BEST LYRICAL RAP SONGS HOW TO

Don’t just start with the first idea that comes to you. One producer said “Think outside the box.

Can you say something listeners haven’t heard before? If you can, they’re more likely to pay attention and want to hear the song again. Try to bring new insights to the emotions and events you’re writing about. Rap Producers I’ve talked to all suggest that you come at your theme from a unique angle. Blend what you learn with your own style to create something that’s both recognizable and distinctly your own. This doesn’t mean you’ll end up copying them or sounding like them. Study your favorite rap artists for flow and style. Use the upbeats to add a syncopated feel. Try emphasizing unexpected beats and syllables. slow phrases is key to your personal style and helps to keep listeners off balance and interested. Label owners tell me they hear a lot of wanna-be rappers who just haven’t paid enough attention to creating a great rhythmic delivery in their lyrics – one that’s interesting and distinctive. The flow of the lyric is at the heart of great rap songs. You’re telling it this is what you want to do. It’s like turning on a switch in your brain. The best way I’ve found for getting your head into a rhyming place is to listen to a lot of Rap songs that you like. Look for words that might rhyme if you added another syllable. Check out or for ideas on near rhymes and multi-syllable rhymes. Then go back and look for rhymes that “just happened.” Look for words that are “near rhymes.” These are words with the same vowel sound. Start by writing down what you want to say without worrying about rhyming at all. On the other hand, you don’t want to write a line just for the rhyme – it’s got to say something that moves the listener forward, deeper into the song. You really need to dazzle your listeners with fresh rhymes. Obviously rhyming plays a huge role in Rap and Hip-hop hits – much bigger than it does in today’s Pop, Country, or Rock genres. Repeat it to give listeners a chance to get into it before you start your next verse. Your goal is to change up the rhythm of the words or melody enough to catch the listener’s attention.įocus the hook lyric around a single strong statement. For a rap hook, change up the pace or rhythm pattern – slow it down or shorten/lengthen your phrases. Start on an unexpected beat or emphasize an unusual beat. Try jumping to a high note to start a melodic hook and smoothing or stretching out the delivery. Producers’ advice: Whether you sing or rap your chorus hook, use plenty of contrast. Just make your rap is the same length as theirs and drop your hook where they do. You can use these songs to help you frame a solid song structure in this style. These are the lines your listeners will remember so make them emotional, honest, and unique.Ĭrossover Urban hits like Keyshia Cole and Missy Elliott’s “Let It Go” or Kanye West and T-Pains’s “Good Life” have big melodic choruses that break up the rap verses. Use these repeated hook sections to make a statement that sums up the heart of your song. I’ve noticed that some very successful rap songs open with the hook – the catchiest part of the song – to grab the listener’s attention right at the start. Sometimes the third verse is replaced with a bridge, a section with different chords or a change up in the rap style or content. The hook/chorus provides an anchor for the listener while the verses tell the story, paint a picture, or express the personality of the rapper. Often there are three verse sections with each one followed by a chorus or hook section. Hip-Hop relies on a 16-bar verse form followed by a chorus/hook section. Because this is a little outside of my usual style, I asked a couple of successful Rap producers and label owners to help me out.

BEST LYRICAL RAP SONGS HOW TO

I’ve been asked by a few songwriters for advice on how to create good Hip-Hop and Rap songs.

Best lyrical rap songs