How to Start a Rap Song

Explore this Article

parts

1Making a Beat

2Creating a Chorus or Hook

3Writing the Verses

Other Sections

Questions & Answers

Related Articles

References

Have you ever listened to a rap song on the radio and thought to yourself, that could be me? Rap music continues to grow in popularity and is always shifting due to the wide array of styles and sounds from rap artists on the radio and online. A rap song is made up of three primary components: the beat, the hook, and the verses. You will need all three of these elements to start creating your very own rap song.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making a Beat

1. 
   1
   Be aware of the three elements of a rap beat. Learn to identify the three key elements of a hip hop beat in a song: the kick, the snare, and the hi-hats. These three elements need to be placed in a music program in a consistent pattern to create a hip hop vibe.

   • The kick is similar to the drum kick on drums. Most rap beats have syncopated kicks, or kicks that are in time with each other and follow a beat, which form the foundation of the beat. You can also layer your kicks, or use more than one kick at a time, to get a sharper sounding beat.
   • The snare works with the kick to create the rhythm for the beat. Most rap beats have a snare every other bar to give the beat more depth. You can layer your snare by adding in other percussion like claps or cymbals.
   • The hi-hats give a rap beat a crisp and clipped sound, helping to keep the beat consistent and rhythmic. In rap songs, hi-hats are often played in an eight note pattern to keep the beat on time. You can also pause the hi-hats at certain points in the song to let the other instruments in the song shine through.
2. 
   2
   Take inspiration from an existing song. Before you create your own beat or look for original beats, you should focus on a certain sound you want to emulate or reference. This could be a Top 40 hip hop track or an obscure track from the 70s or 80s. You could also be inspired by music outside of hip hop, like soul or funk music or even folk music.

   • You can then treat your rap song as a tribute to an existing track or another artist who is making music you respect and admire. Think of your song as a unique take on an existing sound.
   • You may also want to create a certain mood with your song, such as a song to party to or bang to, or a more serious and socially conscious rap song. Most party songs tend to have a quicker tempo and a melody that people will want to dance or move to. A more serious or somber rap song may have a darker or heavier and slower beat.
   • There are many computer programs that allow you to create beats quickly and easily. These programs, like Fruity Loops, often give you access to large sound libraries that you can play around with and manipulate as you create a beat.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Look for original beats online. You can find many free original beats online that you can repurpose for your rap song. Keep in mind the sounds that you are using for inspiration and look for an original beat that best matches your inspirational song.

   • If you are planning to create a high energy party rap song, you may look for an original beat that sounds a lot like your favorite party rap songs. If you are planning to create a more somber or serious rap song, you may look for an original beat that emulates your favorite serious or somber rap songs.
4. 
   4
   Sample a portion of an existing track. Many rap artists will sample a portion of an existing track and integrate it into their original song, making it part of the beat of the song. You can take a section of an existing track and see how it might fit within your song, either as part of the beat or even as a vocal sample in the hook of your song.

   • Many popular rap songs are based on samples. A list of sampled songs in hip hop can be found on Whosampled.com.
   Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a Chorus or Hook

1. 
   1
   Be aware of the structure of a rap song. A typical hip hop song has the following structure:

   • The intro: There is usually a 10-30 second intro where there is no rapping and the beat is introduced. Some rap artists may put shout outs or tags in their intro, often spoken instead of rapped.
   • First verse: Each verse is usually 16 bars or 32 lines. Bars are two lines that follow each other.
   • Chorus: Also known as the hook, the chorus would be eight bars or 16 lines. However, the length of the chorus can vary and may be shorter than 16 lines.
   • Second verse: The second verse should build on the images or ideas presented in the first verse in 16 bars.
   • Chorus: Repeating the chorus or hook will make your song stick in the listener's head. Keep it simple and repetitive.
   • Third verse: This is the final verse, where you take the images or ideas you created in the first and second verse and build on them to a final conclusion or idea in 16 bars.
   • Final chorus and outro: The chorus repeats one final time and then the rap artists will have an outro where the beats fade out or come to a full stop.
2. 
   2
   Brainstorm a topic or theme for the song. Take a moment to think about a certain topic or theme that you would like to explore in your song. This could be something as simple as your favorite hangout spot in your neighborhood or a more abstract concept like violence, anger, or racism. Many rap songs are also brag songs, where the rapper talks about how fly she is or how she started from nothing and made it to the top.

   • Write down as many words as you can that relate to your topic or theme and then highlight the strongest terms. You can also use the strongest words to create images or phrases that rhyme. These images or phrases could then become bars in your rap song.
   • For example, for a song about your favorite neighborhood joint, you may write down “friendly”, “special”, “open to all”, and “old school”. You may also think of specific images like the smell of the seats at the counter, the taste of the food, and the sound of the old school rap music coming from the speakers.
3. 
   3
   Decide if you are going to use a rapped hook or a sung hook. A rapped hook is often performed by the rap artists who also performs the verses, though you can have a guest rapper do the rapped hook or another rapper in your crew. A sung hook is usually done by an R&B vocalist. You can also use a sample from an existing track as your hook, but you should adjust or manipulate the sample so it has your unique spin or take.

