How to Rap

On a message board I visit from time to time, somebody asked how to develop and improve vocal rap skills. I found this to be (to me at least) a pretty original question and I think it’s an important one. Many people seem to be born with a natural ability for a particular form of art. We call it talent. The thing is, while talent may be necessary at times, it can never take the place of practice just as practice can never take the place of talent. One may help to hide the absence of the other, but one can’t hold a candle to both. In the modern day Web 2.0/D.I.Y. world we live in, many people forget the importance of practice and learning. Amateur photographers can grab a digital camera and start snapping shots without ever learning the fundamentals of photography, so they don’t. Aspiring musicians can load Garage Band and record their band’s demo without learning the basics of recording and mixing, so they don’t. Etcetera etcetera. In the end, the difference between the people who take the time to learn and practice and those who don’t is usually apparent. The amateur photographer who has taken the time and effort to learn the technical aspects will have good shots on a more consistent basis. The mixes of the guy who spent a little time learning technique will sound better.

Rap is not very different – anyone can play a beat and start rhyming. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see someone actually think and ask about ways to improve. I added my two cents to the list of answers in the thread, and since I liked the question, I figured I could expand here.

• A few of the people who responded to the question said it was necessary to listen to and study the greats. It was even suggested that one practice reciting other people’s rhymes. I disagree with this. I believe hip-hop already has enough copycats and sound-alikes. There is no need to go out of your way to join them. It is important that an MC work at developing his own voice. The best cyphers I have been involved in were ones where everyone sounded different.
• Speaking of cyphers, do not underestimate the use of the freestyle. I made that mistake once, but once I started regularly getting involved in cyphers I learned how wrong I was. Freestyle has several benefits. It gives you practice using your voice and it helps you develop and recognize your own cadence and style. Also, freestyle is closely related to some of the exercises other artists use to open themselves up to inspiration. A painter might let the brush go where it wants with no particular picture in mind. A writer might sit down and write whatever comes to mind however strange or incomprehensible it might be. Freestyling is the MCs version of this. Something you say during a freestyle may give you great idea for a song and after freestyling on a regular basis for a while, you will find it helps your writing to. These last benefits will be more extreme if when freestyling, you attempt to challenge yourself and step away from the “typical subjects.” See what you come up with when you avoid the hip-hop cliché of how great you are and the mainstream money, violence and sex themes.
• Pay attention to energy and emotion. Energy will help you get a hold of your audience. Emotion will give your words authenticity. Imagine hearing a song about pain and sorrow performed in a toneless, bored-sounding voice. You don’t want to be that ridiculous image when you perform. Don’t just practice your words, breathing and timing – practice your emotions. Get used to putting yourself in the moment of a song, whether that moment is happy, angry, sad, etc.
• Listen to music. Your songs should not consist of your voice and some music in the background. Your vocals and the music should work together to make the song. To do this consistently, it is important that you have an understanding of music. Help improve your understanding by listening to music. Try to make a habit of listening to all kinds of music, not just other hip-hop. Pay attention to individual instruments and how they work with the other sounds.
• Get out of your musical comfort zone. Trying reciting your verses to music they were not written to. Practice with beats at different tempos and even non-hip-hop instrumentals. This will help accustom you to the nuances of different beats. Also, try freestyling to music you have a hard time freestyling to – music that’s faster or slower than you are comfortable with or with difficult rhythms.
• Don’t forget good old fashioned practice. Practice your songs. Memorize them and get comfortable with them. This will help improve your breathing and give you room to play around with cadence.
• Writing is important. If you find that a particular line is constantly giving you trouble or sounding awkward, rewrite it. Rewording a line can change how it sits on the beat. For example, don’t try to force “I got inside of the car” to fit when you could simply rewrite it as “I got in the car”.
• Last but far from least – all of the previous tips have to do with technique. Composition is extremely important to. Try to choose varied subject matter and to approach it in interesting ways. Too many MCs seem to feel that a rap can only be about a few limited subjects. It doesn’t have to be. Rap is just one form of expression among many and it is compatible with anything out there that can be expressed whether it’s a story, an emotion, or an idea.