By
JILLIAN D'ONFRO
Rap Genius, a community site where members can leave in-line annotations analyzing song lyrics, literature, speeches, and news items, recently let us inside its operations.
The company is known for a few things. For one, there's the controversial statements of its Yale-grad founders Mahbod Moghadam, Tom Lehman, and Ilan Zechory. But on the plus side, Rap Genius has a roster of supporters like Nas and Kendrick Lamar. But it recently made headlines when the National Music Publishers Association called it–and other lyrics sites–"blatantly illegal."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rap Genius' office is as non-traditional as its public image.
The company's 40+ employees work in the seventh-floor penthouse suites of an apartment building on Kent Street in Williamsburg (the building used to be the warehouse of a large grocer). In total, the company works out of nine different offices.
Each of the suites has a kitchen, bathroom, common area, and several bedrooms turned into offices. In some ways, it feels more like a giant collegiate crash pad than an office.
When you arrive on the seventh floor, you're in Rap Genius territory. I spotted several employees walking through the halls with bare feet.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Although there's no reception desk, the company proudly touts its logo on the wall in the main suite.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
This space hosts the offices for the Rock Genius and News Genius sections, and the main common area where the company entertains guests.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Rap Genius keeps its analytics up at all times, to keep track of which lyrics pages are getting the most visitors. Beyonce and Eminem were on top during my visit.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
A collage of photos from the Rap Genius Instagram account decorates a main wall.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
The collection is pretty star-studded. Even Lady Gaga makes an appearance.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Rap Genius also encourages artists to sign their names when they visit.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
The office has hosted musicians of all degrees of fame, from local, community artists to more established names, like Childish Gambino.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
The best part of this suite is the amazing view from the deck.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
"We definitely chill out here a lot," operations manager Jael McCants told me.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Naturally, this grill gets a lot of love in the warmer months.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Some plant life spices up the office, too.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Raphael Pope-Sussman works on News Genius. Among many, many other things, he plans Rap Genius trivia nights.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
A peek at his desk hints at what News Genius annotates: historical texts, speeches, policy documents, laws, and the occasional Kanye rant or crazy open letter from a CEO.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
If you're a guest at Rap Genius, you'll be offered any type of drink you could want.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Here's a peek into the Rock Genius office.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
A visiting rapper wrote the company an original piece on an old pizza box.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
The Rock Genius dudes keep a list of chart-topping songs, to make sure the lyrics of the hottest songs are always on the site.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Outside the Rock Genius office, the company has posted the plans for a NEW space it will move to next year. The fresh digs will seat about 80 people.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Rap Genius has a lot of different swag options to dish out.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Highlights: A "Where's Waldo"-inspired t-shirt featuring Jay-Z (get the song reference?) and this "Baller Water."
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
We checked out the suite down the hall next. Rap Genius is very bike friendly.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
This suite has another signature board.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Employees often order food through Seamless and eat together at this big, common room table.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
This barren office is perfect for when the Rap Genius programmers need to hard-core concentrate.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Outside the office, programming books nestle next to big speakers.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Founder Tom Lehman's office is in this suite.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
With a loaded closet, it feels like a bedroom, sans bed.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Here are Rap Genius' two other founders, Mahbod Moghadam and Ilan Zechory. They compare themselves to the two grumpy muppets who heckle the rest of the cast from their balcony seats.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
This is Zechory's office.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
He's got this poster hanging on his wall. Zechory practices clinical hypnosis.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
He also has a bunch of blankets in his office because he "likes to be swaddled."
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Rap Genius employees can feel free to shower in one of the many full bathrooms (which is especially handy since the building also has a gym).
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
There's a keyboard in the common room of this suite. Moghadam knows how to tickle the ivories.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Lots of home-y clutter in this suite.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Here's the office of Rap Genius' lawyer.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
This piece exemplifies what Rap Genius is all about, he tells me.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
One floor down, Rap Genius has a big conference room where the staff has daily meetings.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Moghadam doesn't have his own office on the seventh floor, but will often work out of the apartment that he shares with Lehman. Which is only three floors down.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Lehman loves making pottery. The apartment is decked out with his work.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
He also has an inordinate collection of shoes.
Business Insider / Jillian D'Onfro
Wanna check out some other startups?
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/rap-genius-office-tour-2013-12?op=1#ixzz2oxdgXVia
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