Q&A for How to Write Rap Lyrics

Some people enjoy writing in nature, while others prefer writing in their bedroom. Try to switch up your environment to see where you feel the most comfortable. You can try writing in your local coffee shop, park, or even in your car!

You can save your raps on your phone, computer, or a platform like Soundtrap.

No. The second verse in Little Brother's "Whatever You Say" is a great example of a solid line that doesn't rhyme. If you're a beginner, rhyming can help you follow the structure of a song, but it can limit your creativity overtime. Once you get comfortable with the writing process, challenge yourself and write a song without any rhyming words!

Find a new beat, or change some of the endings or the way you introduce a new line. You can even add pauses, which also allows you to catch your breath.

It depends on the type of mood you want for the music. If you use "once upon a time," the theme of the song probably shouldn't come back to happiness, since you would be reflecting upon something you no longer have. If it is for a sadder song, then it's a great idea.

You have to really pronounce your words. Open your mouth loud when you rap and if you still stammer then rap slowly and then over time go faster.

Just pick a theme that you can relate to or an experience that you've gone through.

Yes, rap can be any tempo you'd like. However, faster rapping showcases skills.

If you know what you want to say, you can always use a Thesaurus to find a synonym that may work better.

You don't always have to have a record deal for one of your tracks to become popular.

Syllabic rhymes or "slant rhymes" are when two words do not quite rhyme, but the syllabic structure (vowel placement) is the same. For instance, the words "sand" and "hand" do rhyme perfectly, while the words "hand" and "man" doesn't rhyme perfectly but sound similar.

According to legend, Biggie Smalls would rap in his head, rap it out loud, memorize it, and then record it. There is a story where Jay-Z offered a notebook to Biggie to write, but Big said, "I don't write."

You can record your rap with a software, like Audacity, as long as you have a microphone and some free time.

To get a sponsor in anything, you have to get noticed. Make yourself more noticeable by breaking or bending the norms. In addition to getting yourself noticed, you have to impress them. It's all about showmanship. A street magician could be the best magician ever, but if his show looks sloppy and ugly then it doesn't matter. Look to impress and you should get noticed. Once that happens, it's just a matter of keeping their interest.

Experiment. Hum or whistle a tune, and transcribe it to notes by humming it note by note and going through the keys of a piano or keyboard (an app on your phone works as well) until you have found the names of all the notes. If you'd like a more "technical" approach, you can try to build a melody with a scale (example: C Major). There are many helpful articles on the Internet on how to write a melody or a chord progression over a scale. If you feel that you're just not musically inclined enough, feel free to enlist the help of a friend who is.

Find a way to cross-pollinate the local music and your hip hop approach. By approaching it this way, it'll open up more ears and allow you to champion your culture in your own community and abroad. Being original is a good thing, you'll be recognized for your pioneering efforts.

If they are royalty-free or if you have permission to do so, then no. If they are not royalty-free or you don't have permission, then yes, it is illegal.

Yes, freestyle rapping requires no writing. The rapper just drops the beat, sings the flow and goes.

Yes, if you put in the work. Improve either your English skills or try rapping in your native language instead.

Try to expand your vocabulary, it'll prove useful, whether in rapping or not. But if you do know what you want to say, you can use a dictionary and thesaurus to find synonyms, which will increase your vocabulary.

The style is different, but the idea of play on words is the same. It really is about vocabulary. As long as you can express yourself and are confident in yourself, you can rap in any language.

If you go to school, rap your rap, but not in class, and rap to your friends.

You don't really need to know the BPM of an instrumental. You may want to pick the beat first, and then start writing your verse. That way, you already know what the beat sounds like, and you can start coming up with flows and lyrics that can fit onto the beat. You could also adjust a pre-programmed BPM to fit whatever you write.

Play a beat and rap along the beat as long as there is a proper rhyme and message, it gains more attention.

Practice them over and over again. At first you can practice with the lyrics in front of you, but as you get the rap down, try not to look at the lyrics at all while rapping. You can even try rewriting the lyrics by hand to etch them into your brain.

Someone could, but you would have to pay them for writing lyrics for you. This website is for helping people learn how to do things themselves.

Learn to freestyle first. Freestyle each day until you can do it for 5 minutes non-stop. Have some punchlines ready in advance in case you forget what to say, but not a lot so it's not a written text. Be loud and confident, but not screaming. Remember to rap about what's around you, the event, your city, your name, etc. Instead of only trying to roast your opponent, bring yourself up first (like Nas did on Ether).

See whats trending, keep it as the main topic, start rhyming or rapping about it.

It's not necessary but in rap songs, it sounds good. It gets easier to write but at the end it doesn't matter if you wanna change the rhyme scheme.

No. Having the same voice will make the song good.