This lesson was inspired by MC Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock‘s 1988 hit “It Takes Two”. As with a lot of hip-hop songs, “It Takes Two” boasts their ability to rap, rhyme, and get the ladies! There are a lot of great expressions and slang words in this song, but I will discuss five very easy speaking tips that will help make you fluent!

I am going to highlight REDUCTIONS, which are two or more words slurred together in natural speech. Try these five reductions to start sounding more natural!

Pronunciation: Using Reductions

OUTTA = OUT OF

It takes two to make a thing go right.
It takes two to make it outta sight.
Hit it!

We can hear this reduction in the track’s chorus, which is commonly called the hook in hip-hop. The female vocalist tells us that Rob Base and EZ-Rock make good things happen. In other words, it takes two… two rappers… to make good things happen. It also takes two good rappers to make it outta sight. If something is “out of sight”, it is extraordinary and incredibly good!

A few months ago, I featured a song called “Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A., and you can find a lot of great examples and different meanings of the reduction outta in this lesson.

WANNA = WANT TO

I wanna rock right now.
I’m Rob Base, and I came to get down.

Rob Base is ready to party and make some good hip-hop! He is also ready to get down! If you are ready to get down to business, it means you are ready to start some serious work.

Wanna is a very common reduction in spoken English. The word to, used as a preposition or  as part of an infinitive, is almost always unstressed in spoken English. Because it does not take stress, it blends in with the word before it. Don’t worry about sounding too informal either! Wanna and other reductions are so common that you will even hear it by company CEOs and university professors. It is perfectly fine to use in any social situation, and it actually makes speaking English easier.

Be careful! You cannot always use wanna as a reduction for want to. In very few cases in English, it is actually incorrect! POP QUIZ! Read the following questions below and decide which question uses wanna incorrectly.

What do you wanna eat?

Who do you wanna hit Stephen with a football?

GOTTA = GOT TO / GOT A / GOT AN

My name is Rob. I gotta real funky concept.

In this sentence, I gotta also means I have a/an. We normally use this verb in the present perfect aspect, and it’s very common to hear:

• I’ve gotta
• You’ve gotta
• He’s gotta
• She’s gotta
• They’ve gotta

Rob Base is telling us that he has a real funky concept. In other words, he has a very unique style that makes him special and different from other rappers.

We can also use gotta to mean have to, ought to, and must for obligations. Check out my lessons with EPMD’s “You Gots to Chill” to see more examples.

GONNA = GOING TO

Listen up! Because I’m gonna keep you in step.

Rob Base is a very good rapper, and he wants us to listen up and pay attention to him as he raps! He’s going to keep up in step, which means he has us under control. Another common expression is keep in check, and this specifically means to prevent something from getting worse.

We use gonna to talk about our future plans that we have made in the past. Be going to is used differently than will, and I discuss it in detail with a song by Bone Thungs ‘N Harmony.

KINDA = KIND OF

I’m kinda stingy that’s why I don’t want to lend
a funky rhyme to a foe or a good friend.

If somebody is a stingy person, they don’t like to share or lend anything. This is especially true of people who don’t like to spend money, and it is usually negative in connotation. Rob Base is stingy with his music. He doesn’t want to make music with other people and share his talent and success. It doesn’t matter if you are his foe (enemy) or if you are a good friend. He won’t share his funky rhymes with you!

Kinda is an adverb that means slightly or not very.

Pronunciation Practice

The best way to improve your speaking skills in English is to practice a lot! Record a short video of yourself, upload it to YouTube or Google+, and share it with ESLhiphop! I will listen to your recording and offer feedback and comments on your pronunciation!

In your video, try to use as many reductions as you can. Introduce yourself, talk about your friends and family, and tell us a secret about yourself! Your video can be long and short, and I will be happy to help you!

The post 5 Pronunciation Tips That Will Make You Fluent! appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

As I leave, believe I’m stomping.
But when I come back boy, I’m coming straight outta Compton.

Pronunciation: Outta

I’m coming straight outta Compton

Outta is a reduction of the words out of, and it is common in informal speech. Outta is pronounced /ˈaʊtə/. Be careful not to say oughta, which is a reduction of the word ought to. This word is pronounced /ˈɔːt tə/ or /ˈɔːt tu/.

Outta (out of) has several meanings, depending on the context:

• We’re straight outta Compton! = We come from Compton!
• This party sucks. Let’s get outta here. = Let’s leave. 
  
• Let’s order a pizza. We’re outta food. = There’s no food.
• I’m not in shape anymore. I’m outta breath! = It’s difficult to breath after exercise.

Phrases with ‘Out Of’

There are many collocations and phrases with out of. Here is a list of some of them:

• out of breath – to have difficulty breathing after exercising or strenuous activity. I used to be healthy and exercise all the time, but now I get out of breath walking up stairs.
  
• run out of something – to use up or finish the supply of something. Can you help me please?! We’ve run out of toilet paper!
• be out of your mind –  to become crazy. Are you out of your mind or just plain stupid? It’s not a good idea to run across the busy street.
• go out of town – to travel away from home to a different place, for vacation or business. My roommate will be out of town all next week, so I’ll get to enjoy some peace and quiet for once.
• out of date – old fashioned; no longer valid. All of my clothes are really out of date, so I’m gonna donate them to charity and buy new clothes.
• pay out of pocket – to pay with your own money. Teachers in the US have to pay for a lot of school supplies out of their own pockets.
• get out of …  – to leave a place. Let’s get out of here.
• be out of your price range  – something so expensive that you can’t afford to buy it. I really love this car, but it’s out of my price range.
• be out of the question – something that is forbidden or impossible and not worth discussing. You cannot borrow any money from me. It’s out of the question because you already owe me $2,000!
• Out of sight, out of mind – a saying used for somebody that you will easily forget because they are longer with you.

