Today, rap/hip-hop music is one of the most commonly used forms of poetry. Many rappers are out there, and the only things that distinguish great rappers from amateurs are the type of lyrics they produce. Most great rappers sing their rap songs with a lot of ease and flow that make them look so cool and talented. Well, if you aspire to become a great rapper, be aware that to succeed you only need to a lot of practice and with time you will make it to the top.
What Made A Good Rap Song?
Rapping is also referred to MCing, emceeing or rhyming and it’s mainly composed of chanted rhyming words. Some of the content found within a rap song includes flow, content, and delivery. Rapping often converges with beats, and it’s also associated with the hip hop music. The origin of rap is not well known, but some sources cite that it predated the hip hop culture over centuries.
If you want to become a successful rapper, this article will guide you on how you can improve your skill and create a masterpiece of your own. The following are set of tips that you can adapt and achieve a marvelous result that can lead you to success.
Step-by-step On How To Write A Perfect Rap Song
Step 1) Brainstorm
Well, the topic of brainstorming is not quite new to most people. It’s actually one of the elements that promote creativity and help artists to discover new ideas and skills that lead to success. Brainstorming works in a very easy way; an artist can start by writing down his/her thoughts and emotions that come to the mind. Written content is then used as a way of inspiring and encouraging the artist to create more rhymes.
The subject of the rap song can be something or an event that has recently occurred, something you are thinking of, a past issue, etc. You can also create a “dance type song” that talks about yourself or your dreams. When creating a rap song, just know that there are no wrong themes, you can use personal experience or create your own fictions. If you want to create a good title for your rap song, it’s recommendable to write the song first and then create a title that alternates or matches with the theme.
Step 2) Creating Hooks
Most rappers start by writing the hook of their song. While this might be a good choice, it’s also noteworthy to know that the basic layout of a rap song includes a chorus, intro, bridge and an outro. The hook helps to capture the entire theme of the rap song, and it conveys a certain message to the audience. Many lyricists and rappers always start with this, simply because the chorus is the sweetest part of the song and it’s the only remembered part. A good chorus sets the flow and rhythm of the song while inspiring the rapper on what to say throughout the rap song.
After doing some research, I noticed that most successful rap songs always open with a hook, which is the catchiest part of the rap song. If you want to know how to write a rap song, you must be ready to learn how to use hooks and also how to effectively utilize your rapping skills. Hooks are crucial because they help to grab the attention of the listener right from the start of the song. If you want to make your rap song more catchy, use repeated hook sections that will sum up the heart of your song. When writing your song, always remember to make your hooks a bit emotional, unique and honest to your audience, this is one of the best ways you can capture their attention and have them listen to your Rap.
While the hook can be a significant part of the song, also note that it must be catchy and attractive. A great hook can inspire other elements of a song, leading to greater success on the final release of the song. Hooks helps the artist to come up with the beats for the rap song, and lyrics that match with the theme of the song.
Step 3) Make Good Plans of Your Rap Bars
A bar refers to a single line of a song. Nowadays, most rap songs are built of 16 – 32 bar verses, while others use 8 or 12 bars. When composing your rap song or learning how to write a rap song, just figure out how many bars you need. By doing this, you will be able to come up with a good structure of the rap song. If you are composing a song by yourself, you can have 2 to 3 verses that start with a good hook and then finish with a short 8 to 10 bar bridge.
It’s not necessary that you write all your raps while knowing about the bars. You can simply write your rap until you feel like the verse is finished and then edit the beat of the song to fit your desired length.
Step 4) Write your Lyrics
Well, we have talked about brainstorming and how it can be used to create great ideas for a rap song. If you are stuck on the establishment of a good chorus, feel free to brainstorm ideas and come up with musical rhythms that make the chorus fun to sing and listen. Follow a good sequence and always know that rap is similar to poetry and they both follow a particular beat.
Mix up the pace of your rap. Your listens will keenly follow your rapid vs. slow phrases when listening to your rap. It’s good to maintain a right balance of your phrases to keep all your listeners interested with your rap style.
Step 5) Create your own Beats
Creating your own beats is one of the best ways you can sharpen your rap skills and also learn how to match the song lyrics with the beats. To start with, you can use a beat software like Reason or FL Studio to create rap beats on your computer. If you are new to how beat creating software works, you can start with “Canned” loops that are set as default on the program.
For more entice beats, use your own touches to add extra taste and more musical tone to your song. Mixing instruments and beats have been found to create good results. Try to drop some of the instruments while looping some parts of your song and replace the dropped out instruments with a different sample. Be more creative by trying several beats and instrument, and finally, you will be able to identify a good beat to use on your rap song.
Step 6) Download an Audio Editing Software
For new rappers who have just started a musical career, it’s recommendable to get a free audio editing software such as Audacity. This program is a great companion that can help you to achieve a lot of goals in your musical training. The program is free to use on Windows, and for Mac users, there is an alternative software called Garage Brand. After learning how Audio Software’s works, you can move to other high-end audio editing programs such as Audio Audition (it’s not free, but it offers more features and options than a free one).
Step 7) Record All Your Rap
Recording your raps is one of the most crucial parts of knowing how to write a rap song. If you can’t record your music well, it will always sound unpleasant, and most listeners will not like your work.
Look for a good Mic; there are many types of recording mics that you can use but be sure to use the best because quality matters a lot.
Together with your audio editing software and mic, load your downloaded beats to the software and record your rap song over it. Save you Songs and release them to your audience once you are fully satisfied with your work.
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