Learning how to write a rap song is in itself not difficult but writing a good rap song takes years of practice.
New rappers may have difficulty in knowing how to even begin to write their own rhymes and can become discouraged or overwhelmed when the process is a bigger challenge then they had previously thought.
Fear not! In this article I will break down step by step how to write a rap song which when repeatedly practice will have a serious impact the development of your flow and songwriting abilities.
The first step to write a rap song is to find inspiration and decide on a topic that you wish to write about.
Rap music varies in its subject matter from gritty street tales to love songs to party anthems to everything in between.
What is your current mood? If you are feeling down it might not be the best time to write rap verses that talk about celebrating in a club so gauge your emotions and tailor your words accordingly.
The second step is to find an instrumental that can help convey the mood of the topic that you have chosen to write about.
Obviously an aggressive song will demand an aggressive instrumental and a sad song will need something more somber.
This can actually be the first step in many cases because the beat that you choose can spark and idea and the lyrics will begin to flow out of you.
The third step is to find your flow over the beat.
Try out different delivery speeds and styles to find the one that will work best over this particular track.
Don't worry about having coherent lyrics just freestyle a bit or do what I do and just connect a series of noises like da-da-da-da-da in different ways until you find out how you want to deliver actual words.
Writing the hook should take precedent over your three main verses because a catchy hook is what sells the song to your audience.
A hook is usually 4 bars and then repeated for a total of 8 bars.
A hook should be very simple and something that draws people in.
For inspiration listen to how other rappers used the hook on their most popular songs.
Notice the simplicity and definite way it tells what the song is about.
Next you should begin to write your verses.
A standard song has 3 verses consisting of 16 bars a piece.
This is where you need to show your lyrics creativity and tell the story that you want to tell on the track.
After your lyrics are done you will need to practice over the beat until you have it down pat.
Lots of work can be done in the recording studio to improve the song and your delivery further but don't waste time and money by not being prepared to spit your raps.
Once you feel comfortable that you have the song down you can then record it.
I recommend that you start out with a cheap home recording set up just so you can have a basic idea of how it will sound and after you have done that then go to a recording studio and pony up the cash to have it professionally mixed.
The step by step process for writing a rap song is pretty basic but like anything it takes lots of work to get good at it.
If you really want to become a rapper then you will have to sacrifice your time to make it happen.
Some people have more natural talent at rapping but none of the greats were just born with it, they worked on their craft every day.