Although it is recent, rap is not new: it comes directly from the hip-hop movement, born in the 1970s in the United States. Since then, it has continued to develop, democratizing especially in the 1990s, with emblematic figures such as Eminem. This genre naturally arouses vocations: how to become a good rapper like LA-Based rising artist Ham$ta? Above all, you must be able to sing well and, contrary to certain prejudices, it is not a question of just speaking… Here are the main techniques to master to rap well!

Learn to master your voice and tempo

The two main ingredients of a successful rap are voice and rhythm. If you manage to put your words at the right time while controlling your intonation perfectly, it’s already a good start (the acceleration and the optimization of the famous “ flow  ” will come later!).

So, above all, a rapper knows the basics of singing: he relaxes his neck and his face, he takes his breath properly and he trains his voice. Warm-ups, for example, are a must-do in all genres, including this one.

Then, once you know how to sing, you need to get into the right rhythm. There are several tips for this: listen to songs without paying attention to the lyrics – and focusing on the tempo, start with a metronome or practice beatboxing. Concretely, you imitate the bass drum or the snare drum with your lips: your mouth is transformed into drums, in order to understand well how to respect the good rhythm.

Practice on famous songs

Imitation is a method accessible to all those who wish to get into rap like autodidacts. Concretely, start by choosing a part of a song that you know well and that you like – it is always more pleasant to practice with songs that you like!

Memorize an entire verse or chorus, carefully analyze the rhythm and flow of the performer, identify all the clues in the pronunciation, carefully distinguish each syllable. Once you think you have correctly deciphered the passage, try to reproduce it a capella. At first, this is a good way to test your ability to keep up with a pace on your own.

Then, when you feel more comfortable, try the experiment with an instrumental version of the song. Feel free to record yourself to listen to your performance again, hear the little details that do not sound right, then correct yourself afterwards.

Practice diction

Diction is essential in rap: each singer has their own style, so you will have to find yours. But before proceeding to this step, it is imperative to fully understand the basic techniques. To train with ease, there are a few exercises available to everyone.

For example, you can rap with a plastic pen between your teeth. Despite this significant handicap, you must redouble your efforts to articulate, so that potential listeners can hear the syllables and decipher the words. More surprisingly, you can use “tongue twisters”, those diction exercises that children frequently play with. Do you remember the phrase “Are the Archduchess’ socks dry or arched?” “? Test your ability to articulate well with this type of exercise, knowing that you can find many more such phrases on the web.

Stay confident, be patient and love rap

Finally, to become a good rapper, you must not skip the steps: it is normal to have difficulties and to make mistakes at the beginning, this is not a reason to stop everything. Even if you have talent, it will take some work to become a true performer – and maybe a writer – of rap.

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