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 quicker at writing is by removing every technical thing that may hold you back from seizing that precious moment when inspiration hits you. This is what I like to refer to as The Fresh Perspective. And the more time you spend working on your song the more of it you may lose so take advantage while you still have it!

By technical I mean things like trying to come up with rhyme schemes, punchlines, determining how your lyrics are going to fit the beat etc..

Forget all of that for just a moment. The next time you have an itch to write a song, try starting off by just writing everything that comes to mind down on paper. Almost as if you’re dumping your brain onto the paper like a transfer of consciousness.

It Won’t Be Pretty

Don’t worry how your thoughts are structured or how random everything may come out just WRITE IT DOWN!! Here are a few reasons why this can be extremely helpful.

• You won’t lose any good ideas from being distracted by some of the more technical aspects of writing.
• You will have a good chunk of ideas and concepts to pull from once you start writing your song.
• This is a great way to warm up and brainstorm before writing your song so you can get your creative juices flowing.
• This allows you to write without any filters. This isn’t intended for anyone else to ever see so you can get as personal and crazy as your brain will allow.
• This is truly a freeing way to write none judgmentally without any pressure or anxiety of how others will react to it because this is strictly for you.
• You may discover new things about yourself that you’ve never realized before.
• This form of writing is a very therapeutic way of clearing your brain from all the clutter that builds up throughout the day.

Once The Storm Has Cleared

Once you’ve emptied your head so to speak then move on to creating a storyboard, and after that, you can focus on the more time consuming technical aspects of writing such as, making your lyrics and cadences work well together, rhyme schemes, punchlines, metaphors, etc..

Another cool trick that can help speed up your writing process once you move to rhymes is creating Rhyme Lists AKA Freestyle Drills which I discuss in my article “How To Write Rap Lyrics Faster”.

Don’t Be Fooled!

Don’t let the simplicity of this songwriting warm up fool you. This is a highly effective and practical way to get your creative juices flowing. Don’t overthink this step. Just start writing down everything that comes to mind even if you’re writing down that you have nothing to talk about. Just write it down so the connection between your brain, pen, and pad can begin working! And if you have any questions or feedback please be so kind to leave them in the comments section below. I hope this helps you out on your next song! 🙂