So you’re looking to build your freestyle skills huh? Well this ‘How to freestyle rap’ tutorial will go over plenty of ideas and practices that you can start using today! In this article we will go over how to effectively rhyme on the spot when freestyling in front of others.
Better Your Rhymes With Tools
Using online tools for rhymes can better your freestyle rap skills. It’s no surprise that there are a ton of rhyme generators out there so I will only go over a few. The goal with these tools are to familiarize yourself with more ideas for your rhymes. It is important to practice verbally as well during while looking through the different rhymes.
1. Rhyme Zone
Rhyme Zone is a rhyming dictionary that can be quite powerful when used correctly. Simply type in any word in the word search field and press enter or click the search button. Make sure the dropdown menu is set to “Find rhymes” before clicking.
You will then get a set of words that rhymes with your word and even sorts them by number of syllables. This tool gives you a perfect start to orchestrating a fast bar. Sometimes this can be overwhelming, so I recommend writing out 2-4 words from the list and take your time connecting these words and filling the space inbetween.
If you don’t feel like writing out your raps right now (Although it does help your freestyle rap skills) then simply go off the top right away. Taking a quick look at Rhyme Zone can help you come up with unique rhymes for any given word and so I recommend this to any rapper!
2. Noun Generator
This noun generator from the desiquintans website is an awesome tool for freestyle rappers looking for topics. Sometimes its hard to come up with things to rap about especially under pressure. That is why you can use this noun generator to get used to talking about random words and topics.
In freestyle rap, it is useful to bring words to life with actions, nouns, and adjectives revolving around the context. With this noun generator you simply control how many random nouns you want. You then receive random nouns that you can now use to come up with a quick bar using them.
Start slow, out loud and rhyme each noun with itself inside your rap. Then move on to the next noun and rhyme with itself once. Repeat this process and eventually you’ll be able to move quicker, at that point extend your rhyme to bars. This will allow you to fill up the story with these nouns while at the same time rhyming.
3. Word Of The Day
At last we have Word Of The Day. Now that we are finding nouns and finding rhymes, we’re able to orchestrate quick and easy bars. These bars will translate to a faster process in your head which in turn makes you come up with freestyles quicker. To spice it all up, I would look up what your word of the day is!
This tool will give you words that you most likely never heard of before. The power of this expands your knowledge as well as gives you unique content to include in your freestyles. The website also gives you the definitions and some examples for you to understand the word.
Using these tools will help you create freestyles out of thin air! Getting your mind ready for quick thinking will only benefit your skills as a freestyle rapper.
Play Different Type Beats & Count
To get the ball rolling I recommend playing different type beats from different artists. When hear these beats, your mind is likely already going off in semi rhymes and semi phrases. Some beginners might not know when to jump in the track. If this is the case, simply count to 8 and restart the count during the duration song.
Most musicians will recommend you to count in 4s but I find that 8s really cover a full bar. You will likely hear how the song morphs and transitions on these 8 counts. This is when you start to sense the flow of the beat, naturally you will jump on the beat at the beginning of one of these 8 counts.
Before going off on a tangent, I recommend counting and trying different styles of type beats. Usually deep emotional type beats are the simplest to master when it comes to freestyle rap.
Mumbling & Humming
Many times you will see famous artists mumble away in the studio. Accompanied by lots of scatting and humming, this is the artist way in finding a unique flow to a song. Use this technique for yourself when you freestyle rap to beats. You simply sit there nodding your head and finding your place in the beat.
Fill that space up with just one phrase that rhymes! Then simply mumble and hum away until your mind pop ups with another slick rhyme. This reduces the stress of coming up with bars fast, great practice for any artist trying to up their freestyle game.
Change Your Voice Randomly
Alter Egos are common in hip hop. In fact, your favorite rapper might not actually talk or sound like you think. These artists get into this mode of a complete different character when making music. Take a look at Playboi Carti, he changes his voice drastically when he makes music.
You too can change your voice and all of a sudden you feel different. It may feel weird at first, which is why I recommend doing it randomly throughout your freestyle. Treat it as a superpower in which you use it when you are upping your energy in the rap. I find myself changing my flow and voice when I get deep into a freestyle.
This is suppose to be fun, change your character, break your standards. Experience your alter ego and see what happens! The reason why this works is because you are putting yourself in a different perspective in which leads to things you may have not experienced.
Freestyle Rap About Your Environment
Using your environment is a sure way to progress your freestyle rap skills. Talk about the hot neighbor next door, the dirty mat in your car, your friend’s wack shoes. These things have the power to quickly occupy your mind in which you can come up with sleek rhymes. Rapping about things you know around you can easily help you focus on the big picture, which is your freestyle rap skills.
Start With A True Story
Similar to freestyling about your environment, try rapping a true story! True stories about yourself will have plenty of content to choose from. Imagery will become abundant since you have experienced this before. Speaking straight from the truth incorporates emotion into your rap which really speaks for itself. This added emotion will make others thirsty to hear more from you. This is one of the easiest routes for beginner freestylers as it comes almost naturally when you talk about true stories.
Freestyle With Friends & Record
Having hype friends has its benefits, particularly for freestyle rapping. If you don’t have friends that are excited to freestyle, have them say something silly so they don’t even need to try! Sometimes having people around make you focus on what’s at hand. Everytime I freestyle with my friends, we all bounce off of each other and hype each other up.
Feeling a little serious? Record yourselves rapping, maybe you will catch some serious dope bars. These are things that will build your confidence as a rapper.
Save Written Freestyles
Maybe freestyling with your friends is pushing it. You don’t want to embarrass yourself although I highly recommend it. Talk silly things and sound stupid, it’s all part of the show! If you really want to impress a crowd, showcase a written freestyle and play it off like a boss.
Most artists who freestyle rap on the radio have plenty of written bars that they use. Next time you are freestyling, catch yourself every time you spit an awesome bar. Write it down, and mold ideas and phrases around it so the transition towards it hears smooth!
Conclusion
All in all, freestyle rap is a fun experience for anybody looking for a good time. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, upping your freestyle game can have a tremendous effect on your rap career. Next time you freestyle rap, utilize some of these techniques here and let us know how it goes! Is there anything we missed? Let us know below in the comments!
I think music is a good way to show your personality