Rap is an art form -- it takes appreciation, genre, and sacrifice to master. Good MCs drive crowds with energy, have a unique style, and create infectious conversationalities. You listen to your favorite rap song and ask "how did they do it?" If you dream and are driven, why don't you become the next phenomenon?
(If you're looking for how to host an event, How to Be a Good Master of Ceremonies is a good place to start. rhyming won't work at later conventions.)
Step
Method 1 of 3: Developing Your Skills
Step 1. Listen to hip-hop and rap music 24 hours for 7 days
A common mistake is listening to one type of music -- you pick one or two of your favorite artists and just listen to them and then you sound like them. You need your own voice. So, spend as much time as possible listening to different sub-genres of music: ghettotech, Chicano rap, East Coast hip hop, low bap, mafioso. Be an expert. You should also check about the competition!
Learn all hip-hop, from start to finish. If you don't know much about MC, here are some classic rappers that everyone else should know: Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Tupac, Notorious B. I. G., Nas, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, KRS-ONE. Eventually, you will become a true hip-hop "chairman"
Step 2. Think about the different rappers and their “kinds”
Neither one puts Ghostface Killah, DMX, and Eminem in the same category. Every artist has their own uniqueness. They make the same music, but they collaborate in very different ways. In general, the following are the categories:
- Hustler rapper. Their music is focused on selling drugs, CDs, or however this is used to make the final meeting. Same with the glamorous rappers who criticize very loudly about fast cars, money, jewelry and women. It involves very materialistic content. It is not difficult to find them because they are very common.
- Conscience rapper. Some refer to him as a "backpacker rapper." This type of music focuses more on higher-minded things -- using social or political issues, family, concepts behind drugs and other meanings. Basic philosophy -- a la Mos Def or Dead Prez.
- Storyteller rapper. They're just -- storytellers. Generally, it's about them or their opponents, but the topics can be very diverse. Think about Raekwon and Nas.
- Political rappers. They are similar to conscience rappers, but they concentrate on hidden difficulties in society and are usually outright anti-development. Public Enemy or even Macklemore.
- Tongue twisters. Can talk at twice the speed of normal conversation speed (usually 8/4). Same with "pure lyricists," who concentrate on difficult beats and rhyme patterns, word use, and angering their opponents. Look at Busta or Twisted Insane as good examples.
Step 3. Write your own rhyme
Freestyle emerged over time. From now on, grab a pen and paper, and let your brain work. You can add them later. Think about any topic -- the couch you're sitting on, that old duffel bag you've been using for years, your hatred for Jimmy Kimmel, or whatever. And then start removing gemstones.
- The easiest way to start is to think about the end first. You can use a rhyme dictionary if you like, but you should still focus on your own brain. If you get the first line ("Jimmy Kimmel, man, that timeslot's just a waste of space"), use a list of words that rhyme with the last letter (face, race, brace, case, trace). Where can you go then?
- No one wants to hear heavy rhymes from other people. Don't be the Dane Cook of MCs. Even if your rhymes sound like Dr. Seuss compared to Dr. Dre, if it's theirs, they're better off than if they stole.
Step 4. Expand your vocabulary
Easily put, the more letters you know, the more letters you know in the "rhyme." And if you use a word that your opponent doesn't know you will explode. Presented (cue to leave the microphone). So leave the rhyming dictionary (there are many available online) and adapt it to your own language. Your words are your strength. With more words, you'll face fewer obstacles when you crack your password.
Works also with near rhymes or rhymes with the same voice but not perfect rhymes, She knew that I really didn't wanna go/but she convinced me it'd be magical. The endings of sentences are not rhymes, but they "like" do it. A good rhyming dictionary will also have near rhymes. Don't limit yourself to dense rhymes. There is a lot of wiggle room. And if it's funny, no one really cares about it
Step 5. Experiment with flow
Learn rhyme patterns. It's important to develop your unique voice that you develop your own flow. A single tap can have multiple ways of being ejected. When you hear a loop, how many ways can you imagine getting it out?
