After all, rap songs are more than just words that rhyme. Through the lyrics, the songwriter's feelings will be well represented; in other words, a rap song is actually a sung poem. Did you know that the hook or refrain dominates 40% of rap compositions? That's why a bad hook or refrain can significantly reduce the overall quality of a song. If you're writing rap lyrics, make sure you create a hook that's unique and has character and is coherent with the rest of the song. For more detailed tips, keep reading this article!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Determining the Theme
Step 1. Determine the theme of the song
Maybe you already have an idea for the refrain, but still lack the lyrics for the rest of it; maybe the opposite is the case. That's why you need to first determine the theme or main idea of the song to make the process of writing lyrics easier. Try jotting down all the ideas that come to your mind before you start writing the lyrics.
- If you're feeling bored and can't come up with ideas, search online sites for popular theme songs. Think about what will be the focus of your song; will your song be about a place, emotion, period, lifestyle, action, important event, or something else? Do you want to communicate a positive or rather gloomy and negative message to your listeners?
- Consider your potential audience. Are you familiar with the names Drake and Lecrae? Both are rap musicians who have very different characters; Drake's songs are aimed more at secular listeners, while Lecrae's songs are aimed at Christian listeners. When composing song lyrics, make sure you're communicating what your potential listeners deserve to hear.
Step 2. Apply the freestyle method
Many artists who apply this method in writing the lyrics of the song. In other words, they first write down all the emotions, thoughts, and ideas that are in their minds before sorting them out. This method is very useful because every rap musician wants to create lyrics that are personal and with character.
Always carry a pen and paper with you to jot down ideas that suddenly come to mind; if you want, you can also write it down in the phone app. Some artists even get inspired while doing things outside of music! Feel free to write down all the ideas and thoughts that come to your mind to make the lyrics writing process easier
Step 3. Watch other rap musicians perform
Do this after you have come up with ideas to prevent accidental plagiarism. Listen carefully to their song lyrics; Also understand the structure of their song and how they use the lyrics to build a story.
- The best way to get started is by watching and imitating your favorite musicians. Don't worry if your rap style will in some ways reflect theirs; after all, you were inspired by them, right? But remember, don't copy their ideas completely if you don't want to be labeled plagiarism; instead, mix their style with yours to create more unique and distinctive music.
- Often times, the lyrics of a rap song don't express the author's intentions explicitly. In other words, there is a greater meaning than what appears on the surface. To understand how a rap musician uses lyrics to convey certain emotions, try reading some reviews on popular rap music.
Step 4. Turn your life into inspiration for your work
Remember, the best works of art are usually created from the experience of the creator himself. Therefore, take a look at your life and find the things that are important to you and would like to share with others. Take advantage of your emotions and memories of the experience and make your rap music personal.
- In other words, you can write lyrics about your family, successes, failures, heartaches, and other things in your life. You can also write about things that may not be personal, but that interest you (eg issues of poverty, welfare, persecution, tolerance, etc.).
- Not all rap song lyrics have to be personal. But generally, lyrics that are personal will be easier to convey or sing; as a result, your songs will have a greater impact on listeners. For example, one of Eminem's songs entitled "When I'm Gone" is very popular with music lovers because it tells the story of Eminem's relationship with his daughter.
Step 5. Create your music
Don't bring up a topic just because the majority of rap musicians bring it up. Some of the best and most entertaining rap songs are based on the unexpected! These types of songs are actually more attractive to listeners (especially certain groups of listeners who have an interest in the same topic). Therefore, write about any topic you want and don't have to try too hard to be accepted by the market.
Weird Al may not be your favorite rap musician, but he often uses other songs to parody in his works. For example, he once incorporated Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone's “Ridin” into his song “White and Nerdy”; rap lovers know the song as a very creative and humorous work
Part 2 of 3: Writing a Refrain
Step 1. Determine the right rhythm
Sometimes, it's easier to determine the rhythm before composing the lyrics. After all, determining the rhythm will also make it easier for you to determine the proper hook format. You can find several different types of rhythms online, or you can create your own with the help of special apps.
The right rhythm really depends on the emotions you want to communicate to your listeners. If your rap is about something positive, it's best to choose a fast, cheerful beat. Instead, choose a slower rhythm to portray gloomy and negative emotions. Strong emotions such as anger or frustration will also be conveyed in the right rhythm
Step 2. Choose the right topic
You've probably already figured it out when you're thinking about a song's theme. Some rap musicians prefer to write some lyrics first before deciding on a refrain, mainly because they don't want the rest of the lyrics to depend entirely on the refrain. On the other hand, some songwriters do base their entire lyrics on the chorus of the song. To begin the process of creating a refrain or hook, try choosing a single word to focus on in your refrain or hook.
