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MULTIES

This is the art of consistently rhyming multiple syllables either in one bar or more. There are actually diverse definitions depending on who you ask. Three or more syllables in multis is even better.


PARABLE

This is when two different things in a simile get compared and described. (i.e; “I get high as flappin wings, so I never fall down/ Like a bird with eagle flight, I’m never touchin the ground/”. This describes the similes “flapping wings” and “bird with eagle flight”.)

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PERSONIFICATION

Making an inanimate object act in a human way. (i.e; “This song hits, the snares be clappin/” . Snares don’t actually clap, but here they are compared to the human function of clapping. The song doesn’t actually hit, but here, the song is compared to humans fighting/punching.)


PROVERB

Repeating an old sayin. (i.e; “What goes up must come down/”)

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QUOTATION

Repeating a line someone else said and usually gives tribute to the author. (i.e; “Like Jay-Z said, I’m Big Pimpin/”)


RHYME SCHEMES

A rhyme scheme is the following:
Word, word, word, RHYME/ (Bar 1)
Word, word, word, RHYME/

Or another

Word, RHYME, word, word, RHYME/ (Bar 1)
Word, word, word, word, RHYME/ (Bar 2)

Or

A,A,A,B
A,A,A,B (where B is the rhyming words)

Or

A,C,A,B
A,A,C,B (where B and C are the rhyming words, C are the “inners”)

It is the order of where rhymes go in your bars.

(i.e; “I got money and a benz, my wallets bigger than a car/
Got more bars than a millionaire who’s playin guitar/”)

Easy simple scheme, but you can make more ear catching ones.

(i.e; “Grimey lyrics, transform like alchemy, over the balconies/
But clear like falcon sees, I spit em once, and now they’re chalkin me/”)

Notice how the bars rhymed in two places each with multiple syllables. Every word didn’t rhyme perfect, but close enough as not to pay attention to it, that is not bad in rap. In rap it is known as a “slant rhyme”.

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SIMILE

Any time you say “as” or like” . (i.e; “I’m like a bird”)


SLANT RHYME

A slant rhyme is when words do not rhyme exactly, but still sound like they do.

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SWITCH-UPS

Switch-ups are basically when you switch your usual rhyme scheme pattern for a different or faster scheme then fall back on your original scheme. To find your natural rhyme schemes just listen to a plain instrumental and hum a freestyle over it, you’ll automatically add the extra emphasis on the words that rhyme.


SYMBOLS

A word substituting the actual thing. (i.e; “I’m walkin in my flip-flops/”, saying flip-flops instead of just saying slippers, flip-flop is the symbol used because slippers make a “flip flop” type of sound when you walk.)

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SYNONYM

A word with the same meaning as another word. (i.e; “cold/freezing”, “cut/slice” “money/currency”, “dead/diseased”.)


BARS AND HOOKS

A bar is the time it takes to count to 4 on rhythm in any song, this is because the time on any rap song is in the 4/4 time format. A usual verse in a commercial song is 16 bars, sometimes 8, and on freestyles nobody counts. To count bars simply count to 4 in rhythm on any song and add one after each succession. In a normal rap song you should be able to count to 64 on beat, remember after each 4 is a new bar. Hence 64 divided by 4 is 16.

A hook is the chorus part of a song that comes immediately after the verse or bridge and is usually 4 to 8 bars and above after the breakdown part of the song and sometimes may fade out.

The breakdown is after the first two choruses and is sometimes continues by another verse. Sometimes the instrumental music may change slightly and an extra verse or chorus may compliment it.

The Bridge is like an extra chorus that can be used anywhere.

Basic song structure:

intro
verse
chorus
verse2(*1)
chorus
breakdown(*2)
chorus
chorus
outro


*1 = there may be more than 2 verse or choruses
*2 = a breakdown/instrumental sequence varies in bars and in some songs do not exist.

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BREATH CONTROL

Take a note in where a pause in the verse is at then use that time for you're breaths. At first this may be hard to do, but as you get more advanced, you will find you automatically write rhymes that give you space to breath and rhymes that are too close together, you will erase or scribble them out. Breathing through your nose at tiny breaks and using your diaphram muscle helps as well.


CHOOSING TOPICS

You must choose the topic that fits the type of rapper you are. IF you have problems and get writers block, think of a subject you have strong opinions about. When you are on a creative spree, brainstorm a list of ideas to look back upon for when you have writer's block.Can mean many things where you copy and repeat with words, schemes or technical use. It also means using a quotation and not giving immediate credit to the author or creator.

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FREESTYLING

First, I suggest you listen to other great freestyle rappers like Cassidy, Eminem, Jin, Hell Rell, Jay-Z or Fabolous to get a feel of how an expert does it. Practice freestyling anywhere and everywhere to get yourself accustomed to freestyling on the spot. Even if you think you sound stupid just keep doing it. As an exercise, get a friend (or you could do this by yourself) and point at random objects in a room and freestyle on it, T.V., refrigerator, phone, then rhyme as much words as you can. At this point it does not matter if it makes sense. Pausing after a word causes it to have more power, especially if a word is rhymed with the paused wor on the next bas. Also watch T.V. and take notes on daily things that are occuring. USing famous people or events is HIGHLY effective when you need that strong punchline to close your last bar.

