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Rap about an object that you can see. This forces improvisation.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Write down some practice lines. Four or eight lines are sufficient for now. Pick words that rhyme for the end of each pair of lines. The content can be about anything, but rap is characterized by a heavy use of street slang and African-American idioms, so the more slang you use, the more authentic your rap will be. For example, rather than "My friends are chilling, the steaks are grilling. We're by the pool, keeping nice and cool," try "My friends be chillin', the steaks be grillin'. We by the pool, keeping ourselves good and cool." - 2). Put on a metronome or digital click track. Set it to a tempo that is easy for you to rap along to. While rap is less formal than other vocal techniques, your ability to work on and against the beat will define your style. A rapper who only rhymes on the beat will begin to sound boring. Play the metronome and experiment with word placement and stress. For example, alternate between "my FRIENDS be chillin'" and "my friends be CHILLin'." When Grandmaster Flash raps, "Don't push me, I'm close to the edge," in "The Message," all of the words are off the beat. Off-beat refers to the "and" part of a counted measure, for example, "one AND two AND three AND four."
- 3). Increase the tempo of the metronome. Once you're comfortable rapping at a certain speed, challenge yourself. If you are unable to enunciate each word audibly, slow the tempo down a little. Make a note of the tempo you finished on in your last practice and start the next practice 10 beats per minute slower, then build up the speed again.
- 4). Add more lines. Don't write them down. Start rhyming what you've practiced, but then keep going. This is called free-styling. A good technique is to use placeholder phrases when you get stuck. For example, many rappers drop in their own name or the name of their hometown to fill the space while they come up with a good line.
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