So you want to be a rapper? If you’re having trouble putting together lyrics for your rap music, this article is here to help. Just like poetry, rap requires that your incorporate flow and rhythm into your writing to make it sound more appealing. Rap however presents an extra challenge of making the verses appeal the ear while passing the message along real first, and still keeping the rhythm.
You might be having the best beats in the world, but unless your lyrics are passing some meaningful message, it won’t count much. Having a flow but no content will not keep you competitive against the already established rappers out there. So if you want to learn lyrics writing the pro way, the following tips will come in handy.
1. Capture every thought
Start by choosing a topic you would like to rap about, and start brainstorming. Look for a pen and paper, allow your imagination to run wild and note down every idea, thought, and emotion that pops up in your mind. Be patient, don’t expect your verses to be complete instantly; it might take a few hours, maybe days, or weeks. Stick to your train of thoughts and makes sure you capture everything.
2. Create a hook.
The basic rap song payout is intro, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, outro. Of course, you will have more verses, but that’s the basic make. Consider starting with the hook (chorus) as it’s what reveals the theme of your rap song relays the primary message to your audience and is what your audience will remember.
3. Make it personal
Don’t lie about who you’re in your rap, but you might use extreme exaggeration, also known as hyperbole. Words don’t really have to match exactly, as long as the lines rhyme. It all depends on how to say them.
4. Organize.
Once you have your subject and ideas you want to pass across, organize your writing. Create the general layout of your rap song and organize them into choruses and verses while keeping the primary message in mind.
5. Memorize your lyrics.
After creating your final draft, memory each word in your lyrics. You don’t want to be reading from a paper when you go to perform or record your song in a studio.
6. Revise to a beat.
Next, you need to pick a beat that will go with your rap. Whether it’s hip hop or crank, you can search for beats online and adapt them to the core of your written rhymes. If you however try to write the core of your rhymes to a beat, you might face some difficulties, since you’ll be trying to be creative as well as do revisions simultaneously.
7. Practice, practice, practice
The more practice your lyrics, the better you will be able to rap the words from memory. Practice makes you keep the rhythm and flow without skipping a single beat. It will also minimize your chances of messing when you’re performing to your audience. Read until you’re confident and comfortable about your song, and if you go over it 100 times and you are not happy about it, you should consider seeking some help.