Show 1105 Friday 13 November
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today we’re studying a song called Behold My Kool Style which came out in about 1996 I think and it’s by a New Zealand hip hop group called Dam Native.
First I thought I’d you a bit of a story about why I chose this song today. Dam Native released an album in 1997 which I still really love. And it happened to be the album that I was listening to a lot right before I came back to New Zealand and then when I got here I found out that they had a gig on … and it was only $5, so I thought, oh, I have to go. And so I went and it was great. And their music had changed a bit since that ‘97 album – but it was still really good and, yeah, I just couldn’t believe I was there, listening to this music that I’d been listening to on my iPod for years.
Anyway, let’s talk about the song. You can pick up a few Māori and New Zealand English words in this song.
For example patu which is a kind of traditional Maori weapon.
He says:
Crack the ill styles
With my patu
To open up you
He also mentions Māori gods like Papatūānuku the Earth mother and Ruaumoko the god of volcanoes and Māui who is a demigod, I think.
He also mentions Jonah Lomu who is a famous rugby player in New Zealand. And The Springbok Tour which is a famous event in New Zealand history.
As it says in Wikipedia: The 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand (still known by many in New Zealand as The Springbok Tour) was a controversial tour of New Zealand by the South Africa national rugby union team, known as "the Springboks".
I was only three in 1981, so obviously I don’t remember it, but people in New Zealand still often mention The Springbok Tour.
And Dam Native says:
Commotion like it was The Springbok Tour.
The song is basically about how great Dam Native is – which is often the theme of rap songs I think – along with references to Māori and New Zealand culture, including colonialism.
He says:
I pledge allegiance to all iwi
Who cut ties with Liz and her people
Trying to deceive me
Māori tribes are called iwi. And by Liz I guess he means Queen Elizabeth.
Anyway, go and have listen to the song and don’t worry if you can’t understand most of it … it’s not easy to understand – just see if you can at least pick up a few words.
Word Of The Day
Today’s word is due. This is a line from today’s song:
I've paid my dues from here to Timbuktu and back
I’ve paid my dues is an idiom.
Someone explained it well on the word reference forums, they said, I’ve paid my dues means: “I've done the work, made the effort, spent the time necessary to earn whatever status or position I have achieved.”
And that’s what Dam Native means in the song. He’s saying that he earned his position.
From here to Timbaktu is an expression which means a long way away. And Timbaktu is an actual city too. Not that I’ve been there, I was just reading about it on Wikipedia.
conversations with sarah
#700 Where was the concert?
Step 1: Repeat Toru’s lines.
Step 2: Read Toru’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Toru Where was the concert?
Sarah Dam Native?
Toru Yeah.
Sarah Ah, well, it wasn’t really a concert. It was more of a gig …
Toru What’s the difference between a concert and a gig?
Sarah Ah, a concert is normally bigger, like in a stadium, or something. But this was just in a bar. It was somewhere over there … about ten minutes walk from here.
Dam Native
LYRICS
Behold my kool style
While I greet the funk with my Māori
Want to (?)
On the base guitar
My skills allow me
Break the tension
Or the tackle
Like Jonah Lomu on attack
I've paid my dues from here to Timbuckto and back
Mad
If I had my crew up in the house
It makes the difference
It is my preference
Refer to reference
Crack the ill styles
With my patu
To open up you
In the meanwhile
I still pursue
To inject you with my horiest intelligence
So intelligent
Make way for the native to fall back on your heels
I stop the sun up
Just like my legendary
(?) like son of Papatūānuku
Māui to make the days longer
Erupt a (?) like Ruaumoko
King of volcanoes
Commotion like it was The Springbok Tour
The only one representing my hori ways
Tautoko te mahi o tēnei ra just about every day
It's the freakafied funk hori on the loose
Haere Mai (?)Māori produce
Behold my kool style
While I greet the funk with my Māori
The incredible, lyrical and original
etc.
Sworn to wage war
I pledge allegiance to all iwi
Who cut ties with Liz and her people
Trying to deceive me
By the way I
Manage to be the proud Hori I am
I take I (?) know me
As the horified addict
Of (?) strength
I keep my fitness
Want to (?)
On my base guitar
My skills allow me
It's the next step
I haven't hit yet
Next time round I (?) dance all
I get much respect
The world is yours
But the production is mine this time
Throw your spanner in my works
You'll be ready for the line this time around
War
Behold my kool style
While I greet the funk with my Māori
The incredible, lyrical and original
etc.
My rein of terror
As soon as my lyric hits
Undeniably proven I inhabit all mics with all vigour
The boy never quits practicing in eloquence
The return of the dread eye, since '86
Forceful
Fuck, you're making me livid
Wrapped up in non-fat
Fuck the silver medalist
Man, I'm the gold winner
Proven fact that Dam is good
Native that's the name we're talking
None let off the hook
Brothers, listen up to my commentary
My use of words, killer
Send your skills to the word cemetery
Will the multitudes handle hori attitudes
The greatest sizes are the skilless and the rude
Behold my kool style
While I greet the funk with my Maori
The incredible, lyrical and original
etc.
* Also watch video here.
music
show start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: Future Cha Cha
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
artist site
WOD start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Game Toy
from: EVREUX, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
cws start
artist: Kevin MacLeod
track: The Jazz Woman
from: Brooklyn, NY, United States
artist site
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
qa bgm
artist: Paul D. Miller aka Dj Spooky
album: Dj Spooky's contribution for the 'One Laptop Per Child Project'
track: Moon rain
from: New York, United States
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
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