English, baby!

Eminem

Date: Aug 30 2010

Themes: Music

Grammar: Phrasal Verbs

Go Super!

Intro

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

Go Super to Listen

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

Go Super to Listen

The rapper Eminem isn’t known for making songs with positive messages. But anyone can change his tune, even a famous musician.

Eminem’s latest album, Recovery, is a little less shocking and controversial than his previous releases. It still includes a couple of public disses, but most of the songs are inspired by more personal material. Find out what Ella and Devan think of Eminem’s softer side.

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.

Devan

Ella

Devan: I know that Eminem just released a new album, and I hadn’t really been keeping track of him, but in my mind I always thought of Eminem as being this bad boy character. But I’ve heard…the reviews I’ve read said his new album is really positive.

Ella: I’ve heard that too. I heard it was a lot more, not energetic, but more understanding. He’s not bashing. He’s not as homophobic as he has been in the past. I feel like he still is pretty scared and prejudiced toward gay people, but he doesn’t talk about it as much.

Devan: And I heard that he and Rihanna have a song about abuse and abusive relationships.

Ella: Oh I haven’t heard about that.

Devan: She said that she felt it had a really powerful message, so she signed on for that based on her experience. So it seems like he’s tackling some big issues on this album that might actually be conflicting with the messages from his old albums, you know?

Ella: Sounds like it’s kind of a therapy, not just music.

Devan: Yeah. Do you think that joining AA might have helped him to see the light, in a sense?

Ella: Yeah, it sounds like that could be one of the contributing factors. He’s older, more mature. Less strung up in the fame of being a white rapper.

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Phrasal Verbs" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3

Go Super to Ask Ebaby! teachers your questions!

The iTEP^® test

Sponsored by

Schedule an iTEP^® test and take the official English Practice Test.
Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen

Devan hasn’t followed Eminem’s career very closely, but she was surprised to learn that his new album features songs with more positive messages. In the past, Eminem’s songs have been negative and inspired a lot of controversy. But the new album even features a song with Rihanna that speaks against abusive relationships. That’s a pretty big change from when Eminem rapped about killing his girlfriend.

Devan and Ella wonder if Eminem’s experiences in AA led him to write more positive songs. AA is a program for people who are trying to recover from alcohol or drug addiction. Since the title of Eminem’s new album is Recovery, Devan and Ella could be right about AA inspiring some of its messages.

Have you ever changed your tune about something? Did you think Eminem’s earlier songs were too negative?

Comments

< Previous
21 through 40 of 47
Next >
1 2 3

rosendo

Mexico

a like eminem's tune :)

Marcelolic

Brazil

Oh yeah this is part of our growth ;) When I was young I thought about some things and I was very severe…Nowadays I'm more flexible on this same things,in other words,I changed my tune at all…For incredable it seems I know little about Eminem I don't like your music style :P

amado

Jordan

THE ONLY THING MAKE IT UP FOR ME IN THIS SONG SPECIALLY IS MEGAN FOX,

HIS OLD SONGS WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THIS SUDDEN UNDERSTANDING SONG.

AND BY THE WAY HE HAS SOME UNDERSTANDING SONGS?? HAVE YOU HEARD (WHEN IM GONE)!!!

ONE OF THE BEST EVER

kirokikokiko

United Arab Emirates

i like the song its really awsom but i dont like the past eminem's songs he screams alot in them

rebel lee

China

Sorry, I don't know Eminem. But according to Devan and Ella, Eminem seems to be a bad guy. Actually, I don't think people can really change, they are who they are, don't let the small change fool you.

sandrasvg

Brazil

I don´t know Eminem very well. I don´t like rap…

Miss Fabulous

Germany

eminem s older songs werent negative, they were based on his life, his experiences and his past….and he didnt only have negative mooded songs and i say negative-mooded because one shouldnt make the mistake of calling his songs "negative"..this term is a bit failed by the makers of this lesson in my opinion.

As I said, Eminem didnt only have negative mooded songs but also many optimistic and funny ones too including slim shady and many more..since the lyrics of eminems songs are always meaningful, he is one of my favourite artists.

sellma

Bosnia and Herzegovina

the musician makes a song from his own experience. while he better convey his experience on paper, the greater the artist he is,and Eminem is doing well

Kotisha

Russian Federation

Frankly speaking Im not very interested in such kind of music. But I can say that I really like the popular song of Eminem and Rihanna. Its cool! I haven`t heard anything about Eminem`s previous life, but Im really glad that he is becoming better!

andee1

China

i changed my tune all the time along with growing up.

lolekesh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I like eminem's songs and I like this song very much

tr0yquint0

Philippines

I think Eminem's previous album is about his past experience and how he cope up with that. He is still good in making music and I agree with Ella that Eminem is more mature now.

Bogle

Germany

I don't care for this sort of music at all and I think he has less talent than absolutely everyone in the world, but to say he is "homophobic" and "scared" of gay people is retarded. Obviously this method of thought helps Ella deal with the zillions of people who feel the same way Em does. Clearly her personality has been shaped by television and she doesn't actually have her own brain.