Sometimes we as rappers can become too self-absorbed when we're writing our rap songs and not take the listener into consideration. It's important to remember that our end goal is to share our music with other people in hopes that they will enjoy it. While making music is a form of self-expression we should also be thinking of ways that we can make our rap songs more relatable and entertaining to the listeners. Without further ado, here are 4 ways you can make your next song more entertaining. One thing that helps with being entertaining is understanding some basic human psychology. … [Read more...] about 4 Ways To Make Your Rap Songs More Entertaining
songwriting
My Top 5 Tips For Writing Dope Rap Hooks
Once I got decent at rapping I still couldn't write a good rap hook to save my life! Writing hooks for my rap songs was something I struggled with for many years and it's very common for the majority of budding rappers to find themselves struggling with writing hooks as well. Well now, writing hooks has become one of my strengths and within this article, I'll be sharing with you my top 5 tips to help you overcome this obstacle as well. LET'S GET IT!! 1. The Instrumental You must first pick an instrumental that you not only think sounds good, but it must move you emotionally. Sometimes … [Read more...] about My Top 5 Tips For Writing Dope Rap Hooks
How To Finish Your Rap Songs Faster
Sometimes, writing a rap song can feel like a daunting task and seemingly take forever! Just think about this for a moment. Rap songs typically contain the most lyrics and rhymes in comparison to any other genres of music. Simply put, our lyrical content is much denser and therefore requires more work from us from strictly a songwriting perspective. Within this article, I'm going to share one major hack to help you finish your rap songs faster! Let's get straight to it! Fresh Perspective One major downside to spending a lot of time writing a rap song is that we lose what I like to … [Read more...] about How To Finish Your Rap Songs Faster
The Most Difficult Part Of Writing Rap Songs
Songwriting is a skill in and of its self, apart from rapping. And there are a lot of techniques that go into it as well. But within this article, I'm going to discuss what I believe to be one of the most difficult parts about writing rap songs and I'll provide with you some insight on how to get past it. Under Pressure A lot of us rappers put a tremendous amount of unnecessary pressure on ourselves when it comes to songwriting. Even though it's typically just us, by ourselves, in a room working on music. We allow our psyche to be flooded with all these questions and doubts such … [Read more...] about The Most Difficult Part Of Writing Rap Songs
The Top 5 Things Rappers Misunderstand About Songwriting
As an educator in the field of learning how to rap I've picked up on many common misconceptions. And lies unchecked can become one's truth. So in my efforts to prevent you from being held back, below I've compiled the top 5 things rappers misunderstand the most about songwriting. Let's get straight to it, shall we? 1. Every Song Must Be About You We've all likely been guilty of this one. You sit down to write your next song but you are "shooting blanks". This is commonly known as "writer's block". You've already written songs about the horrible EX, why you're the best rapper in the … [Read more...] about The Top 5 Things Rappers Misunderstand About Songwriting
How To Write A Rap Song Using Storyboards
We've all experienced that moment when you attempt to write a song but "The Force" just isn't with you! Regardless if you're struggling to get your song started or are having difficulties staying on topic throughout the songwriting process using this simple Storyboard technique will prove to be an invaluable asset. Let's get straight to it, shall we? The picture below is a realistic example of how I use storyboards. I'll expound on each step so that you understand my thought process within each section. Music That Moves This is the first step. It's important to pick an instrumental … [Read more...] about How To Write A Rap Song Using Storyboards
The Four Bar Theory – How To Keep Your Listeners Hooked!
Today I'm going to share something with you that will not only make you a better rapper but it will make you an outstanding entertainer! This "thing" I'm talking about is called "The 4 Bar Theory" and it doesn't just apply to rapping but it's also useful in songwriting, music production, and mixing as well. The 4 Bar Theory is simple. 4 bars isn't too long nor is it too short. If you can create a payoff for your listener every 4 bars you will have them locked in because your song will be highly entertaining! Let's take a quick look at the word "entertainment". To entertain means to … [Read more...] about The Four Bar Theory – How To Keep Your Listeners Hooked!
Try This Warm-Up Technique Before Writing Your Next Rap Song
Sometimes the most difficult part of writing your rap songs is simply starting. We are truly our worst critics which can be good for quality control but if mismanaged this can kill our creativity and productivity. In this article, I will be sharing a really easy and practical writing exercise that will help you begin the songwriting process quicker. Let's get right to it, shall we? Remove All The Chains In last weeks article I discussed how writing without an instrumental can be very liberating and this week I'd like to take it a little bit further. One sure fire way to get better and … [Read more...] about Try This Warm-Up Technique Before Writing Your Next Rap Song
Pros And Cons To Writing Rap Lyrics Without An Instrumental
Rappers often ask me if they should write to an instrumental or is it okay to write without one? Honestly, I prefer writing to an instrumental but either one is just fine, however, there are a few things you need to take into consideration. Without An Instrumental Regardless if you write to an instrumental or not you're going to have to fit your lyrics to an instrumental at some point unless you're going to rap your lyrics strictly Acapella. But writing without an instrumental is much different than writing with one and here are a few reasons why. Pros You can write much more … [Read more...] about Pros And Cons To Writing Rap Lyrics Without An Instrumental
Breathing Techniques For Rappers
Have you ever thought about how much your breathing plays a huge role in how well you sound when you're rapping? Most of the time, us rappers mainly focus on the parts that are being spoken and overlook the importance of the pauses. We have a tendency to overload our bars with too many syllables which cause us to rush words, reducing their clarity while compromising our vocal quality in the process. Let's look a little deeper into this, shall we? Preserving Your Energy Your voice is actually an instrument and in fact, it's typically the main instrument in each of your songs. In order to … [Read more...] about Breathing Techniques For Rappers