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A Primer For Writing Rap Lyrics

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You could have the best voice and delivery, but if your rap lyrics are not impressive or do not say things people can relate to, it will not matter that much. When it comes to writing lyrics for your rap songs, regardless of your level of expertise, it is important to learn how to do it the proper way. Remember that it is always possible to learn how to do things. So if you want to learn how to write good rap lyrics, here is a list of effective tips and techniques you can follow.

1. Write A Song People Can Relate To ​­

One of the best ways you can do is write about life, real people and things people can relate to. This is very important because people love to hear things they are currently experiencing or have already experienced. If you write rap lyrics about life and other interesting things, this allows people to relate to your lyrics on a very strong level. There is a higher chance that you'll gain fans and avid listeners if you always write rap songs about things people can relate to. For instance, you can write a song about how you personally feel about current issues in the society.

2. Your Song Should Tell A Story​­

Rapping is like telling a story. So when you write your lyrics, there should be a beginning, middle and end. This means that you have to pick a subject first and then create a story about it. The lyrics should progress from start to end. For instance, you can write your lyrics and start with how your childhood days were and then talk about memorable experiences in your teenage years then finally talk about what you are now and how you grew as a better person for yourself and the people around you. Telling a story in your lyrics can make your song stand out.

3. Words That Rhyme Don’t Work All The Time ​­

A lot of people fail to realize that it is not really important for the words to rhyme all the time. You have to totally get rid of the idea that rap lyrics need to rhyme. One of the possible things that can happen when you force the words to rhyme is that it limits the things you can say. Keep in mind that you cannot find a lot of words that rhyme with one another. So if you limit your lyrics to rhyming words, you lose your chance to become versatile as a rapper.

4. Practice And Master Wordplay​

One of the best things about great rappers is that they have already mastered wordplay. So what is wordplay, by the way? It is the manipulation or clever use of words in some fashion. Wordplay is important and helpful in getting the attention of your listeners. It also allows you to demonstrate your mastery as a wordsmith. Aside from wordplay, you can also inject metaphors and similes into your lyrics.

5. Look For The Perfect Instrumental Beat​­

Remember that the instrumental beat is a huge part of your rap song. With this, it is best to spend enough time finding the perfect instrumental beat for your lyrics. You can search beats online to find the most suitable instrumental beat for your song.

6. Aim To Improve Your Writing Skills Consistently ​­

Last but not the least, you need to challenge yourself to become better in writing rap lyrics. One of the things you can do is analyze great rap lyrics by picking your favorite rap songs. The next thing to do is break down the lyrics and extract the primary themes, keywords, etc. This way, you'll discover how great rap lyrics are made. Another thing you can do is come up with words or a topic you can relate to. Incorporate those words and start writing sentences until you come up with a whole set of lyrics.

So there you go. Always remember that when you want to learn how to write good rap lyrics, showcase your creativity skills. Do not hesitate to show imagery, wittiness, wordplay, metaphors and a lot more but don't forget to tell a story. When you follow the tips and techniques mentioned above, you'll definitely improve your writing skills.

And one more thing, rapping is what you are saying and how you deliver it.

This Article was written by Daniel Hartnett aka The Corporatethief Beats , a hip hop beat maker, song writer, and music marketing blogger from Dublin, Ireland. If you liked this content feel free to contact him on his website here The Corporatethief Beats.


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