Enunciation Excercises

• Enunciation is an extremely important technique for any type of vocalist, but particularly a rapper. Pacing and rhythm are vital to creating an engaging flow, but it's all for nothing if the audience can't understand the words you're saying. The ends of words often fall victim to this effect if you cut them off to hit the next syllable or take a breath. Improve your enunciation by practicing tongue-twisters or the complex sections of your raps. Start slowly and gradually increase your speed, paying attention to each individual syllable of the line. If you stumble over one, or miss it completely, slow down and try it again.
  
  

Breath Control

• Breath control is vital for those planning to rap live. In the studio, rappers can take breaks and record every other line on a separate track, meaning they never have to worry about the amount of air in their lungs. Running out of breath toward the end of a line makes the lyrics sound weak and forced; use your stored air at a pace that will maintain the quality of your voice right up until a space when you can breathe in. Don't "snatch" a gasp of air between lines; it sounds unprofessional. Know your raps and the location of the biggest pauses. Practice carefully, rationing your air supply until you reach those pauses.
  
  

Warm-Ups

• Warming up your lungs and tongue before performing is essential. Athletes wouldn't perform without warming up their arms and legs, and the muscles in your jaw, tongue and diaphragm are no different. Take plenty of deep, slow breaths to oxygenate your blood fully. Perform your enunciation exercises a number of times to loosen up the muscles in your mouth. Keep the pace slow and easy. Don't wear yourself out; just get the blood flowing and get everything loose. If you're nervous about performing, carrying out some familiar, repetitive exercises will settle you down.
  
  

Practice!

• The importance of practice can't be stressed enough, and this doesn't just mean working your own verses and lyrics over and over. Rap along with other artists' songs on the radio, which will help you locate breathing points on the fly and increase your enunciation skills even further. Learning your own lyrics inside out is helpful, but a heightened enunciation ability will improve your adaptability to new songs, allowing you to learn them faster. Rap and freestyle as much as possible, even if you find yourself describing ordinary, mundane tasks such as taking a shower or walking to school. This practice will all help you become more comfortable occupying the mind-set of a rapper.