美国国家公共电台 NPR--Rapper Coolio, who helped to shape hip-hop, has died at 59

Rapper Coolio, who helped to shape hip-hop, has died at 59

Transcript¹

Grammy-winning, rapper, producer and actor Coolio has died. He was best-known for hits "Fantastic Voyage" and "Gangsta's Paradise."

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The rapper Coolio has died. He was 59 years old. And at this point, we don't know the cause of his death, but what we do know is that he helped shape what hip-hop is today. NPR's Andrew Limbong has this appreciation².

(SOUNDBITE OF COOLIO SONG, "GANGSTA'S PARADISE")

ANDREW LIMBONG, BYLINE³: Listen - no, really listen - to the opening bars of Coolio's biggest hit, "Gangsta's Paradise," and it's the darkest, most nihilistically dejected thing you've ever heard.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GANGSTA'S PARADISE")

COOLIO: (Rapping) As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left.

LIMBONG: Yes, it was released as part of the soundtrack to the Michelle Pfeiffer movie "Dangerous Minds," and yes, it got even more famous after "Weird⁴ Al" Yankovic gave it the parody⁵ treatment, and yes, it won a Grammy Award. But besides all of that, the song still stands on its own as a piece of hip-hop history.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GANGSTA'S PARADISE")

COOLIO: (Rapping) I'm a educated fool with money on my mind. Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye. I'm a loc'd out (ph) gangsta, set tripping banger. And my homies is down, so don't arouse my anger, fool.

LIMBONG: Coolio was born Artis Ivey Jr. in South Central Los Angeles in 1963. His mom moved him and his sister to Compton when they were kids. By his 20s, he used his focus on music to help him get over an addiction⁶ to crack. While he became known as a progenitor⁷ to the hard West Coast LA gangster⁸ rap sound, his music did have some wistful warmth to it. His platinum-selling album "Gangsta's Paradise," for instance, had a song dedicated⁹ to his kids, who he wished he saw more often.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SMILIN'")

COOLIO: (Rapping) My life is your life, and your life is mine. Through thick and thin, I'm your friend till the end of time. I'll make sure you get your props¹⁰. You can call me Pops. And anything you need, I'm pulling out all the stops.

LIMBONG: His career never again really reached the highs of "Gangsta's Paradise," but he did use his fame to appear on reality TV shows, from "Celebrity¹¹ Big Brother" to "Celebrity Wife Swap¹²." In 1995, he told the British music magazine The Face that he knew his fame was a Hollywood fantasy and would end soon, but in order to make sure his kids were set, quote, "till then, I'm going to play it for everything I can."

Andrew Limbong, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "C U WHEN U GET THERE")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) I'll see you when you get there, if you ever get there. See you when you get there.

COOLIO: As we walk down the road of our destiny and the time comes to choose...

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

5 parody   

n.打油诗文，诙谐的改编诗文，拙劣的模仿；v.拙劣模仿，作模仿诗文

参考例句：

• The parody was just a form of teasing.那个拙劣的模仿只是一种揶揄。
• North Korea looks like a grotesque parody of Mao's centrally controlled China,precisely the sort of system that Beijing has left behind.朝鲜看上去像是毛时代中央集权的中国的怪诞模仿，其体制恰恰是北京方面已经抛弃的。

6 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

7 progenitor   

n.祖先，先驱

参考例句：

• He was also a progenitor of seven presidents of Nicaragua.他也是尼加拉瓜7任总统的祖先。
• Schoenberg was a progenitor of modern music.勋伯格是一位现代音乐的先驱。

8 gangster   

n.匪徒，歹徒，暴徒

参考例句：

• The gangster's friends bought off the police witness.那匪徒的朋友买通了警察方面的证人。
• He is obviously a gangster,but he pretends to be a saint.分明是强盗，却要装圣贤。

9 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

10 props   

小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

11 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

12 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。