
If you could teleport anywhere for your birthday, it’d be this spot in Chicago.
What is Wrigley Field / Riverwalk
This legendary producer’s name is tied to The Ummah and Soulquarians, and helped shape Dilla’s era.
Who is Q-Tip
This word means “the fear of long words,” ironically being one of the longest in the dictionary.
What is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia / sesquipedalophobia
Before becoming a global icon, this NBA legend was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984—and changed the city forever.
Who is Michael Jordan
Dr. Dre sampled Bob James' “Storm King” in this 1999 hit with Eminem.
What is “Guilty Conscience”
No matter how bad the day, this always makes you smile.
What is Booty