Listen very carefully to rappers like Raekwon, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Big Pun, and any other MCs you think have developed a new and unique genre. Studying flow-techniques is the same as studying math: you need to understand the rhyme, the beat, its structure, count the bars, where the grooves come from, where to put your rhymes and so on
Step 6. Use the instrument
Now you have some rhymes of your own and you can experiment -- so get started! Check out some instrumental beats on Youtube and go for it. Use the same rhyme and try to find different rhythms to collaborate with. Which one looks more natural and which one doesn't? What sounds are repetitive and need improvement?
Sometimes your rhymes just don't fit a certain beat. If this doesn't work, find a different way. Be patient -- it can take some time to find the sound you're looking for
Method 2 of 3: Finding Your Taste
Step 1. Start with a freestyle
Throw away the pen and paper and start doing things spontaneously. A good MC only takes a few seconds to start getting one sentence out and rhyming. So, take a shower and start freestyle about how beautiful your soap is. Take an example and do it. The goal is that someone can hire you in any situation and you can do it.
When you let yourself be free -- and you need to really let yourself free -- write down a sentence that you want to use as a reference in the future. Not all freestyles are completely spontaneous. Most rappers have a repository of rhymes or lines that they can use to create new material
Step 2. Have some filler
Every rapper has a time where they need a few seconds to regroup. When you are in a stressful situation, you rely on the filler you have. These are just easy phrases that get you back to the top and can start using new thinking. It's great to have two or three fillers when fear strikes.
Don't think too much about it. Your filler could be “You know what I'm saying?” or “That's how I do it.” In general, it's best to use phrases that end in common words
Step 3. Create real content
You are not a WCW wrestler. Your music must be real and real. The last thing you should say in rap is about your home in Compton and how you need to sprinkle some powder on the back of your hand when you're actually sitting in Topeka, Kansas and playing D&D. Stick to what you know, understand, and feel. Your music will be much better and you will be rewarded, regardless of what it is.
Freddie Gibbs raps about Gay, Indiana. This is a perfect example of taking what you have and using it. Therefore, the music is very unique and creative (not to mention the authenticity). Your situation is not a burden. You just have to know how to deal with it
Step 4. Develop your persona
There is always something in your soul and always waiting for you to bring it out. Being a good MC is about finding yourself and expressing it. So, who are you? What's your voice? How do you flow?
While there is no relationship between your abilities and the act of “becoming” an MC, it helps you to have a look, so we'll tell you briefly: have a look. Customize your music. If you rap about bling or expensive jewelry, you better have bling. If you're rapping about how hard it is to have a lot of swag, you'd better have some useless swag. If you are famous, you will not fight over the image and already have the "packaging"
Step 5. Do a discordant rap with your friends
Cipher is when two individuals rap each other, complement each other, and create a friendly rivalry (this is not a match). So bring a friend and spend a few minutes rapping. Practice is the only way to get the perfect freestyle.
There are several aims in this situation: 1) take your opponent's appearance/skill and use it when your turn comes, 2) pick up where they left off -- if they say "Who do you think you are?" You have to answer them, and 3) use the same stream at first, then use your own stream. This will create a cohesive feeling (everyone does that)
Method 3 of 3: Developing it to the Next Level
Step 1. Watch the news and what's trending
Using your knowledge of current events, you can come up with the right allusions and metaphors to give your rap and song battles an edge. Your word is your weapon, and you can use it to stop what is given to you. And the crowd will go wild too.
Stories about your life are a good thing; individuals will be able to understand and relate. But talking about a broad culture is something that the “whole” audience can understand. They will feel like they are in a charade and get a message from you. So whether you go with Miley Cyrus or put out your views on Obamacare, if it's relevant, it's fine
Step 2. Get a Crew
A number of MCs surround themselves with like-minded and talented people for a hip-hop creativity explosion¬. Think of the Wu-Tang Clan as just the Wu-Tang Man. This is completely lacking. So, collaborate!
- It's a good idea to work with someone who has serious DJing skills. They'll be able to support you and give you the feeling you need -- if they know what they're doing. It may also mean they have tools for a specific purpose.
