Without a doubt, rap is one of the best and most influential genres of music. This is the only genre of music that speaks to youth across borders and cultures.
It’s the only genre of music that goes beyond music and manages to shape culture. Chances are, if you were to create a dope rap song you might have the power to change minds.
But, how exactly do you create a dope rap song? How do you manage to stick out from the crowd?
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
Find a Great Beat
Your first step is to find a great beat that you can write your rhymes with. You can use this resource to find professionally-produced beats at an affordable price.
Once you find your beat you’ll be able to write rap lyrics that work alongside it’s tone and tempo. While you might get tempted to write lyrics first, you won’t know if there’s a beat that works well with your lyrics.
Find the audio first, then create the words to be rapped over them!
16 Bars
Many rap songs follow the 16 bars format where you write 16 lines that alternate with rhymes. While you can experiment with this you should start with the ABAB formula.
This means that every odd-numbered line should rhyme with each other and every even-numbered line should do the same.
An example could be:
“Comin’ at ya from the 305,
No longer wanting do more time,
Still struggling to stay alive,
Fighting temptations to commit more crime…”
Make sure you consider different words to rhyme before you write the next stanza. 16 bars gets broken down into 4 stanzas. You should perhaps spend at least 10-15 minutes perfecting each stanza before moving onto each one.
You’ll have to expect that the lyrics won’t always sound great when you finally rap them. Your flow and personal style may not suit each word so expect to make edits on the way.
The Message
The final step is to consider the message or story you want to tell with rap. While this isn’t always necessary it’s what made rap a great genre.
Try to invoke a mood in your listeners. From the previous example, they’re getting an idea of the dangers of living in Miami and the challenges to live a clean life.
This is the time when you should also take breaks to listen to some of your favorite rap songs. It’ll give you an idea of how rappers have used their music to create great art.
Create a Great Rap Song
Now you know how to create a great rap song and can begin your journey into the music industry.
You want to start by finding the right beat. Find one that has a tempo and mood that you can write a great song over.
Once you’ve found your beat then you want to start writing following the 16 bars formula. Make sure that your rap song has a great message or story to tell.
You can read more great content on the music industry and how to become a professional musician on our website!
