How to Rap?

Rap is all about what you’re saying and how you’re saying it!


Structure
stress and unstressed syllables

Iambic rhythm (more info...)

• combination of stress and unstressed syllables
• rhythm that the words establish in that line
• rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables
• when the rhythmic flow of two lines is identical, it maks them mesh together very well

example:


Its FAIR - to SAY - I’m GRIND – in and PAV – in the WAY
DUH  – da DUH  - da DUH -  da  DUH   - da da DUH – da da DUH


and– the THINGS – you TAKE – for GRANT – ed I’m CLAIM – in  to DAY
DUH  -  da  DUH     -  da  DUH  -  da  DUH   -  da da  DUH   -  da da DUH

Double Timing

• used a lot in southern hip hop music (slower tempos used, 72bpm)
• If the tempo of the instrumental you’re rapping over is 65bpm then you rap at a rate of 130bpm – you double time it
• squeeze double the amount of stressed syllables you normally would in one line

Half Timing

• more popular in genres like Dubstep, Dance and upbeat Pop music
• If the beat has a tempo of 140bpm then you rap at a tempo of 70bpm
• This requires you to squeeze half the amount of stressed syllables you normally would into one line – in effect you half-time the beat

Cadence and Rhythm...

Filler lines are basically generic rhymes that are either used to keep the momentum going or to setup punch-lines.  But they typically don’t have the “Wow” factor of a hard hitting punch-line. 
Punch-lines are those prized lyrics that really grab your attention.  They hit you dead in the chest and leave a lasting impression.



Compression

One of the most misunderstood and most valuable tools for producing great rap vox is compression.  The function of a compressor is to reduce the peaks in an audio signal so that the overall dynamic range of a vocal performance is reduced.  Understanding and utilizing compression correctly can make your hip-hop vocals punchier, more intelligible, and most importantly, it will give them that professional feel.  Properly applied compression is extremely important for rap vocals because the rapper is normally saying a lot in a short amount of time. You want to keep a listener’s attention, and every word needs to be understandable to your audience.

In terms of compressor settings, I like to run some very mild compression on the input signal to tame some of the audio peaks and then tighten that up with some moderate compression on the output signal.  For hip-hop vocals, I like to start with a ratio range of 2:1 to 4:1 and an attack of 7 to 10ms.  If you are one of those “speed rappers” you might  want an even quicker attack time of 3 to 5ms and a higher ratio of 8:1.  In regards to the release time, a quicker setting will give you a tamer vocal while a slower setting will give you a punchier rap vocal. 

EQ

EQ-ing is a lot less difficult to understand than compression and can be a great tool for getting your rap vocals to cut through your mix.  Again, this is important because your hip-hop vocalist is typically saying a lot in a short amount of time, and every word must be understandable.  As a rule of thumb, if you have to do major EQ-ing to achieve the desired tone you might want to go back and experiment with your mic placement and vocalist orientation (to the mic).

How to Record Rap Vocals