Posted in: Musicouching by FlashHacker on May 9th, 2010 | 0 Comments
Sure, you can rhyme, yeah, you like making beats or frequently find sounds really catchy. but it takes alot to combine those into a rap. it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Well, you must’ve figured it out by now. or if you’re just starting out, you realised that rapping isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. it’s the perfect combination of rhyming, beats, creating what’s called you’re “flow”. Flow is defined as “the rhythms and rhymes”of a hip-hop song’s lyrics and how they interact. The rhymes may sound good, and the beat you wanna rap to may sound good, but together, it’s a whole ‘nother story.
if you wanna be good at rapping at all, improving you’re “flow” is the best bet.
if you listen to the LP’s of most rappers, or their first album, you’ll find it sounds pretty different in comparison to something more recent. from the style of rapping to the subject, all of these things are relevant when trying to perfect your flow. here are some small tips:
1. Keep in the Beat: usually keep to a 4 count for your rhymes. most beats are 4-count, but when writing the rhyme, remember, just cause it rhymes doesn’t mean it’ll sound right with you’re beat.
2. Sounding alike doesn’t make it good: most commonly sampled beats and even those created by you yourself will most likely consist of a 4 count, and you’re rhymes will have to move with the beat. if it sounds good on paper, i may not be the best idea with the beat. try it out. if it’s too many words, even consider going thru a dictionary to find words that can replace multiple words that made your verses too drawn-out.
3. don’t overdo it. : Curses can be added to help you make your point, but don’t overdo it. after a while, in a rap with too many curses, all that will catch the listeners attention will be all the curses, and your rhymes will seem mundane and boring. they can spice up rhymes if used correctly. how to use them right is up to you!
4. use bridges!: bridges are rhymes that lead straight into other verses without the pause that normally leads into another verse. these sound really cool, but make sure you don’t rap too fast during a bridge, just because you think the verse will end too late. it’s all about timing!
5. Clear throat, cold cash: make sure the words come out clearly and not too fast or too slow. try and set mental cues as the beat progresses so you memorize when verses should end and start. try not to studder or repeat words by mistake.
6. FailSafe: record you rapping to a beat, then try rapping with it using those mental cues i told you about. see how close you are each time, like a ghost racer to show you watch you did last lap in those racing games.
ALL IN ALL: even though it’s not easy at all, you shouldn’t take it TOO seriously. just make it your own, don’t try to replicate any rapper specifically, you could try rapping slower like Lil’ Wayne, while frequently using bridges like Kanye West, or throw down line after line of rhymes (sticking to the beat) like Jay-Z, as well as choosing to have a kind of chorus in the background, like singing in the background lower than your beat but still hearable. and remembering you have to rap louder than both the beat and the chorus but don’t yell, or if you have to, at least don’t make it sound like yelling.
you, my friend, can become a SPITFIRE. good luck.
