Learn about a new hip-hop star and phrasal verbs

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen

• solo album
• protegee
• persona
• push it

• alter ego
• make a name for oneself
• documentary
• look up

• far-fetched
• posse

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

Go Super to Listen

An alter ego is like another person living inside of you. Think of Superman and Clark Kent, Batman and Bruce Wayne…or Nicki Minaj and Roman Zolanski.

Wait, who? Nicki Minaj is a female rapper. Some people think she is the best female rapper to come along since Lil Kim. And Roman Zolanski…well, Roman Zolanski is also Nicki Minaj. It’s her alter ego.

Minaj says she started creating different characters for herself when she was a little kid. Whenever she felt sad or scared, she would pretend that she was someone else. Now she sometimes pretends she’s someone else while she’s rapping. Her alter egos are just one way she’s making a name for herself. Learn more about Nicki Minaj from Beren and Ella.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

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

Beren

Ella

Beren:  I just watched a documentary on MTV2 about Nicki Minaj.

Ella:  Really? I was trying to look her up on Wikipedia. There’s not much information about her out there.

Beren:  She’s kinda, you know, like a newer artist, and I think she’s mostly known for being in Young Money, which is Lil Wayne’s posse. But, I don’t know, she just released her first solo album, Pink Friday, and I kinda want to hear it. I think she’s a excellent rapper.

Ella:  I know, I like all the songs that she’s been in, that she’s done with other people, so…I hear there’s some singing in it, too, so that should be interesting and a different side, ‘cause you always see her as, you know, Lil Kim’s protegee almost, ‘cause she’s the next female rapper and she’s always rapping. But I hear on the CD there is singing, so…

Beren:  Well she has such an interesting voice, and she uses different personas. On her new album Pink Friday, she uses a male alter ego that battles Eminem’s Slim Shady, and I think the song’s called “Roman’s Revenge.”

Ella:  Huh. That seems like it’s pushing it a little there, I mean…that just seems too far-fetched.

Beren:  Really? I think it’s an interesting thing to do. It’ll give her a chance to explore like a different voice.

Ella:  I mean, that’s true. But it…who is Nicki Minaj really?

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Phrasal Verbs" from this lesson

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3