In this video, I’m going to share with you 3 tips from Eminem that will make you a better songwriter. My name is Cole Mize and I’ve been helping rappers perfect their rap skills on this channel for the past 9 years. Now let’s get into the first tip.
#1 Eminem Doesn’t Approach Every Song The Same Way
Sometimes he writes all of his verses first and then he’ll write the hook last.
Or sometimes he may write the hook first and then the verses last
Sometimes he uses previously written lyrics or phrases to begin the songwriting process
Sometimes he may revisit a song he wrote 10 years ago and write using that similar premise but with a different angle or twist to it.
And he writes different types of songs. Sometimes he likes to write songs that don’t really have a message to it. These songs are more about showing off his lyrical skills.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
The main takeaway here is it’s great to have a songwriting formula but don’t box yourself into always beginning the songwriting process the same way. Just follow the inspiration and feel to switch up your approach to keep things fresh and interesting.
#2 Eminem Doesn’t Like Everything He Writes
That’s right, as great as Eminem is, he doesn’t like every song he writes.
He stated that after writing a whole long, he may not be feeling it anymore. But he’ll still save some of his favorite lines to be used in future songs.
Also, Eminem said that he’s written plenty of rhymes that he scratches because he felt like he had already used something like that before. Eminem said that the more you advance in your rap career the easier it gets to rhyme but the more difficult it is to not repeat the same ideas and premises that you’ve already used.
Eminem also stated that he writes a lot of songs for each album but he doesn’t use them all. Some songs he may not really be feeling anymore, but some songs just may not fit the concept for the album or the theme of the song may be too similar to another song on the album.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
The main takeaway here is this. Many of you up-and-coming rappers put an unhealthy amount of pressure on yourselves to only write perfect songs. So you never finish or release anything which prevents you from getting better.
And every lyric or song you write doesn’t have to be for public consumption, sometimes it’s just therapy for you to pour your heart out on the page.
Also, the creative process is an interactive process which means your creative ideas are usually rough and incomplete in the beginning and you have to try lots of different ideas to figure out which idea is the best one. Just get your ideas down so you don’t forget them, and then work on fleshing him out fully.
#3 Eminem’s Good Habit
Eminem pretty much writes every day.
He’s constantly brainstorming ideas, concepts, and rhymes in his head but he doesn’t like to keep his ideas in his head because he knows he’ll forget them. He writes all his ideas down on whatever he has handy. This could be anything from a notebook to a napkin. These ideas range from premises for songs and punchlines to clusters of phrases that rhyme.
Also, Eminem prefers writing his lyrics on paper as opposed to his phone because he can see more at a time and it’s easier for him to find ideas as opposed to scrolling through a phone. He says he even remembers what side of the page certain ideas are on.
Often times Eminem is not writing full verses down, just phrases, creative ideas, and rhymes. The way Eminem’s mind seems to work is he’s always brainstorming ideas in his head and jotting those ideas down on paper so that he can pull from those ideas later and create songs and verses out of them.
Also, Eminem said that sometimes while he’s writing he’s wondering if anyone will understand the meaning of some of his lyrics. But he still does it because that’s the beauty of wordplay. Sometimes people won’t get it on the first lesson, it might be the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th listen.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS
The main takeaway here is to be a prolific mess! The more you do something the sharper you will be at it. So get in the habit of writing on a regular basis. And writing doesn’t mean you’re writing full verses all the time. Writing could mean jotting down song concepts, premises to punchlines, and multi-syllable rhyme scheme phrases like “procrastinate, so fast to hate”.
The creative process is fleeting so ideas can leave as quickly as they came so keep some type of note-taking device around you to write down your creative ideas as they come to you so you don’t forget them.
Be Patient
So to all of you up and coming rappers, please be patient with yourselves and keep creating. I can’t tell you how many rappers that I’ve worked with that beat themselves up for not always writing amazing lyrics. Even a GOAT like Eminem doesn’t like everything he writes.
Here are the links to the original videos of Eminem discussing these topics
Video 01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuyiHrmdsWQ
Video 02 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e39c9eU-jFY
Again my name is Cole Mize with colemizestudios.com where I strive to make you a better rapper now! Check the link below to my free eBook The #1 Fundamental To Rapping, and this website’s menu for my 1 on 1 coaching service, and my quick rap guides and much more. And always remember, when it comes to rapping, theirs no rules, theirs only techniques. peace!
