Example 1a. Example 1b. Example 1c. Example 1d. Flow is perhaps best introduced using two examples of strikingly different types. Raekwon is a member of the rap collective known as the Wu-Tang Clan, and as is typical, other members of the Wu-Tang Clan rap on most of the songs from this album. Its text has a square, regular rhythm, even where it is syncopated, and Walker never subdivides the beat into values shorter than a sixteenth. In order to explore these differences in more detail, Examples 1c and 1d present the lyric charts for both verses again, with some of the syllables highlighted for emphasis.
Rhymed syllables have been color-coded. The colors were chosen arbitrarily, but all rhymed syllables have matching colors. Accented syllables are written in boldface capital letters.
In their treatment of accented syllables, the two verses begin similarly, reinforcing the meter by placing accents on the beats. For Walker, as with many earlys rappers, this is a style trademark, since no other rhymed syllables occur in the verse. This is due to several features of his delivery. First, the fact that the rhymes are usually multisyllabic means that rhymes occurring on or near the fourth beat are likely to contain some syllables either before or after them.
The effect created by enjambment is that even where rhymed syllables fall on the fourth beat, they are perceived as being in the middle of a larger unit that continues into the next line. I will engage in a close reading of three rap verses in disparate styles, each of which has been chosen as the clearest representative of the technique under discussion.
Flow defined. Though rappers rarely concern themselves with defining the terms they use, flow has become one of the most important ways that rappers and audiences distinguish among various styles of rapping, and make value judgments about other rappers. Unlike Krims, my purpose in discussing flow will not be to define categories of rapping, but rather to explore in detail some of the parameters manipulated by rappers in order to create different types of flow.
The fourth parameter, number of syllables per beat, is in direct proportion to the level of intensity of lyrical delivery, but does not have any bearing on the rhythmic aspects discussed in this article.
One example is Slick Rick, whose superbly relaxed flow comes almost exclusively from manipulating articulative techniques 1 and 3. However, the majority of rap today focuses on placing rhymed and accented syllables in irregular locations, and on avoiding correspondence between syntactic units and metrical units; that is, on metrical techniques 1, 2, and 3. Each of these features creates its own rhythmic layer that interacts both with the other rhythmic layers and with the underlying beat to enrich the musical texture.
Rather, this article explores the new musical layers created by the lyrics themselves, and the relationship of those layers to other aspects of the song. I will examine three striking examples of rappers using flow both to enliven the musical surface and to contribute to other layers of musical meaning.
Example 2a. Example 2b. Example 3. Example 4a. Example 4b. Example 2a presents the first verse of the song. In the beat, 7 the electric guitar marches along in steady eighth notes, and the bass line alternates between what might be called tonic and dominant on beats one and three.
Since the snare drum has attacks on every second and fourth beat, in the entire beat only the bass drum has any syncopation. One can easily imagine how monotonous this song might be if every line contained an end-rhyme and each end-rhyme fell on beat four. Each line of this verse contains multiple internal rhymes, and almost every rhymed syllable or group thereof uses similar vowel sounds.
This has the effect of linking the rhymed syllables together throughout the verse and thereby overriding any syntactic or metrical divisions. Example 2b presents the lyric chart again. As with Example 1c and 1d, boxes containing rhymed syllables have been colored to highlight their correspondence with one another. Parker also signals the beginning of each of these multi-syllabic units through a slight rise in the pitch of his voice.
Thus, even though nearly all the sixteenth-note beats in the verse contain a syllable of text, the rhymed syllables themselves create a syncopated rhythmic pattern. This pattern is represented graphically by Example 3 , in which the highlighted rhymed syllables have been notated as an additional percussion part above the rest of the sampled music.
Multisyllable units that rhyme with each other have been notated on the same place in the staff; thus, the new percussion part uses noteheads in only two different staff positions since the verse only has two different rhyming sounds. It is worthwhile to listen again to the verse, following along with Example 3. Just start jotting things down into a big paragraph. This is affecting his relationships and careers because hes always procrastinating.
