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Rap music is not a genre created in a vacuum, it is an adaptation of other brands, as music in itself is one and universal. It is a
rhythmically applied form of poetry with spoken words that emphasise a subject matter harnessing a profound lyrical content. Here are a few tips to consider when venturing into the world of Rap Music:
Content: Be wary of superfluous details and the craving to over-emphasise. Saying the same thing over and over again or using clichés used by everyone only makes you sound weak and clueless. Therefore, pick a subject matter and align your thoughts with it.
Sound: Just like movies, music tells stories. Stories therefore have sound tracks that go with them and this is where the producer comes in. From percussion to orchestration, the sound an artiste raps to must be effectively related to the theme and the whole idea of the music. Do not be under the impression that rap music does not require playing a musical instrument. Ability to play any instrument makes you well rounded and gives you an edge.
Alliteration, assonance, simile, metaphor, apostrophe, personification, oxymoron, rhyme scheme and so on are
figures of speech and literary elements usually found in a well written rap song and also help in giving the song depth and structure. Intellectualism and diction are added advantages for a rapper.
Delivery: Aside voice texture, the emphasis a rapper places on his words and the way he pronounces them matter a lot. It exhibits confidence and radiates passion. This is often perceived as arrogance in some quarters but lately, the general consensus seem to weigh on the side of 'swag'.
Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting (bars), or rhyming) refers to 'spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics'. The art form can be broken down into different components, it is separated into “content”, “flow” (rhythm and rhyme), and “delivery”. Rapping is distinct from spoken word poetry in that it is performed in time to a beat.
-Wikipedia
A Brief History
Rapping is often associated with and is a primary ingredient of hip hop music and reggae, but the phenomenon pre-dates hip hop culture by centuries. It can also be found in alternative rock such as that of Cake and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rapping is also used in Kwaito music, a genre that originated in Johannesburg, South Africa and is composed of hip hop elements. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. The word (meaning originally "to hit") as used to describe quick speech or repartee pre-dates the musical form. The word had been used in British English since the 16th century, and specifically meaning "to say" since the 18th. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960s meaning "to converse", and very soon after that in its present usage as a term denoting the musical style. Today, the terms "rap" and "rapping" are so closely associated with hip hop music that many use the terms interchangeably.
By Azeez Sanusi
The post Write and Rap Right: Tips to Improve Rap Skills appeared first on Aphroden.