Then start taking on subjects you have strong opinion to and start freestyling about that, this will develop you to have substance. Keep practicing, once this is mastered continue to the next step. Now you can freestyle battle. Battle with friends or if you can find someone who is really good, battle him. After each battle most freestylers will automatically tell you what they felt you’ve lacked, so you will improve. I’m not saying a great boxer becomes great by losing street matches, but it would unquestionably make him more humble. Eventually, after your weaknesses are spotted and improved (staying on topic, picking something about your opponent and mocking it) you should be very lethal.

Freestyling consists of disses, metaphors and punchline patterns.

- A diss is basically attacking someones appearance, personality, lifestyle, history, family, obvious weaknesses.

- A metaphor is comparing your enemy to something animate or inanimate to insult them.

- A punchline is the bar that can take the diss or metaphor and puts it in a single bar.


INCREASING SPEED

Can mean many things where you copy and repeat with words, schemes or technical use. It also means using a quotation and not giving immediate credit to the author or creator.

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Increasing Vocabulary

A rapper with a low vocabulary is going to find it very hard to consistently rhyme large words. Therefore, I suggest you buy a dictionary and randomly pick out a large word every day. I know this sounds stupid, or young, but this is the most effective way. Also, picking up a slang dicitionary should familiarize yourself with words common in regions elsewhere, but uncommon across. Masters of slang are bay area rappers, notibly E-40 and Keak Da Sneak, listenin to one album of these veterans should expose you to slang words past, present, and future. Another neccesary tool is a rhyming dictionary, having one will mean you will NEVER run out of words to rhyme.


Perfecting Your Flow

Now, you may not understand what I will teach you, but still listen carefully because this is the hardest thing to describe. You can have all the technical knowledge ever presented in rap, but still be wack. Why? This is because you must also develop a decent voice to work with your lyrics. When people listen to your voice they unconsciously judge it. The psychology of why this happen is complicated. When you hear a higher pitched voice rapping fast and a lower pitched voice rapping fast, you will automatically think the higher pitched rapper is faster even though they are rapping the same speed. High pitched voices tend to be associated with being not intimidating, smart, fast, kind, gentle, versatile, and having better rhyme schemes even if it is not ture. A lower pitched voice will have the opposite effect. Lower pitched voices have the effect of being associated with intimidating, not as smart, less kind, slower, more one dimensional and less versatile and having worse constructed rhymes schemes. Also, the social views of the voices may change so it is not uncommon for them to switch with the seasons or fads as to which one is perceived better in different areas. This is called the “BALANCED” voice and you can have good flow with both types of voices. Be versatile by using the strong points of both voices and with a nice balance you should be able to achieve a good flow.

Now the second to achieving good flow is the “FLUID” voice. This means not being jerky and using rhyme schemes that allow you to use good breath control. To achieve this, obtain instrumentals and rap non-stop over them. Continue to use this on a daily basis and you will find what you can and cannot do with your voice, your breath control will be a snap and you will find your puny voice will be replaced by a voice that demands attention.

The third step is the “EMOTIONAL” voice. Please use emotion in every rhyme (i.e; “I got hyphy! Slapped a fool for starin’ at me wifey/”. On “I got hyphy!” you would use emotion of making your voice louder and yelling, while on “Starin at me wifey” you would lower the noise level of your voice and say it in anger.) Using facial expressions will help convince yourself of the emotion. Example of good flow for lower pitched voices are Rakim and Krayzie Bone. Examples for higher pitched voices are Twista, Lil Wayne and Eminem. Examples for mid-pitch voices are Big Boi, Andre 3000 and Jay-Z.

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TYPES OF RAPPERS

There are several different types of rappers. The main types are the following:

- glamour
- hustler
- conscience
- pure lyricist
- storyteller
- tongue twister
- political
- religious

A "glamour" rapper's lyrics mainly brag about materialistic things such as cars jewelry, women, money and houses.

A "hustler" rapper's lyrics will be mainly about selling things such as drugs, cds, or even tamales.

A "conscience" rapper is sometimes referred to as a "backpacker" rapper and they rap about things ranging from elevating the mind, drugs, social issues, family and various issues.

"Pure Lyricist" rappers focus on the technical side of rap, sometimes using long complicated words and schemes and rarely care about topics beyond self glorification and put downs of others.

"Storyteller" rappers make songs where they tell a part or whole of a story. Most of the time these songs involve a well put together plot and some use of technical skill such as metaphors, multis and punchlines.

"Tongue Twister" rappers have the ability to rap in atleast 8/4 bar form, double or faster the speed of normal rappers.

"Political" rappers are similar to conscience rappers, but they do not stress niches of lifestyles of individuals and are more general to people in political power, laws, social issues and for the improvement of humanity, they also may be simply for anti-establishment.

"Religious" rappers talk about personal and non-personal experiences past and present with their god.

Note: A "conscience" a rapper usually will refuse to rap about hustler mentality and are sometimes insulted by the content of a glamour rapper. Each of these types are furthermore separated into regional, state, city, neighborhood, street divisions. No rapper is usually in only one category, most rappers are a mix, though there are extreme cases. Also, the instrumental music of each category is vastly diverse.

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