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Kerr-Ching!

Forget formal English and get in �wit� rap star Chingy

Story by Kelly May

Did you Know? The word �chingy� is American street slang for money.

Guess who�s �Right Thurr� this week? That�s right, it�s US rapper Chingy, all the way from St. Louis, Missouri.

The gist of his latest single, �One Call Away,� is simple: boy meets girl, boy likes girl, girl likes boy and they start dating. What�s not so simple are the lyrics. No matter how hard you search, you�re never going to find the words �trynta,� �whatchu� or �fellas� in any dictionary. Translated, the meanings become clear: �trying to,� �what are you� and �fellows� (guys). This kind of street slang appears in many lyrics and Chingy�s �One Call Away� track is no exception. Let�s take a look at how this style of language is used in this song.

Hangin� wit my homeys

First, spoken English is usually different from the formal English you are taught, and this is especially true of hip-hop and rap songs. But like many new vocabulary words or phrases, you can guess the meaning from the context or sound of the word or the phrase construction.

Look at the chorus, for example. Even in the first line we see �wit.� �Wit� is defined as �the ability to say or write things that are both clever and amusing.� Say what? That doesn�t fit with the context, so what does? Well, in informal spoken English, the final consonant sound is often not spoken or mispronounced. So in �...roll wit me� we can guess that �wit� means �with.� The same is true with �rollin�� (�rolling�), �cashin�� (cashing) and �lookin� � (�looking�).

Later on, in the second verse, we see the word �conversate.� Again, this isn�t a real word. It�s derived from the noun �conversation,� which itself is related to the verb �converse,� which means �to talk.� However, in this style of speaking, new words are often created that perhaps make more sense than their formal counterparts. Is to �conversate,� when used to mean �to have a conversation,� easier to understand than �converse�? Maybe.

Have a look at all the lyrics in the song. Some you will be familiar with, some you won�t, but you should be able to guess or work out the meaning of most of them. However, while you can use this sort of language with your homeys (�homeboys�, a member of your gang), it�s probably best to stick to formal English when speaking to anybody else, unless, of course, you�re on the phone to Chingy.

�One Call Away�

by Chingy (featuring Jason Weaver)

(Jason Weaver)
Ooh, yeah yeah
How we do
Call you and you can call me
Whatever you wanna do baby

(Chorus x4, Jason Weaver and Chingy)
(You could roll wit me)
Gimme a call if you wanna come roll with me
(If you was my baby)
I�m always one call away
(You, could, roll, wit, me)
Gimme a call if you wanna come roll with me
(If you was my lady)
I�m always one call away

(Chingy)
It was weird how we met, huh
She was wit her mom in Bank America
I�m wit my son cashin� the check
So I asked outta respect (uh)
Would she like to explore the world up high
We can fly in my jet
Her reply was, �Yes, can I ask you somethin�?�
I seen it in her eye, mama lookin�, like all I wanted was sex
Then moved to the next (that ain�t true)
But it was something about this girl�s style that make me feel no regrets
We started off casual; walks through the park
Candlelight dinners by dark, I�m thinkin� smart (smart)
Afraid she might think I�m in a rush
To touch, crush and be up, but baby I ain�t on that stuff
Dropped her off and told her call me up, we can talk
Conversate about political subjects whatever�s sparks
So I zoomed off, lookin� by and my phone rang
It was her in the shower, (she said) she said �I couldn�t do without ya�
Then I said...

(Chorus x4, Jason Weaver and Chingy)

(Chingy)
The next day I�m with the fellas at the cage playing ball
Here she comes wit her friends they posted up on the wall
Now I�m showing out, trynta dunk trynta dribble break fast
Through the middle just to see her smile and giggle
Game over I approached her wit a kiss on the cheek
The homeboys lookin at me sayin�, �Lil� Howard you weak�
But you know how that go, what I got they want
What I got I flaunt, never mess wit it, please don�t
Told her �I�m going home� she asked can she go too
I�m like �Yeah boo, I can�t see me without you�

(Chorus x4, Jason Weaver and Chingy)

(Chingy)
Girl recognise game, before game recognise you
You�re dealin� wit a player, true
Now whatchu wanna do?
We can kick it and go puff on a bluuunt
Oh you don�t smoke? Grab a pint of Hen� then we can get drunk
It�s up to you, I�m the man but baby just let me know
Cuz if you got an attitude I could treat you just like a ho
Get to rollin� wit me baby, hop in there�s enough room
We can gaze at the stars that shine like the moon
Gimme a chance to show ya, and a chance to know ya
Just be true, and there�s nothing I won�t do, for ya
Some women like to play it foul (foul)
But them the kind I put in the place of a child (child)
Don�t worry be happy and smile and...

(Chorus x4, Jason Weaver and Chingy)

Vocabulary

wanna (informal): want to
wit (informal): with
gimme (informal): give me
weird (adj): unusual or different; not normal
outta (informal): out of
ain�t (informal): isn�t
casual (adj): relaxed and not serious
ya (informal): you
cage (n): fenced in area for playing sports
flaunt (v): to show something you are proud of to other people, in order to impress them
boo (n): term of endearment similar to sweetheart and darling
whatchu (informal): what are you
cuz (informal): because
gaze (v): to look steadily at somebody/something for a long time, either because you are very interested or surprised, or because you are thinking of something else
foul (adj): very unpleasant; very bad
gist (n): the main or general meaning of a piece of writing, a speech or a conversation
exception (n): a person or a thing that is not included in a general statement
counterpart (n): a person or thing that has the same position or function as somebody/something else in a different place or situation