INDEX
The “edutainment” form of learning while having fun, which is at the root of hip-hop.
Celeina：In August of this year (2023), you published “HIP HOP ENGLISH MASTER”
Takano: I had a chance to read a little bit of this book, and it’s great. You can learn both rap and English.
Celeina: It was an eye-opener. I was surprised to learn about English pronunciation from the rap music angle.
MEISO: Thank you very much. In this book, I see hip-hop as a way to learn, and this may be the first time that I’ve tried to use it for English conversation. But learning through hip-hop is originally part of the hip-hop element. The word “edutainment” is a combination of the words “education” and “entertainment,” and the ability to learn while having fun is at the root of hip-hop. So in that sense, I myself think that this movement is true to hip-hop culture.
Celeina: You mentioned earlier about translating the culture, but in MEISO’s book, there is an interesting section that teaches hip-hop terminology and how to write a rap song in English.
Takano: I would recommend this book not only to those who want to learn English, but also to those who want to learn more about hip-hop or improve their rapping skills.
MEISO: That’s right. Also, as mentioned on the cover, I asked four of my favorite beat makers, STUTS, EVISBEATS, DJ Mitsu the Beats, and Eccy, to create original beats. You can practice English rapping to them, and people who want to listen to cool beats can also enjoy it.
Takano: I see. There is a QR code in the book, and you can listen to the audio from there.
（Let’s listen to the audio.)
Takano: Wow!
MEISO: Thank you very much. I made it like a rhythm game, inspired by a game called “PaRappa the Rapper”.
Celeina: You picked up words in English that are completely different from the Japanese pronunciation, so the audio is a good way to practice pronunciation.
MEISO: The concept is also to correct pronunciation. In the chapter I just played, we are focusing on the T flap sound, and if you say “water” smoothly, the “t” becomes more like an “r,” and so on. At the same time, it also develops your sense of rhythm, so if you do this and go to karaoke, you might be able to sing rap a little better.
Takano: Rhythm is important in English, too.
MEISO: Flow is important.
Takano: Now, we would like to hear more, but we would like to interrupt with a song here.
MEISO: It’s called “Get the Flock off Our Mountain” by Panilolo Prince and Queen Maile Jackson, a husband and wife unit from Molokai, Hawaii. I chose a local Hawaiian hip-hop song because I wanted it to be a song that would never be played on J-WAVE again and that has never been played before. The song is sung in Hawaiian and includes a hula chant. The song is about conservation, and unlike most conservation songs that are peaceful, some of the words are pronounced similar to the F-word. It’s one of those songs that says, “Get off our mountain now.” Listen to it.