Writing Task

1. Do you know more phrases or idioms with out of?
2. Use a search engine and search for out of. What are some of the websites?

The post Learn Pronunciation and Vocabulary with N.W.A appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

Change, shit.
I guess change is good for any of us.
Whatever it take for any of y’all niggas to get up out the hood.
Shit, I’m witcha. I ain’t mad at cha
Got nuttin’ but love for ya. Do your thing boy.

Pronunciation

When we speak, we often contract and reduce words and phrases to sound more natural and fluent. Listen to 2Pac’s pronunciation and try pronouncing some of these phrases for yourself.

• y’all /jɔːl/- the plural you. short for you all and very common in the Southern United States. Many people also say you guys. Where do y’all wanna eat tonight? 
• wit cha /wɪtʃə/  – this means “with you.” You need to bring your passport wit cha if you’re leaving the country.
• at cha /ætʃə/ – this means “at you.” I am looking at cha because you’re so pretty! I’m not mad at cha because I have forgiven you.
• I’mma /aɪmə/ – this is short for “I’m going to” Use this to talk about future plans you’ve made in the past, or predictions based on evidence. I’mma meet my friends downtown later. You can come along if you like.
• ain’t /eɪnt/ – this is short for am not, is not, are not. I ain’t hungry right now, so I’ll eat later. Many teachers of English dislike hearing this slang word, but ESLhiphop loves this small, versatile verb.
• wanna /wɑːnə/ – this means “want to”. What do you wanna eat? 
• useta /ˈjuːst tə/ – this means “used to.” Use this phrase to describe past habits. He useta smoke cigarettes, but he quit several years ago.
• gerunds and progressive verbs: ~ing  – Many rappers and do not pronounce the final G in gerunds and progressive verbs. They often reduce it to in’. I’m sittin’ here on the train waitin’ to get home. 

Speaking Task

Instead of writing your response this week, I would like you to answer these questions on camera. Please record yourself with a video camera or Web Cam and then share the link in the comments below. Try using the new pronunciation you heard  from 2Pac’s song.

• What do you wanna do today?
• What did you useta do in the past?
• What do you wanna do tomorrow?
• Where do you wanna be in 5 years?
• What are you doin’ right now?

Share your video in the comments below!

The post 2Pac Fridays: English Pronunciation appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

No matter what we face
We must face the moment of truth baby

Pronunciation: Reductions

In English, it is common to pronounce two words as one word. It is possible to contract or reduce two words into one. 

In this lesson, we will learn more about gotta, wanna, I’mma, gonna and ’cause.

They say it’s lonely at the top in whatever you do
You always gotta watch motherfuckers around you
Nobody’s invincible. No plan is foolproof
We all must meet our moment of truth

Sometimes you gotta dig deep, when problems come near
Don’t fear things get severe for everybody everywhere

But I can’t jeopardize, what I have done up to this point
So I’mma get more guys, to help me run the whole joint
Cultivate, multiply, motivate, or else we’ll die
You know I be the master of the who, what, where and why
See when you’re shining, some chumps’ll wanna dull you
Always selfish jealous punks will wanna pull you
Down, just like some shellfish in a bucket
‘Cause they love it, to see your ass squirm like a worm
But just as you’ll receive what is coming to you
Everybody else is gonna get theirs too
I ain’t no saint, therefore I cannot dispute
That everyone must meet their moment of truth

I’m ready to lose my mind but instead I use my mind
I put down the knife, and take the bullets out my nine
My only crime, was that I’m too damn kind
And now some scandalous motherfuckers wanna take what’s mine

Meaning

• gotta /gɑtə/ – got to, have to. Use it for requirements, suggestions or obligations. You gotta listen to Guru. He’s off the hook!
• wanna /wənə/ – want to. What do you wanna listen to? Do you wanna listen to 2Pac or Biggie?
• I’mma /ɑimə/  – I am going to. Use it for future plans. I’mma study English with hip-hop today.
• gonna /gənə/ – going to. Just like I’mma, use it for future plans. When are you gonna visit the Hip-Hop Museum?
• ’cause /kəz/ – short for because.

Discussion Questions

Do you agree with Guru – does everyone have problems? When you have a problem, how do you deal with it? Is it  difficult being successful? Do you think successful people make others angry or jealous? Please write your comments below!

The post Sound Like a Native with Gang Starr appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.

We getcha free ’cause the clips be fat boss (2:46)

• Many Americans pronounce “get you” like getcha. This is called a reduction.
• If you know IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) then getcha looks like /gɪtʃ/
  • Getcha for the present time
  • Gotcha for the past time
• ’cause is short for because. Many people also say this.
• It is OK to pronounce these words as reductions, but avoid writing getcha and ’cause for work and school.

Now it’s your turn to practice getcha and gotcha. Find a video camera and practice pronouncing these sentences. When you are ready, upload your video here or on the Facebook page!

The post Pronounce “Get You” Like a Native Speaker with “Rebirth of Slick” appeared first on ESL Hip Hop.