Naughty by Nature is a Grammy Award-winning hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock and the DJ Kay Gee. They are known for being one of the few hip hop acts who were able to balance success on the pop charts with hardcore credibility. The group’s first hit was a track called “O.P.P.,” which sampled the Jackson 5‘s hit “ABC” and was released in 1991 on their self-titled album Naughty by Nature. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of the most successful crossover songs in rap history. The song has become well known in pop culture, being mentioned in countless TV shows and films (adapted from Wikipedia).
Vocabulary
- scratch your temple (expression) – to think very carefully, especially when confronted with a difficult problem or puzzle.
- mellow (adjective) – calm, relaxed. He’s a very mellow guy. He does yoga and drinks green tea.
- front (noun) – behavior to hide your true feeling and emotions. He’s acting like a tough guy right now, but it’s just a front. He’ll be crying like a sissy when he’s alone tonight.
- also a verb
- be getting at something ( in. phrasal verb) – to criticize something. I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I can see that you’re very upset with me.
- usually in progressive form
- be down with something (in. phrasal verb) – used to say that you support, like or appreciate something. This Indian food is really good! I think I can get down with vegetarianism.
- can also mean to oppose something
- get into something / go into something (in. phrasal verb) – to examine something carefully. Our Professor didn’t go into the details, but he expects us to read the book at home.
- many other meanings
- right away (adverb) – immediately. She’s going into labor! We have to take her to a hospital right away.
- make something count (idiom) – to make something interesting, useful or worthwhile. If you want to learn English, you have to make every day count.
- fall out / falling out (noun) – a very serious argument or fight that ends a friendship. They aren’t talking to each other anymore. They had a falling out.
- fall out is also a verb
- run off at the mouth (expression) – to speak and talk carelessly. This is a secret, so don’t go running off at the mouth!
Research and Writing Task
O.P.P. is an acronym. What does it stand for? What do the following acronyms stand for:
- NASA
- SCUBA
- ESL
- TOEFL
- IELTS
- ASAP
- LOL
- USA
- UK