How Nas and Kendrick can replace our Leaving Cert poets
What if we could replace Boland and Eliot on the English syllabus with some of the world’s best rappers?
Okay sure, we all know that rap is full of misogynistic, hateful and sometimes abusive lyrics. But we all know rap can be awesome and can integrate uses of the English language that we tried to extrapolate from Leaving Cert poetry. Kids these days know more about Kendrick Lamar, Future, Drake, Eminem, Jay-Z, Andre 3000 than the Eliots, Bolands and Heaney’s, which only bring about memories of terror during that sunny week in June we all go through.
The aim of this post is to look at a couple of rap songs — the clean versions, of course — which could be used in the classroom to teach valuable lessons both in terms of the themes they address but also in terms of the literacy composition, and the various uses of language.
As a student teacher and former student, I understand just how boring English lessons can be particular for someone who is rather poor at English. The following are a list of songs which could easily be explored in English lessons in a range of various ways.
Kendrick Lemar, Swimming Pools
Swimming Pools is a song Kendrick wrote about his struggle with alcohol. Though Kendrick is not an alcoholic, he explores the peer pressure that accompanies alcohol and focuses on the social pressure and attitudes people have towards alcohol. The Swimming Pool which Kendrick refers to throughout the song is a metaphor for the amounts of alcohol we consume.
The opening lines explore that metaphor using his grandfather as the example Now I done grew up ‘round some people livin’ their life in bottles
Granddaddy had the golden flask, backstroke every day in Chicago.’ His Granddad doing the backstroke is the image he creates to explain how his life was so engulfed by alcohol that he was constantly swimming in it. Kendrick explores his own opinions on alcohol and how he only became involved with alcohol to fit in.
Some people wanna fit in with the popular, that was my problem.
Kendrick, like most young teenagers encounters alcohol at a house party and its is the hook where we see peer pressure “why you babysitting only two or three shots? I’ma show you how to turn it up a notch, First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it.” This is a scenario where occurs in the vast majority of young peoples life at some stage. This song, instantly, is far more relatable to current students than a vast majority of classical poetry. You can see the advantages of exploring this topic in schools particularly when our society and alcohol clearly have a infectious relationship.
Nas, I Can
Whether it is you want to explore themes of black history, the treatment of young women in society or just want a song which has an inspiring chorus then the legendary Nas has you covered. For the purpose of this article the inspirational aspect of the song will be focused on “Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up, You can be anything in the world, in God we trust An architect, doctor, maybe an actress, But nothing comes easy, it takes much practice.” Nas Explains to us that as kids or teenagers we can be whatever we want to be once we work hard, which of course is a valuable life lesson to instill into the youth. Nas empowers the youth explaining the problems he sees with peers who didn't work hard or explore their full capabilities due to the attraction of drugs and money.
“You don’t wanna be my age and can’t read and write”. He encourages us as teachers and adults to teach and nature the youth as they will be the leaders one day. If the truth is told, the youth can grow They learn to survive until they gain control.
Lupe Fiasco, Kick Push
This song focuses on the much lighter subject of skateboarding, but that does not mean it can’t be used in a classroom to teach a variety of English language skills. The song recalls a young boys relationship with skateboarding through many stages of his life such as his childhood, dating, marriage, and adulthood. “First got it when he was six, didn’t know any tricks, Matter of fact, first time he got on it he slipped, Landed on his hip and busted his lip.” Lupe talks about false starts, emotions and difficulties people have in growing up. The person in the song uses the skateboard as a means of escaping from his problems. This song could be explored in many ways in classroom.
The song also contains many different literacy elements which pupils have to learn in school. For example alliteration is seen throughout the song no helmet, hell bent on killing himself. The song is littered with catchy rhyming patterns Landed on his hip and busted his lip, Yeah, he said it was something so appealing, He couldn’t fight the feeling. Onomatopoeia is used when Lupe creates the noise of the skate board using his voice Ca-Kunk, Ca-Kunk, Ca_Kuck.
An English teacher’s dream.
Oddisee, Things
Things looks at the theme of open mindfulness. This dancehall infused track which explains how each of us has our own trials and tribulations which we go through in life. “Things is about how me make ourselves the center of the universe & place importance on things that only matter to us” tweeted Oddisse.
Oddisee is open and tells the audience about all the things going on in his life and how he thinks they are the most important thing. If I could save up money like worry I’d be a rich man but sorrow would plague much. The song could easily be used in classroom to get pupils to open up about they are going through in life.
The chorus encapsulates the songs message as Oddisee explains that we all go through things in life Things I’m going through, yeah, things I’m going through, yeah, We going through it, They going through it, Us going through it, You going through it. He asserts that we are all going through certain problems in our lives but just because our problems or difficulties differ to our friends, doesn’t mean that we are not all going through difficulties and turmoil at the same time. It is a valuable lesson for all people to learn, not just the Leaving Cert generation.
