The minimum requirements for being a rapper are having a broad vocabulary, being a great salesman, and having a huge estimate of self-confidence. Without these core components, an aspiring rapper has as much of a opportunity at success as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. Being a rapper also means having reliance and a larger than life persona. A rapper should be his or her own biggest fan. You cannot sell me on you, if you haven't first sold yourself. If you are a person that is an introvert, camera-shy, self-conscience, or insecure, then this is not the work for you. There is no dishonor in bright on to other part of the music game if the spotlight is not for you. Since you insist on being a rapper, a specialist of ceremonies (Mc) if you will, then here are a few suggestions.
1. Get your hands on a rhyming dictionary and learn it well. You cannot be a lyrical god if you don't know how to make words rhyme.
Rhyming Dictionary For Rap
2. Learn how to pace your flow to the beat. In other words your timing. There is more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to flowing to the beat. You can ride the beat, be in front of the beat, or even behind the beat. Depending on how you pace your words and phrases you can come up with some serious cadences, but it must purposefully be consistent or it will sound like crap.
3. Speaking of cadence, study the greats and find a rapping style that best suits you, learn it then specialist it. Remember, even Michael Jordan had a mentor.
4. Make sure that you properly scheme your voice when you rap. No one will be interested in a rapper who whispers and speaks like he is afraid to be heard. This thought worked only once for the Ying Yang Twins and you see where they are now?
5. As a rapper or an artist in any regard, you should have a huge proximity both physically and more appropriately vocally. Your voice should always be large and in payment so that your lyrics are felt by all. Your vocal proximity is a sure-fire indication of your passion. It's not adequate that the audience can hear you, but they must also feel you.
6. A rapper must be a super-fan of rap music. Just as a curative pupil would study the history of medicine, you must learn, respect, and honor the history of your craft. There are tons of books that have been written on the history of rap or hip-hop culture in general. You can also learn the history of rap and hip-hop by listening to old school artists and hip-hop pioneers.
7. Breath control is important to the art of rapping because if you cannot breathe you cannot flow. Yes, you can get away with this in a studio environment, but the first time you have to achieve live you will be dead in the water. Breathing while rapping is no distinct than breathing while singing you must breathe using your diaphragm muscles. If this is an issue for you, I advise walking briskly on a treadmill while spitting your verses. This rehearsal will increase your breath control while decreasing your waistline. Think of a drill sergeant in the troops calling cadence while his troops take a morning jog; same system apply here.
8. Learning how to hold a microphone is crucial to rapping because it is a tool of your trade. Sure you can spit without one in a quiet room of two to four people, but what happens when you have to rock in front of two to four thousand people? You may be familiar with a studio microphone, but you never have to hold it in your hands and trust me it's a totally distinct animal. I advise that you go to your local music store and purchase yourself a Shure Sm58 microphone. The Sm58 is an business staple for doing live shows and small venues. They are ready in wired and wireless models, but the wired one will do just fine for your application. Custom rapping straight through it and retention it so that you become accustomed to how it sounds and feels. Also get in a habit of bringing it to smaller places where you're performing. The last thing you want to do is have a bad show because the house microphones sucked. In addition, I must note that on a grander scale, concert halls, large auditoriums, and major venues use wireless handheld and headset microphones of a far first-rate caliber, but once you learn how to deal with the Sm58 style mic, you will have the basic understanding on how microphones work.
9. Rappers such as the late Ol Dirty Bastard, JayZ, and Lil Wayne all pride themselves in their capability to spit lyrics from the tops of their heads. This phenomenon is known as freestyling and is one of the requisite elements of Mcing. Not everybody can do it, and not everybody that can do it, does it well. Freestyling takes lots of time and practice, but it is an art that everybody rapper should master. Back in the days, rappers used to freestyle at parties and shows once they had exhausted their written lyric banks or wanted to give the crowd a minuscule treat by gift them some impromptu flow. Any rap specialist will tell you that freestyling is an accessory to your written repertoire, but nothing can replace well thought out, polished lyrics. Freesytling is a great tool to use in a rap battle similar to using a boot gun in a gunfight. Rap pioneer and legend Krs One has mastered the crafts of freestyling and writing and its part of what make his a first-rate world-class Mc.
10. Education is important to a rapper as going to law school is to an aspiring attorney. Rappers of yesterday weren't versed in the principles, policies, and practices, of the music industry. For this very think they were taken advantaged of, exploited, and finally disenfranchised. In those days the music business was a tight-knit execution more or less a good ole boys network, where rap was viewed as other way to pimp and behalf from the talent of minority artists. Today, much of the same ideologies and practices still exist, but rappers today have lawyered up. Also, there are courses and degree programs being offered at colleges and universities specifically for music enterprise education. I advise that every rapper take at least one class if not pursue an whole degree program. As an artist, your days of fame and fortune are limited; therefore, you must think beyond rap. What are you going to do when your ship crashes into the rocky shore? Having a degree in enterprise or music enterprise is not a bad idea as a back up plan or insurance policy. If money and time is an issue or just your excuse, pick up a book, read an article, attend a seminar, or find a mentor. Do what needs to be done in order to procure and utter success.
As always peace and blessings...and remember an uneducated man is a financially disadvantaged man...stay humble, stay hungry.
Sahpreem A. King, Music enterprise Guru
© 2011, Sahpreem A. King, http://www.gottagetsigned.com
The 10 Secrets to Having a flourishing Rap occupationDigitalkamera Wiederherstellung Computer Today Tips Reviews Comp