Hes always late and last minute with everything he does. He realizes hes doing it and wants to change but doesnt know how.
He hopes to become the best version of himself. Someone that has accomplished something hes proud of. After you write them down go through them one by one and make sure the assonance and vowel sounds are different from each other. If you have too many just go to thesaurus.
I highly recommend going to rhymezone. It will come up with shit tons of options. Pick some unique rhymes for each word that seem to relate to each other. This is more about rap writing then rhyme technique for now. The best part is they all relate to your topic. Now the only thing left to do is find a creative way to link together the words into bars and rhyme form. This will not only improve your confidence but if you can rap without any aid of a backing track then you know you have mastered rhythm and staying on beat.
Learning to beatbox is also a great tool to help learn rhythm. Keep your words clear and sharp. Remember the rhythm is more important than rhyme. If you keep on beat then everything will be fine, as the rhythm will help you get back on track. Having complete control of the dynamics of your voice will help you deliver the right message in your song. Intonation the rise and fall of your voice and pitching are powerful ways to change the meaning of your lyrics.
Take one of your bars and try playing around with how you deliver it. Think about the following line as well and how your dynamics relate to it. Delivering one line more softly allows you to make the next one sound harder. This can make your rapping sound boring. By switching up your dynamic you can put more emphasis on important lines and make a bigger impact. Learning how to embrace the power of emotion is vital for giving your audience a convincing performance and conveying the lyrical content.
Emotion is characterised by your tone of voice, which is conveyed through changes in pitch, volume, speed etc. Focusing on the emotions of your lyrics will help you deliver the message to your audience more effectively. A good technique to practice is to identify the emotion connected to a keyword in your rap, then try and act out this emotion whilst saying the word.
Freestyle rapping is essentially improvisation with words. Unlike soloing where you only have to focus on notes, freestyling requires a focus on notes and lyrics.
This presents an extra challenge that can put many people off. However, it is well worth learning to freestyle as it will make you a better rapper. Put on an instrumental and take some bars to get some lyrics in your mind. Every chance you get, practice rapping. Whether you are in the car, your bedroom, or just about anywhere you want, try and try to achieve better flow.
If possible, try rehearsing your own rap songs and use a variety of rap styles and speeds. This way, you can practice better.
And then, try to record yourself rapping to see where you need to improve and which ones should remain as is. As you follow the tips and techniques above, keep in mind that it takes time before you can perfect a good rap flow. However, as you go on with these tips and techniques, you will surely improve over time. If you are really passionate about rapping, it will be a lot easier for you to do anything to improve your skills in the craft you have chosen.
Never hesitate to experiment and just be yourself as you practice. If you liked this article on how to improve your rap flow, maybe you like to take a look at another similar article here. How To Rap Like Eminem. It comes from the beat, the words you have chosen to work with and you experience. I remember when Tyga started off with Young Money, he rapped with a lisp. You have to give yourself time to develop as a rapper.
Then your rap flow will come naturally. Certain rappers have different styles to the way that they rhyme. Certain people define it as the way a rapper interacts with the beat, the mood of the beat, how the feel at that time and the 16 bars that they have written about. You can hear it in his lyrics. Thus we have Eminem and Slim Shady. In these songs, he sounds more high pitched and tends to use the nasal palette.
A good example of this is to look at the video of Eminem rapping to the beat with his friend Proof in a car. Here he uses his tongue more and tends to open his mouth more to accentuate the words more proficiently. Whereas with Eminem or slim shady you can always see them as battle freestyle rappers because of the lyrical content and they ride the beat. This is a common thing that new coming rappers want to strive for with their flow.
They want the fast raps quick an easy So the neglect learning the early skill set that you get from practicing will old school hip hop beats and slow hip hop beats. There is nothing wrong with having a goal of becoming a fast rapper.
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