饶舌乐在80年代风行全美国，并相继发展出新的风格。例如，纽约等东海岸城市的饶舌歌手倾向于更加公开地涉及政治。他们的歌曲通常批评主流社会，并提倡非裔美国人的文化。然而，西海岸的歌手所唱的多是关于帮派、枪枝和穷苦生活的困境。这种激进的曲风被称为“帮派饶舌”，而当今世界各地所流行的正是这种风格的饶舌乐。

　　不幸的是，由于帮派饶舌的歌词充满暴力，以致许多人对整个嘻哈文化产生了不良的印象。但是嘻哈绝不仅仅是作奸犯科的有钱人在吹嘘自己对女人多么有一套，它包含了舞者对街舞的狂热、饶舌歌手所创作的都市诗歌，以及DJ的快手混音。嘻哈可说是当代最具影响力的文化运动，而且，不论你喜欢与否，它似乎已形成一股风潮。

　　Vocabulary

　　1.political adj. related to politics政治的；关心政治的

　　Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner for many years.

　　尼尔森·曼德拉曾当了许多年的政治犯。

　　2.impression n. a feeling one has about sb./sth.印象；看法

　　Susan’s boyfriend made a very good impression on her father.

　　苏珊的男友给她爸爸留下一个好印象。

　　3.as a whole phr. altogether整体来说

　　The money raised will benefit our community as a whole.

　　募得的钱会让我们整个社区都受益。

　　4.boast v. to speak proudly of something you have or can do自夸；吹嘘

　　If you keep boasting about how smart you are, no one will want to be your friend.

　　如果你继续吹嘘自己有多聪明的话，就没人肯和你交朋友了。

　　5.influential adj. having a lot of influence有影响力的

　　Jack Kerouac’s On the Road was an influential book in the 1960s.

　　杰克柯洛克的《旅途上》是60年代极具影响力的一本书。

　　6.be here to stay idiom existing as a generally accepted part of most people’s lives成为风尚；形成风潮

　　It looks like reality TV shows are here to stay.

　　看来真人真事的电视节目已成为风潮。

　　More Information

　　1.mainstream n. (思想或行为的)主流

　　2.lyrics n. pl. (流行歌曲等的)歌词

　　3.athleticism n.对运动的热爱

　　4.arguably adv.可争辩地

　　Reading Questions

　　After reading the article, choose the best answer to each question.

　　1.How can we best describe hip-hop?

　　(A)It is a cultural movement that started in Africa in the 1970s.

　　(B)It is a unique American cultural movement based on reggae.

　　(C)It is a mix of reggae music and Zulu dances that is performed in New York.

　　(D)It is a style of music through which gangsters express their feelings.

　　2.Why did rap become popular so quickly with young African-Americans?

　　(A)Because everyone liked DJ Kool Herc.

　　(B)Because one only needs simple instruments and a good voice to rap.

　　(C)Because rap enables people to express themselves even if they don’t know how to play an instrument.

　　(D)Because it was taking the world by storm.

　　3.Why were rappers from the east coast considered political?

　　(A)Because their songs criticized American society and promoted African-American culture.

　　(B)Because their songs were influential in changing US politics.

　　(C)Because their songs promote African-American politicians while criticizing other politicians.

　　(D)Because their songs criticize American politicians and the government in general.

　　4.What is gangsta rap?

　　(A)It’s a form of rap which is only popular in America.

　　(B)It’s a kind of rap that only east-coast gangsters use to boast about their women.

　　(C)It’s a form of rap that talks about violence and poverty.

　　(D)It’s a mix of Zulu rhythms, reggae beats, and aggressive lyrics.

　　Key: 1. B 2. C 3. A 4. C