6 Tips for Writing Great Rap Lyrics

6 Tips for Writing Great Rap Lyrics

Rap is one of the most widespread forms of modern poetry. Lyrics are what distinguish between a good and a bad rapper. Good rap lyrics are personal, and flow, blending into the song and making a profound theme. Writing great rap lyrics is a precise art, and it takes patience and practice to master. However, anyone can get started creating some decent rap lyrics by following the easy tips in this article.

1. Brainstorm

The first step to follow when writing great rap lyrics is to brainstorm so you can come up with a theme for the song. There’s no limit to what your lyrics can be about. A lot of rappers create lyrics on something that’s happened either recently, or in the past. You might also want to create lyrics for a dance-type song, or talk a little bit about yourself. Basically, it’s all just about your preferences, as well as an understanding of what might be lyrics for a good song. Keep in the mind that the title of your song should indicate the theme. But don’t let the title tie you down, you can always come up with this later.

Start writing a draft story for your lyrics. Story-raps have been popular since the birth of hip-hop, but you’re not actually restricted to telling a story. Your lyrics can just as well be non-story. The important thing is to take the listener on a journey through the lyrics.

2. Know your Beat

Choose a beat that you know you’ll be comfortable with. If you rap pretty fast, then you definitely want to settle on a fast beat. If on the other hand you’re a slow rapper, then choose a beat that can match your pace. Start by listening to the beat a couple of times to get the rhythm and absorb the mood of your song.

3. Write awesome lyrics

Now that you’ve thought about your song’s theme/story, and familiarized yourself with the beat, it’s time to get to the lyrics. Build the ideals you collected above into lyrics, and keep in mind to maintain the rhythm. For some rappers, it helps to listen to the beats as they write the lyrics.

4. Keep it personal

An important rule of the thumb is not to lie about who you are. If you’re trying to get a certain point across, consider using hyperboles (extreme exaggerations). Usually, lines in a rap rhyme, but the words you put in there don’t have to match precisely. Anyway, it all depends on how you say them. Keep your audience in mind always, and cultivate a unique, personal angle.

5. Organize and memorize

Once you’ve got a good idea of what you want your lyrics to be (you should by now), it’s time to organize the ideas so that they make sense and flow. Break your ideas into verses keeping in mind the layout. This done, you’ll also want to memorize the lines so that you can internalize the rhythm and flow of the rap.

6. Rap and share

Now that you’ve created a rap lyric and accustomed yourself to the flow and rhythm, it’s time to rap and share. You start by recording yourself rapping in a room, then take it outside to the crowd. If you’ve no interest of doing the song yourself, you can consider selling your lyrics to already established artists. If it’s something phenomenal, you’ll most likely get top-dollar on it.