There have been many times where I've been asked to give away my secrets. For instance how do I come up with my hooks, where do I record, how did I get verified on Twitter. The majority of the time I have no clear answer...I was born this way. Well I wish that was completely true. You see when I started writing rap songs, I began writing poetry, then hooks, bridges, singing melodies, and by the time I looked up I was writing about 10 songs per day. Many people don't know that but my best friend. Therefore that brings me to my topic. How to Write a Rap THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER. Listen to Too Many Chains first
Let's start from the top. There are 3 key components to writing an unforgettable rap. I'm going to lay them out for you.
- The Hook: other than a compelling instrumental itself there should be an unforgettable hook. In most songs...especially singles...you want it go FIRST. When writing a hook one has to always remember where will this rap be played; in the club, in the car, in an orgy...you get it. When you begin the hook you want the first line to punch people in the gut. Some combination of either reaffirming domination "I'm a young black menace to society" or reminding people to have fun "Girl you look good when you..." what ever it is it needs to be a BOLD statement. Be sure to always follow the rhythm of the beat and write 4 bars that fit the melody. If you chose to extend it you can write a repetitive bridge. "I got too many whips and chains on...uh huh...too many whips and chains on". Next is...
- The Verse: Now the majority is based on your ability to have charisma, wordplay, and energy...none of those I can teach. But what I can teach you are some tricks I enlist. I always begin the verse with ANOTHER BOLD statement. For example in my song Too Many Chains I say, "I'm a Young black mogul on the come up". This almost matches the hook yet sets a totally different statement. That's what you want to achieve. Then in the middle of the verse I call this the 9th Bar Effect you insert yet another bold statement to remind the listener that this is not a game! Mine was "When the last time Jordan came and put you out of your misery?". Not only sending a clear message but causing the listener to ask themselves a question. Engagement is key.
- The Vamp/Bridge: There needs to be a spot where you give the listener a mental break (if you are making a party song...you want it to be one big mental break). This is usually called a bridge. Here you insert hook like repetition but utilize negative space (where you aren't speaking) to do the work for you. My bridge in Too Many Chains is: "There's old school, there's new school, but this here is new cool...so swag That!". This statement just says...I'm not doing what everyone else is doing so just go with it.
If you follow all three of these recommendations you will find yourself writing better than average raps in no time. This is a method I came up on my own and yours will be different. Challenge yourself to new song structure and not saying what other people are saying...Only then will your song be original and be a rap song that people remember.
