De La Soul is a hip-hop trio that was formed in 1987 on Long Island, NY. They are known for their unique sampling, playful lyrics and humorous skits between tracks. They contributed to the rise of alternative hip-hop in the 1990s, especially to the beginning of jazz rap. The members are Kelvin Mercer, David Jude Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason, but they also go by many nicknames. De La Soul released their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, in 1989, and it is considered one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. In “Ghetto Thang” De La Soul list common social problems that plague poor neighborhoods, or ghettos.
Mary had a little lamb
That’s a fib. She had two twins though
And one crib
Now she’s only fourteen. What a start
But this defect is ground common in these parts
Now life in this world can be such a bitch
And dreams are often torn and shattered and hard to stitch
Negative’s the attitude that runs the show
When the stage is the G.H.E.T.T.O.
Grammar: So and Such
Use so and such to show extremes in adjectives, adverbs and nouns. So and such also mean very or really.
so + adjective
so + adverb
such + noun
such + adjective + noun
so + noun… such + adjective… such + adverb
- De La Soul is so good! They are a very good hip-hop trio.
- Hip-hop music is not so stupid. Many hip-hop artists are very intelligent.
- He learned English so quickly with hip-hop music.
- Gift of Gab from Blackalicious sings so well. He is very talented and has a great voice.
- People who hate hip-hop music can be such idiots! They claim it is not poetry.
- 3 Feet High and Rising is such a great album. It is really good.
- Lil Wayne is such an interesting rapper.
Vocabulary
- defect (noun) – a fault in something which means it is not perfect. He went to the hospital and had surgery because he has a heart defect.
- bitch (slang, noun) – something that causes difficulties or problems. My job is such a bitch! I’m very unhappy, and I want to quit soon.
- ghetto (noun) – an area of a city where many people of the same background or race live. Ghettos are usually crowded and have bad living conditions. For your safety, don’t walk through the ghetto at night.
- pimp (verb) – to get customers for a prostitute.
- also a noun
- broken-down (adjective) – in a very bad condition; very tired and sick. My car is a broken-down heap of metal. I need to get a new car.
- high (slang, adjective) – to be intoxicated from drugs or alcohol. Snopp Dogg is always so high because he smokes a lot of marijuana.
- scapegoat (noun) – a person or thing who is blamed for something bad that somebody else has done. Many people blame violent movies and music for the increase in crime, but that is only a scapegoat.
- crumble (verb) – if a building is crumbling, parts of it are breaking off. The old house is starting to crumble. We need to repair it now before the damage gets worse.
Discussion Questions
Does your country have ghettos? Have you ever been to one? If you have, what was it like? Why do ghettos exist in the first place? Does discrimination or racism perpetuate ghettos? Please write your comments below!