Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums > General > The Lounge > Rapping techniques

[Paro]

How to rap "west coast" style

1)pick a drum beat that complements the sampled loop.
ex. o-o-o/o-o-o-o-o/o-o-o

2)fill in the drum beats with syllables that make a cool verse. remember that some syllables go high, some low.
ex. here i am/ the master of the/universe

3)alternate the flow and length of verses that sound funky and that rhyme. also include the long verse that chains beautifully.
ex. "but i got the hookup with somebody who knows how to get in contact with him."

4)use strong verbs. make sure each verse has a subject and a predicate.
ex.the scene "looked" strange and it "felt" like a set-up

5)the fun in creating these verses is the variety of how you execute them. some verses can be slow and drawling, others can be funny and witty, others can be fast, and others can be powerful and strong. (tip: challenge your friends)
ex. I'm the man you see/ and the place to be/ i went to John J. University

6) for the chorus, use a catchy drumbeat that can be repeated over and over without satiety. then fill in the beats with a hip and catchy slogan.
ex. You down with OPP? Yeah you know me!!!

7)make sure each verse is tight. and cannot be added to or subtracted from.
ex. creep with me/ as i crawl through the hood/ maniac/ lunatic/ call him snoop eastwood.

8) be descriptive. talk about ghetto life. interesting political commentary. use colorful adjectives. and make it sound cool and hip.

this is my observation of west coast "california" rapping style prevalent during the gangsta rap era. more techniques can be discovered by studying the nature of drumbeats and their psychological nature. also studying how to write good lyrics with substance is another suggestion. the journey is yours.

the east coast style i am not sure of. the drumbeat is not as much used. instead it's more a study of the actual words themselves and their symbolic nature. then it is all nicely moistened together and made at unpredictable patterns to move the listener through a roller coaster ride at magic mountain.

[Mitch]

thanks

[Drift]

theres techniques to rapping?

[JKTrix]

...Drumbeats?
If it ain't beatbox, it ain't true to the streets, bra.
/sarcasm

That's an interesting list you have there though, if not completely random and out of the blue. Rap, when it's good, is *good*. Rap is all about Rhythm, and rhythm is music.

[Muse]

Rapping is about finding and developing your own style. You don't necessarily need to have the greatest mic, but it's very important to find your own style. Keep it original, and don't copy other people.

[Dreddz]

Rap is a personal expression from an artist. Giving instruction on how to rap kinda strays away from what rap is.

[Roto13]

I thought it said "raping techniques"

Which isn't far off, since rap rapes the english language.

[I Don't Need A Name]

Originally Posted by roto13-ness ^

I thought it said "raping techniques"

Which isn't far off, since rap rapes the english language.

rap does more than rape the language, it disgraces it, but lets not go into that