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The fastest rappers in the world can drop close to a dozen syllables a second . But even those rappers had to start somewhere. By practicing your flow and doing vocal exercises, you too can become a fast rapper. To help you out, we've rounded up the best tips from vocal experts for rapping faster, plus tips for writing your own lyrics to practice with.
Steps
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Look up some difficult tongue twisters. Don’t settle on simple tongue twisters for kids. Look for the longest, most difficult tongue twisters you can find. Select a number of tongue twisters that focus on different letters of the alphabet.
- Try out something like this: "I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate, And I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late. I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come." [1] X Research source
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Read the tongue twister out loud. Focus on the enunciation of the words. Pronounce each syllable clearly and as quickly as you can. This will help loosen up the muscles in your tongue so you can speak at a faster rate.Advertisement
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Say the whole tongue twister in a single breath. This exercise will improve your breathing so you can use better technique when rapping. It can also help improve your lung capacity . This is important to being able to rap fast because it teaches you to say more words with each breath.
- If you can't say the tongue twister in a single breath, try some additional breathing exercises to get you there.
- Hissing is a good beginning breathing exercise. [2] X Research source Breathe in to the count of 4. Breathe out, hissing, to the count of 4. Then, breathe in for 6, and hiss out for 10. Breathe in for 6, out for 12. Breathe in for 2, out for 12. Breathe in for 4, out for 16. Breathe in for 2, out for 16. Breathe in for 4, out for 20. Breathe in for 1, out for 20.
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Eliminate your mistakes. When you accidentally mess up, start over until you get it perfectly. You want to get it right the first time and every time. When rappers perform live, they only get one shot at getting it right. Mistakes are bound to happen, so don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep working to minimize their frequency.
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Repeat the tongue twister faster. Try this exercise for 5 to 10 minutes a day to practice your technique and build speed. If you want you can time yourself to see how much faster you are getting over time.
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Pick out a rap song to learn. You can select a rap song that is performed at any speed. Sometimes it's best to start out with a song that isn't too fast to begin with. Artists like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent or Biggie have a lot of songs that feature a chill flow which most aspiring rappers can keep up with.
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Look up the lyrics. Read over them several times while you listen to the song. Focus on the lyrics and remembering them perfectly.
- Try focusing on the meaning of the lyrics or visualizing the story they tell to help you remember them better. [3] X Research source
- You can also try to link a movement to a particular word or phrase, so you can memorize it faster and remember it through your moves.
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Rap along with the song. Put the lyrics away and recite them from memory. Try to keep up with the music.
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Rap without the music. Recite the lyrics from memory without the help of the music. If you forget the lyrics, start over and try it again. Keep going until you can get through the entire song.
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Repeat these steps until you have the lyrics completely memorized. Rap lyrics should always be recited. Never read the lyrics when performing live or in the studio. Once you can recite rap lyrics from memory, then you can focus on performing the song faster.
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Practice, practice, practice! You need to work on your skills regularly if you want to become a fast rapper. Set aside time daily when you can do tongue twisters and perform rap songs. You can practice for an hour or two, but then give yourself a break to rest your vocal chords. Stay hungry, focused, and committed to improving each day.
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Analyze some techniques of the faster rappers like Tech N9ne, Twista and Eminem. Notice how certain lines are performed with inflection or tone. It might convey sarcasm, irony, humor. Good rappers will still effectively convey the meaning of their lyrics even when they rap fast. Practice using your voice inflection to convey meaning when rapping fast too.
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Pay attention to the breaks. Once you learn to rap fast, you need to learn to stop fast. This gives your audience time to process the lyrics. Changing the pace when you perform will not only add style to your performance, it will provide contrast so your fast rapping seems even faster.
- Try saying the alphabet as fast as you can, but pause after the letters E, G, and N. This will help you learn to keep going fast when your instincts tell you to pause, and to pause when you normally would keep speaking.
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Learn the slang. Rap has a vocabulary all its own. There are many terms you won’t be familiar with unless you study them. If you find a word in rap lyrics you don’t know, look it up in urban dictionary. You might be able to make use of it in the future when creating your own lyrics.
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Use your imagination. The best lyrics transform thoughts into words. Keep your lyrics simple enough for everyone to understand. Listeners should not need a dictionary to understand your songs. Come up with creative rhymes as much as possible.
- Great lyrics can combine original imagery with unique thoughts that express your unique views on the world. A good example is this verse from Lil' Wayne.
- "I'm probably in the sky flying with the fishes / Or maybe in the ocean swimming with the pigeons / See my World is Different"
- Great lyrics can combine original imagery with unique thoughts that express your unique views on the world. A good example is this verse from Lil' Wayne.
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Memorize your words. To perform you should know the song forward and backwards. It is impossible to rap very fast when you aren’t certain of the next line. By the time you are ready to perform you should know the lyrics as well as you know your own address or phone number.
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Develop your own style. Fast rappers are all unique in their performance and you should be as well. Use your training and knowledge to perform songs that reflect upon your influences in addition to your own unique approach. It’s not just about how fast you are, but how you are fast.
- The style of delivery should reflect how you are as person: maybe you're chill, intense or stylish. [4] X Research source These attributes should be reflected in your performance.
- Perform with confidence, and if you lack confidence, then fake it. [5] X Research source If you don't seem confident in your music or yourself, your audience won't buy into your act either. Part of being a great performer is selling the act to the audience.
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Become a Rapper with this Expert Series
So, you want to become a rapper? You're going to need to learn how to write lyrics, freestyle, and more. Fortunately, we've got you covered with these expert articles.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I learn to rap quickly without twisting words and choking?ChloeCommunity AnswerFirst just say the lyrics, then start singing at a slow pace. As you get the hang of it, go faster, until you are rapping at a fast pace without getting your words mixed up.
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QuestionWho is faster: Big l or Eminem?Community AnswerEminem.
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QuestionWhat are some good songs I can learn to rap to?Community AnswerTry Eminem songs.
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Tips
- Don’t just focus on modern hits. Some fast rappers have been around for more than 20 years.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/hard_tongue_twisters.html
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sing/learning/breathing.shtml
- ↑ http://www.guitarhabits.com/10-effective-ways-to-memorize-song-lyrics-much-faster/
- ↑ https://www.platinumloops.com/how-to-rap-part-2-confidence-delivery-energy/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-empathic-misanthrope/201109/fake-it-til-you-make-it
About This Article
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Reader Success Stories
- "Just slowed the process of rapping down and broke it up, which really helped me!"
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"Just slowed the process of rapping down and broke it up, which really helped me!"
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"Thanks for the idea of tongue twisters."