- A close friend. Having someone on stage full of passion and charisma who can chime in with you or ask the audience to leave when you need to breathe can make a huge difference when dealing with an audience.
Step 3. Record yourself
Use some of your best rhymes and record them. Not only will you create something that you give to others or share online, you will also hear how you sound, where your strengths are and where you need to improve. If you are not happy with the result, you can easily re-record it.
You can make a demo, but it will come just in time. From now on, you will need some software and equipment to do basic recording, if you have the money, do it in the studio. You can do this with anything from the voice recorder on your computer and instrumental songs to more sophisticated programs and software. We won't go into all the options because wikiHow has all of them categories devoted to music producing and recording
Step 4. Enter yourself into the internet
You don't just put recordings on a bookshelf and use them to lull you to sleep at night, do you? No! Create a Facebook page, Twitter, fancy Tumblr, Soundcloud and get as much attention as possible. This is not the time to be humble -- from now on you must sell yourself.
Did we mention on Youtube? Yes, Youtube. Every platform you can imagine, put your name there. When people ask questions about you, all you have to do is send them a link and they can start to hear and be interested in your voice
Step 5. Do a show on stage
Right now, you bring your abilities firsthand. You're not just singing to your Dove soap anymore, you're not just singing with friends -- you need a real show where you can compete -- or at least show your rhymes to people who have never heard of your groundbreaking beats. You will develop the public appeal you have been waiting for and start working on that credibility.
- Give your recording to the club owner. If they are interested, they may offer you one night as a “trial.” If there's nowhere in your area to find the kind of music you have, sing out in the open! Your goal is simply to find people to listen to you.
- Confident, clear, articulate, and above all, calm. You don't want to go to your first show “without” making any impact. Check the microphone before use, feel the vibrations in the room, start joking with the audience, and get into it. When you do a show, this will get the audience into it too.
Step 6. Start talking with labels
If this is the end goal, of course. It will be easier to do with an agent, so start asking! They can start sending out demos to individuals looking for the next best thing. If you send it, it will just be trash. So take your demo, grab your agent, and turn it into your career.
Be patient -- sometimes it takes years. Continue to dominate the virtual world and market yourself. You never know who has the same talent as you! Take the show whatever you can until one day your agent calls and says you have the power to sell. Previous struggles are history
Tips
- You rap because this is you. Not because you want to be Eazy-E, or Dr. Dr.
- It is allowed to create stage names. Just stay realistic.
- Most importantly, keep it authentic!
- If you have a problem, take a look back at 50 of your favorite rap songs, and analyze what makes them look good. If you do this regularly, you should see a lot of improvement.
- Try not to make a gimmick. Use ICP as an example.
- You don't have to always rap with your problems. People like positive conversation much better than negative. Negative talk is more stereotypical.
- When you make a trademark or special thing, don't kill it! When saying this don't be like Little Jon and say Yeeeeaaahhh! Trademark or Jeezy's CHEAAAAHHHHH! trademarks.
- Remember, common raps are not remembered forever, they are always changing. So try to stay up to date; no one wants to see a repeat of MC Hammer's behavior.
- Don't be mad at someone who is better than you. Learn from them.
- Don't make up lies in your rap show. Hip-hop groups will appreciate you more if you rap about who you are. Don't be someone else!
- Is it you and someone else. Rap doesn't consider your culture or beliefs, or even the color of your blood.
- It's acceptable to overdo things in your rap, but don't overdo it, it's like lying.
- Your rap should be more about you.
- Limit the use of the words "yo", "CHEAH", "Yeah", "get jiggy wit it", and "boogie." The word is cool to use again, but don't make it a trademark.
- When creating a stage name, limit the use of Lil', DJ, MC, Young, or Yung, as they are very common and limit your chances of being appreciated.
- Never act like other speakers. This is the reason why people say hip hop is dead. And that posture is the reason.
Warning
If you rap in a high pitched voice, don't expect your rival to be friendly later. This can result in violence, imprisonment, and even death
Sources & Citation
- https://rapgenius.com/posts/507-Dont-become-a-rapper-if-a-checklist
- https://www.flocabulary.com/freestylerap/
