8 Writing Tips For Rap Songs

To write a rap song, there are a couple of things you have to keep in mind. First, writing rap songs is more like poetry. There is rhythm, rhymes, flows and meaning. What makes a rap song dope? The execution of key elements within each popular rap song. Writing may not come easy to you, but after learning the basics you help you get started. Once you find your writing flow, you will pump out great raps all the time! Here at Support Hip Hop, I’ve studied plenty of breakout songs and popular rap tracks. After studying the different flows and styles of these songs, I have set up powerful tips on how to write a rap song.

How To Write A Rap Song

1. Set A Goal. Think to yourself, what kind of vibe are you trying to set for this song? Think about what kind of topics you will need to cover to achieve this vibe. Think about the emotions that relate to the topics. Go in-depth. I would recommend just doting down a few ideas or notes.
2. Create the hook/chorus. The hook is an important part of your rap song. Most of the time the hook is the most memorable part of the song. The layout I see most often goes like this: intro, verse, chorus(hook), verse, chorus(hook), verse, bridge, chorus, outro. It is common for rappers to come up with the hook first since it plays such a significant role. Not only is it likely memorable, but it also sets the mood and flow of the song.
3. Write Lyrics. With your notes from earlier, start to construct the lyrics to your song. Don’t worry about the flow just yet. Simply write all of your content as it comes and later on we will organize the lyrics. Some like to freestyle then write lyrics from the freestyle!
4. Add a personal touch. Now that you have a good portion of your lyrics, it’s time to add some personal elements. Pick out some parts where you can add an emphasis on emotion, rewrite those bars, and recite. This is a great way to add significantly memorable bars to your song.
5. Trim and organize. With all of your content, start to formulate where you’re going to put each bar. Put the strong bars near the beginning and middle area, while more descriptive filler bars in the middle and end areas. Everything is subjective of course! Do what you want! Just organize all the bars.
6. Pick sections to switch flow or tone. Not a lot of rappers do this, but section out some of your lyrics and write specific tones or flow to them. In other words, specify the bars where you will introduce a switch in flow or tone. Most of the popular songs you hear have multiple switch-ups, like flows and tones.
7. Memorize and practice. Now that you have a pretty solid framework with your song, practice it. Recite it to yourself, and memorize it. This will help you master the studio session and get your song in the books. Try out different tempos, flows, and tones while you are practicing.
8. Share on Reddit. One thing that I recommend for new rappers is to share your unfinished projects with people on Reddit. Reddit is a perfect community to share unfinished ideas or projects, subreddits like hiphopheads, indiemusicfeedback, and rap are great ones to start with.

Conclusion

Making a hit rap song is no easy task. You will need to do a lot of planning and manipulation in each rap song. Writing lyrics takes more than just freestyling, it takes detail and attention. These 8 tips alone will go far if utilized correctly. Make sure you follow each step to really boost the originality of your song. These tips were conceived after analyzing trending songs in the hip hop industry. For free shoutouts send a video snippet to our Instagram.