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Kanye West

Kanye West

Date: May 22 2004

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.

Kanye West, a 26-year old Chicago native, is staking a claim as one of hip-hop’s elite. He represents the new sound, style and culture of today’s hip-hop. With a powerful passion for music and extraordinary creativity, the rapper and producer is quickly becoming one of the best known players in the music business.
Read on to learn more about Kanye and the music he makes.

Dialog

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

Kanye West got his start back in the third grade when he discovered his passion for music. He started writing songs and rhyming and then began making beats when most kids were still playing hide and seek on the playground.
Kanye realized that his favorite pastime could become a way to make a living when he met a Chicago music producer named NO I.D.. NO I.D. encouraged Kanye to borrow sounds from old school hits and give them a new school flavor. In an MTV interview, Kanye explains, “NO I.D. told me ‘you need to sample off records’ when I found that out, it was all over.”
A good example of the kind of music Kanye makes is a song called “All Falls Down.” You can listen to it on Kanye’s website: kanyewest.com
Check out some of the lyrics:
It seems we living the American dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us,
floss cause they degrade us

“All Falls Down” is a powerful song about the way many people in America live their lives. Kanye feels like too many people focus on money and material things instead of what’s really important.

 

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

Kanye West is definitely one of the best rappers in the world. On top of that, he’s also an amazing producer. In addition to his own songs, he’s helped create songs for people such as Jay-Z, Nas, Alicia Keys and Britney Spears.
If you’re a hip-hop fan and you’ve never heard Kanye’s music, you should take the time to check it out. You won’t regret it.
Rock on,
Migs

 

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