Missy Elliot

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• old school
• flow
• passed
• under construction

• back to the root
• gangsta rap
• from top to bottom
• worth your time

• filler

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Missy Elliot recently released one of the best albums of the year. Under Construction is an amazing mix of old school hip-hop and futuristic beats and lyrics. In creating this album, Missy shows that she truly is a musical genius.
Under Construction features one of the coolest singles on the radio these days. It’s called “Work It.” If you haven’t heard it yet, you’ve got to check it out.
Read on to learn more about Missy!

Dialog

1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Missy was a very good friend of Aaliyah’s. At the beginning of Under Construction, Missy says, “Ever since Aaliyah passed I view life in a more valuable way. We all under construction... trying to rebuild ourselves. Let’s take hip-hop back to the root. Follow me.”
Missy is trying to take hip-hop music back to a time when things were more fun – when they were less serious and less violent. She’s tired of gangsta rap, which is filled with negativity and anger. She’s making party music and she wants people to listen to it with a smile on their face. Or, better yet, she wants to make people dance.
“Work It” is a perfect example. It’s an awesome hip-hop song… a perfect party song. Missy’s lyrics on the song are so playful, the chorus is even played backward.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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