Rap Song Writing (basics)

[G.E.M]

Hello Everyone,

I have been writing rap for 3 years now, i have been a rap/hip-hop fan all my life. I really had no clue how to write rap 3 years ago but now i have sharpened my tongue and skills to a pretty fine point although im still not on top of my recording game. So lets talk about writing a rap song. You probably think its easy like the t.v game show host rappers huh well its not. First you gotta have a HOTT beat. If you wanna make a hit or a classic your beat has to be fire. If you don't make your own beats i suggest making a mixtape to make money to A. buy beats or B. buy equipment to make your own. (making beats that are fire is tough as well). With that said you don't just start writing. You listen to the beat and usually it will change tempo or have a few added sounds where the chorus comes into play. Thats where you keep playing over and over and over again. You want to write your chorus first. You want it to be fresh, You want it to deliver a message within itself because the rest of your song is gonna be hinged on those few bars. It has to be good because i tell you what if its not a click of a button and the listener is on someone elses page because you stunk. If your an upcoming artist don't just put any ol thing out there, wait until you have it, that one song. A one hit wonder can generate a million dollars off one song. Keep that in mind. So once you have your chorus mapped out and its catchy, makes your point etc. Now you have to decide what kind of flavor you want to go with in your verses. It has to blend with the chorus!!! That is key. I'm not just talking lyrics im talking your voice. You sound like a frog in your verses then a rooster in your chorus people are gonna say WACK. There are so many ways of writing. you can write like this -Every rappa has doe- Every rappa is the same- Every rappa has clothes- Every rappa has a chain- That is kind of a chanty flow it could even be used as a sub chorus. Then theres this style- Every rappa has doe, clothes whips and chains, but they can't see me cause im on point ona plane flyin ova tha game. There is other styles as well but this is just the basics. Punchlines are important, Channeled emotion is important, Flow is important, all these things apply to writing a REAL rap song. Not every track needs emotion or even punchlines but if you can master them people will love you for it. I hope this helped some of you.

[brohbot]

i agree, it's not easy. you have some really good pointers in there. i play bass in a band with an mc who i consider an american poet. check out some of the styles and metering he uses to convey his message. the instrument dynamic and unique/freshness is very important to us, but also the content of the lyrics is extremely important. i encourage those interested in writing rap songs to write about what inspires you and how you would like to inspire others. some people call this "conscious lyrics". you can check out higher than why here for example.

[G.E.M]

Thanks Brohbot i appreciate your feedback and your love for hip/hop. I listened to your music and i really enjoy your underground sound and the fact that your real to who you are. You really are one of the last of a dying breed when it comes to originality, soul, and REAL hip/hop. Keep doing what you do, ROCK THAT MIC!!! Youtube supernatural, guy is bonkers.

[tamir102]

GEM for commercial it is true that the chorus is every thing... and it will always be because of a breed of fans that dont listen to the value of lyrics!!!

good info tho yo.. keep it banging ... btw mind if u send me 1 of your tracks?

[urexecutioner51x3]

you know g.e.m. you bring up some good points regarding the basics of creating/making a bomb ass rap song. and i definitely agree with you on the delivery of the vocals.i would say it definitely takes time and patience and most people think they can just record whats on their mind and hope its hot but in most cases it isn't and thats why instead of sitting on a plateau you gotta keep reaching for something higher becuz the rap game is one that is constantly changing.but anyways just wanted to say good info.keep it up.

[DLite]

Yeah, I totally agree with you, G.E.M... Especially one the "HOT beat, and catchy chorus" part.
I grew up on hip-hop, and naturally at some point I started writing and performing myself. Isn't it annoying sometimes that you put your heart and soul into this one track, saying everything on your mind, I mean, really soul-penetrating lyrics... But then, only your close friends know how to appreciate this specific song. Others just usually say that it's "nice". And then, you decide to pass on originality, find a hot beat, repeat a few phrases with a catchy flow that have no meaning comparing to the songs you've written before... And find out that people actually love it. It happens a lot when you're writing in English in non-English speaking countries. It can really kill your willing to preserve the type of rap that was once called "real". Yet you're still trying...

[wakefresh]

even run-dmc had hooks that people remembered. if it was just two lines.