- Lecrae uses the word " boast " in his song " Boasting " to convey that relying on oneself will only make humans walk in place. Although the word is only used once in the hook, it is actually the very foundation of the entire structure of the rap. Lecrae insists that relying on himself is unwise because he never knows if tomorrow will come.
- There is no perfect formula for writing rap lyrics. Use whatever method works to let your creativity flow so you can create your best work!
- The best hooks are the ones that highlight the main idea in a way that doesn't overdo it. This kind of hook generally represents the main idea of the song through various dictions, without actually mentioning the main idea in question.
- For example, Jay Z's song "Hovi Babi" has a hook with the lyrics "Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable". Through the hook, Jay Z actually wanted to say "I'm cool" by using creative and not explicit diction.
Step 3. Use the selected topics to compose the refrain
With reference to the topic or word you have chosen, write a hook that each line communicates the main theme in a different way. Typically, a rap song's refrain consists of eight bars (four stanzas) and is followed by a lyric set of sixteen bars.
- Generally, a bar consists of one stanza which is divided into two separate sentences or two bars. Typically, a rap song consists of three parts of 16 bars each and three refrains.
- Generally, classic rap songs consist of 16 bars. The first sixteen bars should last for one minute followed by the refrain, the second 16 bars, the second refrain, the bridge (optional), and the final refrain.
Step 4. Match the visual image with the action word
To attract listeners, you must be able to make listeners imagine the things that are told in your rap music. The more real each scene in your song is to listeners, the more likely they are to like your song.
Mackelmore's song "Downtown" uses metaphors such as "yellow glass…banana chair, canopy with two wheels…”, and also includes action words such as “Crossing the aisle… tiptoeing down the street…”. Such lyrics will help listeners have a more specific picture of your song
Step 5. Create a catchy refrain
When someone remembers rap music, usually the first thing that comes to mind is the chorus of the music. Therefore, make sure you create a refrain or hook that is easy to remember, easy to follow, and leaves a deep impression on the listener's mind. In fact, whether or not a refrain is good doesn't depend on the topic you choose; most importantly, make sure your refrain is good and has character.
- Some musicians even put together a chorus that sounded nonsensical; however, because the lyrics are fun and easy to remember, people choose to keep listening to them. Therefore, make sure your main goal is to create a hook that you can enjoy! For example, the hook in Sugarhill Gang's song "Rapper's Delight" reads, "I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie/ to the hip-hop, and you don't stop. Even though it sounds absurd, the lyrics are actually very fun and easy to follow, right?
- Many hooks are actually simple but very powerful. For example, Drake's song "Started from the Bottom" has a hook that keeps repeating the phrase "started from the bottom". Through the hook, he wanted to communicate the long process he had to go through throughout his career.
Step 6. Create lyrics that rhyme
While rhyme is an important element, make sure you don't focus solely on creating rhyme and neglect meaning. Start by writing whatever lyrics come to mind; after that, look for words that sound almost rhyming. In other words, these words can form perfect rhymes if they are slightly modified. If you're running out of words, try rearranging the stanzas to get to the rhyme you want. However, do not ignore the meaning and message you want to convey, yes!
- Usually, the lyrics of a rap song will appear to rhyme after two lines or bars (the first sentence rhymes with the second sentence, the third sentence rhymes with the fourth sentence, etc.). Sometimes, songwriters choose to "take a break" in the middle of the lyrics and come up with sentences that stand alone and don't rhyme with other sentences.
- Look for inspiration from a thesaurus or a specialized dictionary on rhyme whenever your ideas get stuck.
Step 7. Decide if you want to make a singable or chantable hook
Some musicians tend to combine rap and popular music to create a singable hook. But the truth is, hooks in pure rap are made to be recited. You can choose one of them or even combine the two!
Chief Keef and Lil Durk do most of the song's hooks; meanwhile, Drake and Kanye West are two rap musicians who often mix singing and chanting
Part 3 of 3: Improving Song Quality
Step 1. Practice the refrain you've made and try to blend it into the rest of the lyrics
This is the best way to determine if your refrains and lyrics are coherent. Chant your lyrics out loud; observe whether the contents of the refrain and the lyrics in the verse are coherent. Observe also whether the structure of your song is good.
Step 2. Chant the lyrics with the selected rhythm
Try reciting the entire lyric to your chosen rhythm and listen carefully to the results; observe if there are any parts that don't sound unified or coherent and try to improve those parts. Practice the intonation of your voice and emphasize certain lyrics that you want to highlight.
Step 3. Improve the quality of your song
Once you've rehearsed it, determine if you need to make improvements in some areas to improve the flow, coherence, and coherence of the lyrics and rhythm. If you find that a lyric or rhythm needs improvement, feel free to do so to make your song sound even more perfect.
Step 4. Display your work
Music is made to be heard; therefore, do not hesitate to display it in front of your closest friends or relatives! Ask them to provide constructive criticism and suggestions to improve the quality of your work.
