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Hosted by Alex Trebek for the past 30 years, Jeopardy is the last show we'd expect to be full of hip-hop. But despite our expectations, the show with a thirty-something Mormon as its greatest champion is full of hip-hop trivia. In the last six months alone Trebek has dropped the names of Jay Z, Kanye West, and his fellow Canadian, Drake, in addition to a bevy of legends from the '80s and '90s.
Even more heartening than our favorite rappers' inclusions is the fact that the contestants usually get the questions right. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if my grandma, who watches the show religiously, has posted up on her couch and shouted at the TV, "Who is Nasty Nas?"
Check out the surprising marriage of our favorite genre and a 40-year-old game show with A Recent History of Hip-Hop Invading Jeopardy.
If your iPod display reads “Drake f/ Majid Jordan”, the f/ stands for this.
Answer: Featuring
Category: Music Industry Terms
Date: Aug. 1, 2014
Props on referencing “Just Hold On We're Going Home,” but who still uses a straight up iPod? Switch it to iPhone and nobody can deny Jeopardy's (surprising) hip factor.
Snoop Dogg & a candy-clad Katy are highlights of this video.
Answer: “California Gurls”
Category: Katy Perry
Date: July 22, 2014
Snoop made it on the show in the safest, poppiest way possible. “Ain't No Fun” is probably NSFJ. And the entire Doggystyle album, for that matter.
Questlove
Answer: The Roots
Category: The Band That Made Me Famous
Date: June 27, 2014
A little bit of NBC cross-promotion here.
The Fugees took this song to No. 2; Roberta Flack had taken it to No. 1.
Answer: “Killing Me Softly With His Song”
Category: “K Rock”
Date: June 26, 2014
“Name a member of The Fugees not named Lauryn or Wyclef” would have been a triple stumper.
Eminem knows that if someone calls you a “Stan” it's not a compliment, it means you're one of these.
Answer: An obsessive fan (or stalker fan)
Category: Internet Slang
Date: June 25, 2014
You could call whoever's behind the impressive master list of Jeopardy questions a Stan.
This hip-hopper, he of memorable award show appearances: “If I don't win, the award show loses credibility.”
Answer: Kanye West
Category: Quote the Celebrity
Date: June 23, 2014
We've heard Kanye called a lot of things, but “hip-hopper” is a first. It's not surprising his notorious award show behavior is what Jeopardy chose to focus on. Too many people have a hard time looking past it.
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams is from this sequel featuring Gru & the Minions.
Answer: Despicable Me 2
Category: Movie Tunes
Date: June 18, 2014
Pharrell's hits are all over Jeopardy. Earlier this year “Get Lucky” was also one of the answers.
In 1994 this R&B group's “I'll Make Love To You” remained at the top of the charts for 14 straight weeks.
Answer: Boyz II Men
Category: 1990s Hitmakers
Date: June 10, 2014
A run almost as impressive as Ken Jenning's 74-game dominance back in 2004.
This quartet's “Monkey Business” included “My Humps.”
Answer: The Black Eyed Peas
Category: We're With “The” Band
Date: May 28, 2014
Yes, we realize calling The Black Eyed Peas hip-hop is a bit of a stretch these days.
A Snoop Dogg song mentions this duo “deep in Gotham, fighting crime.”
Answer: Batman & Robin
Category: Super Hear-O
Date: May 26, 2014
In the song Snoop plays Batman, The Lady of Rage handles Robin, and RBX, Commissioner X.
Kim Kardashian stars with him in his video for “Bound 2.”
Answer: Kanye West
Category: Pop Music of Today
Date: May 22, 2014
Kim's second most famous video.
Darryl McDaniels was one-third of this rap group that was inducted in 2009.
Answer: Run DMC
Category: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers
Date: May 20, 2014
How many old white people watching this grumbled, “Rappers aren't Rock & Roll"?
This 2010 Gucci Mane song title rhymes with a popular sports drink.
Answer: “Haterade”
Category: Hate Songs
Date: May 15, 2014
There's nothing we could write that could top Alex Trebek saying Gucci Mane. The obvious joy Brad gets out of saying Haterade is just a bonus. Sit back and watch this Vine two or 50 times.
“And the lights are blinkin', I'm thinkin' it's all over when I go out drinkin'… insane in” this.
Answer: The Membrane
Category: The 1990s Rap Song
Date: May 8, 2014
This could also serve as a description of the best way to celebrate winning five figures on Jeopardy.
Completes the title of a Notorious B.I.G. hit, “Mo Money…”
Answer: Mo' Problems
Category: The 1990s Rap Song
Date: May 8, 2014
Trebek knows all about this. Back in 2011 he was robbed in his hotel room and “snapped” his Achilles tendon while chasing the burglar.
Shock-G taught us the moves of this Digital Underground “dance.”
Answer: “The Humpty Dance”
Category: The 1990s Rap Song
Date: May 8, 2014
Oh word, Alex? Shock-G taught you the Humpty Dance? We gotta see it. While you're at it, throw on the Groucho disguise.
“Go Hammer, MC Hammer," is in the tune with this 4-word title.
Answer: “U Can't Touch This”
Category: The 1990s Rap Song
Date: May 8, 2014
We hope Jeopardy threw Hammer some royalties for using his name on the show. He could certainly use it.
From the Beastie Boys: “I can't stand it, I know you planned it… listen, all y'all, it's a” this.
Answer: “Sabotage”
Category: The 1990s Rap Song
Date: May 8, 2014
Sadly, this is one of the few questions none of the contestants could answer. In fact, no one even tried.
Described by urbandictionary.com as “carpe diem for stupid people," YOLO is actually short for this.
Answer: You only live once
Category: Slang
Date: May 5, 2014
Despite the Urban Dictionary ether, this phrase is impossible to kill.
Number of Jay Z title “Problems," or “Bottles of beer on the wall.”
Answer: 99
Category: Pick a Number Between 5 and 477
Date: April 25, 2014
The first clue is for us, and the second is for grandma.
1987: This female trio pushed onto the charts with “Push It.”
Answer: Salt-N-Pepa
Category: Top 40 Debuts
Date: April 22, 2014
Jeopardy sure likes to push those puns on us.
Salisbury Cathedral's dean said this man, via his 2013 album, “is creating a huge awareness of” an historic document.
Answer: Jay Z
Category: Final Jeopardy
Date: April 8, 2014
This moment needs to make it in a Hov lyric. While all these other rappers are posted up on the Jeopardy or Double Jeopardy rounds, Jay has set his throne atop Final Jeopardy.
This onetime member of Public Enemy sought romance on Flavor of Love.
Answer: Flavor Flav
Category: Celebrity Reality TV
Date: April 4, 2014
“What is the beginning of a shameful downfall for a hip-hop icon? Wait, what was the question again?”
Check out the hook–this '90s rapper “Goes Amish”– while my DJ revolves it.
Answer: Vanilla Ice
Category: Celebrity Reality TV
Date: April 4, 2014
At this point there could be an entire category for rappers' reality shows.
Queen Latifah discovered the group known as this “by Nature.”
Answer: Naughty
Category: The “Aught"s
Date: April 1, 2014
Is Trebek down for O.P.P., though?