Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
People like rapper 50 Cent keep the American dream alive. As a young man, 50 led a life of crime. He sold drugs and was even shot nine times! But music changed his life and now he is one of the most successful hip hop artists of all time.
Though the thug life is years behind him now, 50’s latest album, Before I Self Destruct, is his darkest and most aggressive. There’s a lot of violent imagery in the lyrics. But Dale thinks 50 is at his best when he raps about partying. Listen to him tell Marni about it.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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Dale: “Go shawty. It’s your birthday.”
Marni: “Gonna party like it’s yo birthday.”
Dale: You have to about…is it “Fifty Cent” or “Fiddy”?
Marni: I believe it’s “Fiddy.”
Dale: “Fiddy!” I guess when you earn more than 440 million dollars…
Marni: Can you believe what a rags to riches tale he is? He’s sort of the epitome of that.
Dale: He was discovered by Eminem. I know he was an underground rapper in the Bay Area...
Marni: Prior to that he was a drug dealer, as a young kid, 12 years old.
Dale: And now look at him. He’s one of the biggest stars, coming out with his new album, Before I Self Destruct, the guy has, I believe he has his own video game, he’s on a bunch of commercials. The guy is just everywhere.
Marni: So what’s the single? It’s “Baby By Me”?
Dale: You know, I liked his stuff at the beginning. It was nice and catchy and poppy. Now I’m not sure if it’s just going into that too-cool gangsta rap type of thing. I’m still kind of feeling it out. I don’t know, I haven’t heard it yet, but I’m excited to even try. It might be his next best hit, like “In da Club.” “In da Club” was everywhere.
Marni: Right.
Dale: It hit all the genres. And they play it still if it’s your birthday or not.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Adjectives" from this lesson
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Discussion
Have you ever been dancing or having fun and suddenly someone said it was your birthday? 50 Cent’s song “In da Club” starts out with that line and it’s such a popular song, people say it all the time, just like Dale and Marni at the start of this lesson!
Dale seems to know a lot about 50 Cent, but he has to check with Marni about the pronunciation of the rapper’s name. Instead of pronouncing the number like you normally would, “fifty,” you say it “fiddy.”
Though he admits he hasn’t heard that much of 50 Cent’s newer stuff, Dale thinks he likes his old hits better because they’re more about having fun than being a gangster. Luckily, you pretty much can’t go out dancing without hearing “In da Club.”
Both Marni and Dale are amazed by how 50 Cent went from being very poor to being one of the richest rappers ever. Can you think of another rags to riches story?
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