   • On the track “Gin & Juice” by rapper Snoop Dogg, there is a rapped hook: “Rollin' down the street, smokin' indo, sippin' on gin and juice/Laid back (with my mind of my money and my money on my mind)”.
   • On a track “Foolish” by the R&B artist, Ashanti, there is a sung hook: “See my days are cold without you/But I'm hurtin' while I'm with you/And though my heart can't take no more/I keep on running back to you”.
4. 
   4
   Make the hook catchy and appealing. The hook is perhaps one of the most important elements of any rap song, and many rappers start by creating the hook or chorus first. They will then use the hook as a basis for their verses. Your hook should be short and to the point, no longer than eight bars. Often, simplified hooks or choruses are more effective and appealing to the listener.

   • For example, perhaps one of the most well known hooks in hip hop is in The Sugarhill Gang's “Rapper's Delight”: I said a hip-hop, the hippie the hippie/To the hip hip-hop, uh you don't stop rockin',/To the bang bang, say up jumped the boogie,/To the rhythm of the boogie the beat”.
   • While this chorus does not make much sense logically, it is fun and catchy. It also uses repetition and alliteration in a playful way.
5. 
   5
   Use the hook to advance the overall topic or theme of the song. The hook should remind the listener of the song's theme or topic and work to reinforce it or restate it. If your theme is having a good time at a club, your hook should sum up this theme in eight to sixteen bars. If your theme is more about a character's journey, your hook should reinforce a running theme or issue in the character's journey.

   • For example, Eminem's “Lose Yourself” has a rapped hook that builds on the theme of performance and making your dreams come true:
     • “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment/You own it, you better never let it go/You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow/This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo”.
   Advertisement

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Writing the Verses

1. 
   1
   Use the 16 bar format for the verses. Start to create verses in the 16 bar format. Link lines together in pairs and have them run one into the other so they connect and create an overall image or picture of your theme or subject matter.

   • For example, in the rap song, “Lose Yourself”, Eminem explores the theme of performance and power through music. In the song's first verse, Eminem sets up the anxiety and fear that goes into performance and proving yourself as an artist with the opening bars:
     • “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy/There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti”
   • Eminem then goes on to explore the theme of performance through the main character or subject of the song, the rapper Rabbit:
     • “He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready/To drop bombs but he keeps on forgetting/What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes loud/He opens his mouth but the words won't come out”
2. 
   2
   Lean on the beat for inspiration. Many rap artists will listen to the beat for the song and then write verses based on the sound of the beat. Play through your chosen beat and try to fashion your verses to match the tempo of the beat. This could lead you to create shorter bars, with certain end words or the repetition of specific words that seem to work well with the beat.

   • For example, in “Lose Yourself”, the beat of the song dictates the way Eminem raps his verses and the way each line becomes a bar. In the first verse, there is a shift that occurs due to a change in the beat. Eminem raps the following four bars according to the change in the beat:
     • “He's choking, how? Everybody's joking now/The clock's run out, times up, over-blaow/Snap back to reality, oh, there goes gravity/Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked, he's so mad but he won't”.
3. 
   3
   Recite the verses out loud to the beat. Most rappers will rap over the beat to find the right rhythm and cadence in their verses. Play the beat in the background as you write your verses and tweak the verses to try to match the beat. This will give the song more of a sense of flow and ensure your verses mesh well with the beat.

   • Work one verse at a time, perfecting each verse until you move to the next one. You may also call back to an image or line in the first verse of the song, referencing it again in your third and final verse.
   • For example, in “Lose Yourself”, Eminem calls back to the song's opening image, of sweaty palms, weak knees, heavy arms, in the final verse of the song. He contrasts the fear and anxiety of the first verse by portray his subject taking off or taking flight, no longer trapped by his fear.
     • “Mom, I love you but this trailer's got to go/I cannot grow old in Salem's Lot/So here I go it's my shot, feet: fail me not/This may be the only opportunity that I got”.
4. 
   4
   Rap the verses and the hook together over the beat. Once you have crafted your three verses and your chorus or hook, you can rap them in one take over the beat. If you are using a sung hook, you may want to start by rapping the verses over the beat first and then adding in the sung hook later. Once you start to place the elements of the song together, you are on your way to crafting a completed rap song.
   Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I write the perfect first line?

  

  Community Answer

  Start with something that you are feeling or something that you want to say. Then just make the rest the same but it has to rhyme.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 9Helpful 29
• Question

  How do I get signed into a good record label?

  

  Community Answer

  There is no simple answer to that. You have to get yourself out there by performing as much as possible and/or uploading content to YouTube. You have to be seen and grow in popularity.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 3Helpful 12
• Question

  How can I find a beat?

  

  Community Answer

  Listen to the world around you. Everything is a beat. Everything has rhythm and tempo. If you hear something that inspires you, use it as the foundation to your art.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 3Helpful 10

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement