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Nelly
Nelly

Used To Do vs. Be Used To

Date: May 09 2011

Themes: Music

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

Intro

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

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The US is a big country. And depending on what part of the country you visit, you might hear people speaking totally different types of English. Accents, vocabulary, and even grammar can change a lot from one region to the next. Hip hop sounds different depending on where you go, too.

The rapper Nelly’s style comes from the South. He raps with a southern drawl, and his songs have a country feel. But Ella thinks his sound is different now than it was 10 years ago, when his first album, Country Grammar, came out. Hear Amy and Ella talk about whether or not Nelly has stayed true to his roots.

Dialog

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

Ella

Ella

Amy

Amy

Ella:  I really, really want to go to St. Louis.

Amy:  St. Louis, for the arch?

Ella:  No, for Nelly. You know, Nelly? “It’s Getting Hot in Herre”? Country Grammar?

Amy:  OK, right. The hip hop artist.

Ella:  Yes. Well, he just came out with a new album, and I’m stoked.

Amy:  How is it, is he kinda staying true to his roots in the new album?

Ella:  Actually, it sounds a little more like techno-clubby than it was. It used to just be good old Southern rap. But he’s kinda conformed to what’s mainstream. It sounds a lot like Timbaland and all the other guys. So it’s different, but I just love his voice when he raps.

Amy:  Does he sort of have like a southern drawl when he raps?

Ella:  Yes, he definitely kind of does, so it makes me feel like I’m at home when I hear him.

Amy:  Is it fun to dance to his stuff, like at clubs and everything?

Ella:  His older stuff, like from the Country Grammar album. I know the whole album, and every song you could dance to.

Amy:  So you think he’s not really staying as connected to his roots as he could be.

Ella:  I think he’s evolved. He’s still in his roots, but he’s definitely evolved.

Amy:  I mean, it’s hard to stay true to your roots, you know? I mean, life moves on. Maybe you move to a different city and start hanging out with different people.

Ella:  And it’s been 10 years since that album, so…a lot can happen in 10 years.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Ella loves the rapper Nelly so much that she wants to visit his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. She especially likes his first album, Country Grammar. On that album, Nelly’s sound was very southern. Ella is from the South, so she liked hearing Nelly’s southern drawl.

On his most recent album, 5.0, Nelly’s sound is a bit more mainstream. It sounds more like other rap albums. But Ella is still a fan. She thinks Nelly has evolved, but still stayed true to his roots.

Do you think you’ve stayed true to your roots? What do you love best about the place you come from?

 

Comments

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mahsa9117923

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

The true adversity that teens face is the generation gap.i mean they require ppls around 2 believe them and follow or accept what they do.however, our parents R being differently raised from us.as a result, we cannot reach our interests sometimes. And thats Y U can C aggressive actions in us :(

08:20 AM Jan 16 2015 |

damngan97

damngan97

Viet Nam

i’m come from Thai Nguyen, which is a part of Vietnam. But i was born in a different area.  I love my country, my root and somethings which belong to VN, but not everything.  i am trying to become a good Vietnamese, i hope my country will develope as many other country all over the world. Any way, Vietnam is a beautiful country with many interesting things. if can, why don’t you come here and enjoy them?

01:56 PM Jun 16 2012 |

trailo_hathanh

Viet Nam

I come from the country side near the Hanoi City, it is the northern of my country. Nothing change in drawl at all. It is mainstream. So I stay rue to my root’s all time in drawl. I love all the thing it is belong to my country side. Lovely place, lovely people.

04:52 AM May 17 2011 |

1 person likes this

assan85

Morocco

hey nelly are you fine you know men i like your high music

08:43 PM May 15 2011 |

Dizelman

DizelmanSuper Member!

Switzerland

now audio is missing

07:02 PM May 11 2011 |

Athosfbc

Athosfbc

Brazil

well indeed english is very different if you go to south, but I know for sure that my language is hard than english. VERY MUCH ACCENT!!!


then, I’m trying to leave it and get a fluent english hehehe!!!

01:01 AM May 10 2011 |

Enanre

Brazil

English is really an interesting language.  I have my own way of talking in Engliah. My pronunciation is similar to that of all people that speak English. In everything we need to have evolution. Then, it is important to talk with different people and in this manner we are able to understand any people that speak English. In this way English is turning a global idiom. I’d like to talk with many people although it could be one minute with each one and so I was having the opportunity to get more practice in conversation. If you want to talk with me my email is

02:29 PM May 09 2011 |

kun90

kun90

Australia

oh, i didnt answer the question, ive never been to the place ive came from :/


 

02:28 PM May 09 2011 |

kun90

kun90

Australia

In my opinion, country grammar was on another level,, but then again its not just Nelly but music as a whole thats constantly changing,, (mostly for the worst in my opinion)

02:28 PM May 09 2011 |

i love life

Palestinian Territory, Occupied

all the world now depend on every thing modern and nobody like in our life catch the traditional and old life i guess every thing related in our mind 

12:03 PM May 09 2011 |

Dizelman

DizelmanSuper Member!

Switzerland

that’s right, part of the script is missing

11:12 AM May 09 2011 |

vool220

vool220

Saudi Arabia

but now all world became small village and one language  

09:48 AM May 09 2011 |

sofree

sofree

China

As Ella said, a lot can happen in 10 years. I've been left home for almost 10 years too. Maybe my heart is staying true to my roots, but not my accent.

You guys should check out the audio, it's much longer than the text below.

07:29 AM May 09 2011 |

jerry bourne

China

can anyone tell me what "stay true to your roots" means?

02:27 AM May 09 2011 |

isabel139

isabel139

Peru

I think I haven’t stayed true to my roots. I still changing very quikly my ideas, habbits, wherever… and I want to change during all my life. Because I think if we stop changing, our lives don’t make sense anymore…

04:20 PM May 07 2011 |

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