Stop The Hatred – English Lyrics

• By: MC Jin, Wyclef Jean

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with MC Jin and Wyclef Jean's impactful song, "Stop The Hatred." This powerful hip-hop track offers a unique opportunity to learn English through its direct and urgent message against racism and for unity. You can grasp vocabulary related to social justice, emotions, and calls to action, while also understanding how artists use rap to convey profound societal commentary. Its clear narrative, inspired by real-world events and personal experiences, makes the lyrics accessible and deeply meaningful, encouraging a deeper connection to the language and the song's universal plea for empathy.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection for someone or something verb - to feel deep affection for
hate /heɪt/ B1	noun - intense or violent dislike verb - to feel intense dislike for
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ B2	noun - a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event
attack /əˈtæk/ B1	noun - an aggressive and violent action against a person or place verb - to act aggressively toward someone or something
prey /preɪ/ B2	noun - an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food verb - to exploit or victimize someone, often in a manipulative way
coward /ˈkaʊəd/ B2	noun - a person who lacks courage adjective - showing a lack of bravery
stand /stænd/ B1	verb - to be upright on the feet; to hold a position noun - a place where something is placed or occurs
react /riˈækt/ B1	verb - to respond to a stimulus or situation
pandemic /pænˈdɛmɪk/ B2	noun - an epidemic that spreads over several countries or continents adjective - relating to a worldwide disease outbreak
vaccine /ˈvæksiːn/ B2	noun - a preparation that stimulates the body's immune system to protect against disease
peace /piːs/ B1	noun - a state of calm and freedom from conflict
divide /dɪˈvaɪd/ B2	verb - to separate into parts, groups, or sections noun - a separation or split between people or things
tension /ˈtɛnʃən/ B2	noun - mental or emotional strain; a state of being stretched tight
community /kəˈmjuːnɪti/ B2	noun - a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
race /reɪs/ B1	noun - a group of people classified according to physical characteristics or shared ancestry
media /ˈmiːdiə/ B2	noun - the means of communication, such as newspapers, television, and the internet, that reach a large audience
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2	noun - a narrative of real or imagined events, spoken or written
dialogue /ˈdaɪəˌlɒɡ/ B2	noun - a conversation between two or more people as a way of solving a problem or sharing ideas
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true; a fact or belief that is accepted as true

Key Grammar Structures

• But after all that's happened this past year

  ➔ Present Perfect (Passive)

  ➔ Uses the present perfect tense ('has happened') to describe an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance in the present. The passive voice ('that's happened') emphasizes the state resulting from the event rather than the agent.

• No elderly should ever be victim of such a heinous attack

  ➔ Modal Verb 'should' + Passive voice

  ➔ Expresses a strong recommendation or moral obligation, combined with the passive voice to emphasize the recipient of the action.

• It's time to take a stand and react

  ➔ It's time + to-infinitive

  ➔ Expresses that now is the appropriate moment to do something.

• I'm hopeful that we'll see escape

  ➔ Adjective clause with "that"

  ➔ Uses "that" to introduce a clause that describes or provides more information about the noun it modifies. "Hopeful" is the adjective, and "that we'll see escape" is the clause modifying it.

• Truthfully, I wish I didn't have to write this song

  ➔ Wish + past simple (for unreal past)

  ➔ Uses "wish" followed by the past simple tense to express a desire that something in the present situation were different or that something in the past had been different. It is a hypothetical situation.

• What if we went a little bit out of our way

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 2) - hypothetical situation

  ➔ Uses "what if" followed by the past simple to introduce a hypothetical situation and what might happen as a result. Focus is on the unreality or improbability of the action.

• I just know the enemy would love to further the divide

  ➔ Modal verb 'would' + Infinitive (for future in the past)

  ➔ Using 'would' indicates a hypothetical or potential action from a past perspective. 'Would love to further the divide' suggests an action that was possible or expected in the past.

• Maybe the past is full of lessons but we missed it

  ➔ Past simple (in a hypothetical/general statement) + simple past of the verb 'to miss'

  ➔ Uses the past simple to discuss a past state ('is full') and a completed action ('missed'). This creates a reflective tone about a missed opportunity.