Writing good rap lyrics is just a matter mastering a certain set of skills. Follow the steps below and watch your raps go from plain and lame to polished and professional.
The Content
First of all, you need to decide just what it is your rap is about. This is called Content. Your content content can be anything, from experiences you've had, to politics, to the sinister thoughts of an imaginary alter ego. You can write about important real life issues or trivial pleasures - there's no right or wrong way.
But, be sure that whatever you decide to rap about, it's something you know well. Attempting to write about things you aren't familiar with can not only make the writing process a lot harder, it can also backfire and cause people to question your integrity in the future.
Paint The Picture
After you've established just what it is you're going to write about, you have to start figuring out which words you want to use to do it. The skill of being able to choose the right words and mold them into something interesting is known as flow.
Flow is a lot like poetry. And just like poetry it's goal is to convey ideas, feelings, and images, through words. But choosing the right words can be somewhat difficult depending on your subject matter and your experience level as a writer. As a rule of thumb, they should be efficient- that is, they should be able to convey whatever it is you're trying to get across to your listeners in an interesting, but not overly complicated way. My suggestion is to go with what comes most naturally.
Stuck on which words to choose? Try this. Give up writing for a few days - maybe even a whole week. Take this time off to learn just how it is that you communicate. Pay attention to the way you talk to your friends and family, the words you use and how you use them differently than everyone else. How do you tell a story differently than most people, what do you find funny or sad that the people around you don't. These differences are your voice and the place you should be coming from every time you sit down to write. Trust me, the words will come.
The Delivery
Congratulations you are now a lyricist. But a good rapper is a lot more than just lyrics. So, it's time to turn them into a rap. The performance part of rap and hip hop is called delivery and without it your content and your flow would just be a bunch of words on a page.
The delivery of a lyric takes into account a number of stylistic choices, from your energy level, to your vocal tone, to the words you accentuate. You can be sarcastic, angry, or casual - threatening or laid-back. Maybe you slur words together. Or Maybe you emphasize each syllable. How you take your lyrics from the page and perform them is up to you, so experiment with different styles and see what works best for you.
How It All Fits Togther
You can probably see by now that there is a strong relationship between each of the elements within a rap. The way you deliver a lyric can depend on the words you choose. And, the words you choose can be influenced by what you rap about. Even the rap beats and hip hop instrumentals you choose can affect how you write.
When your writing, notice how each of the major elements of a rap play their own important role. And, Pay attention to how they relate to one another. Remember, just like any other art-form rap is a way to express yourself and who you are.
The Content
First of all, you need to decide just what it is your rap is about. This is called Content. Your content content can be anything, from experiences you've had, to politics, to the sinister thoughts of an imaginary alter ego. You can write about important real life issues or trivial pleasures - there's no right or wrong way.
But, be sure that whatever you decide to rap about, it's something you know well. Attempting to write about things you aren't familiar with can not only make the writing process a lot harder, it can also backfire and cause people to question your integrity in the future.
Paint The Picture
After you've established just what it is you're going to write about, you have to start figuring out which words you want to use to do it. The skill of being able to choose the right words and mold them into something interesting is known as flow.
Flow is a lot like poetry. And just like poetry it's goal is to convey ideas, feelings, and images, through words. But choosing the right words can be somewhat difficult depending on your subject matter and your experience level as a writer. As a rule of thumb, they should be efficient- that is, they should be able to convey whatever it is you're trying to get across to your listeners in an interesting, but not overly complicated way. My suggestion is to go with what comes most naturally.
Stuck on which words to choose? Try this. Give up writing for a few days - maybe even a whole week. Take this time off to learn just how it is that you communicate. Pay attention to the way you talk to your friends and family, the words you use and how you use them differently than everyone else. How do you tell a story differently than most people, what do you find funny or sad that the people around you don't. These differences are your voice and the place you should be coming from every time you sit down to write. Trust me, the words will come.
The Delivery
Congratulations you are now a lyricist. But a good rapper is a lot more than just lyrics. So, it's time to turn them into a rap. The performance part of rap and hip hop is called delivery and without it your content and your flow would just be a bunch of words on a page.
The delivery of a lyric takes into account a number of stylistic choices, from your energy level, to your vocal tone, to the words you accentuate. You can be sarcastic, angry, or casual - threatening or laid-back. Maybe you slur words together. Or Maybe you emphasize each syllable. How you take your lyrics from the page and perform them is up to you, so experiment with different styles and see what works best for you.
How It All Fits Togther
You can probably see by now that there is a strong relationship between each of the elements within a rap. The way you deliver a lyric can depend on the words you choose. And, the words you choose can be influenced by what you rap about. Even the rap beats and hip hop instrumentals you choose can affect how you write.
When your writing, notice how each of the major elements of a rap play their own important role. And, Pay attention to how they relate to one another. Remember, just like any other art-form rap is a way to express yourself and who you are.
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