Rap and hip hop Before you read Make a list of at least four topics you would include in a song about friendship. Reading: “Friends” by Whodini a) Read the text silently and then rehearse it so that it sounds like a rap. If you need inspiration, research the rap on the internet to listen to the original sound track. Friends – How many of us have them? Friends – Ones we can depend on Friends – How many of us have them? Friends – Before we go any further Lets be friends Is a word we use everyday Most of the time we use it in the wrong way Now you can look the word up, again and again But the dictionary doesn’t know the meaning of friends And if you ask me, you know, I couldn’t be much help Because a friend is somebody you judge for yourself Some are OK, and they treat you real cool But some mistake kindness for being a fool We like to be with some, because they’re funny Others come around when they need some money Some you grew up with, around the way And you’re still real close to this very day Homeboys through the summer, winter, spring and fall And then there’s some we wish we never knew at all And this list goes on, again and again But these are the people that we call friends Friends – How many of us have them? Friends – Ones we can depend on Friends – How many of us have them? Friends – Before we go any further Lets be friends (© Text: Jalil Hutchins, Lawrence Smith; abridged) b) With a partner compare your ideas with those of the rap. Are there any similarities? Where are the differences? c) Use the example from above and try to add four more lines. Make sure that the lines rhyme and are of the right length. Creating your own rap Now replace the word “Friends” in the chorus with another word and write a rap about your own life. Fact file Rap and hip hop • Rapping is a mix between singing and talking, a form of rhythmical singing to a constant beat. It originated from African-American rhyming games. The words are spoken with rhythm and in the text there are rhymes. The beat sets the structure of the rap and is usually carried through the entire song, except for the chorus. • The themes of the raps often deal with the situation of young Afro-Americans who experience violence, gang life and drug abuse. For these young people rapping is a way to express their feelings and to comment on their social situation. Some of the artists have been involved in urban violence, some have even been killed in gang warfare (e.g. Tupac Shakur). • Among the most famous and most successful rappers today are Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay Z and Kanye West. • Rapping is part of hip hop which is an artistic culture and lifestyle that originally started in the 1970s and has become a popular music style. It also covers aspects like fashion, dancing and street art. F 1 2 3 5 10 15 20 25 81 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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