Before we dive into the details of how to rap, you need to familiarize yourself with some basic terminology you’ll see in this article…

A Beat lives within a Bar. Count to four – each count is a Beat. Then repeat that four-count four times and you’ve got a 4/4 Bar. Count to three, repeat it four times, and you’ve got a 3/4 beat.

In rap, a Bar (AKA a Measure) is a single line of lyrics that fits within a specific section of the music. It’s the basic unit of measurement in a rap verse (and in every other type of music). A Bar typically has four Beats (1, 2, 3, 4), and a lot of rap verses are made up of 4, 8, or 16 bars.

Tempo is the speed or pace of the beat measured in beats per minute (BPM). The BPM determines how fast or slow a rap track feels.

For example, a slower tempo in the 70-90 BPM range might lead to a more laid-back, “cool” sounding rap. Meanwhile, a more upbeat tempo in the 100-140 BPM range could lead to a more energetic, intense vibe.

You know what rhyming is. It’s when you match the sound of a word(s) with the word(s) that came before it. It’s a key element in rap, and we’ll talk about the intricacies of rhyming below.

Rhyming is a huge part of rap, but there are many ways to rhyme in a song. And some rappers are more focused on rhyming than others, it just depends on your preference.

Mighty says she figured out she really likes rhyming, and specifically rhyming multiple syllables at the end of bars.

Now, there are countless ways to rhyme in rap, and it’s easy to overthink it. So let’s look at just a few of the most common rhyme schemes so you have somewhere to start.

When the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other.

An example is in the below freestyle rap by Harry Mack…

Utilize my mind (A)
When I’m on a spree (B)
Steadily I climb (A)
They’ll catch on eventually (B)

When the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the last two lines rhyme with each other.

An example is “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. The green highlights the rhymes at the end of the bars, and the yellow highlights a couple of internal rhymes (rhymes within a bar, not at the end).

It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! Magazine (A)
Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine (A)
Hangin’ pictures on my wall (B)
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl (B)

When all four lines rhyme with each other, creating a strong and repetitive rhyme.

An example is the opening lines of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. The green indicates the rhymes at the end of each bar, but notice how many internal rhymes (or very similar sounds) he uses.

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy (A)
There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti (A)
He’s nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready (A)
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting (A)

When the first and fourth lines rhyme with each other, and the second and third lines rhyme with each other.

There are some other rhyme schemes you should be aware of where not every line has to rhyme with another. Here are a few you might see in rap…

• XAXA: When the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other while the first and third lines don’t rhyme with any other lines.
• AXAA: When the first, third, and fourth lines rhyme with each other, while the second line does not rhyme with any other line.
• AAXA: When the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the fourth line rhymes with the first two, while the third line does not rhyme with any other line.
• AXXA: When the first and fourth lines rhyme with each other, while the second and third lines do not rhyme with any other lines.

Three of the main components of rapping are lyrics, your flow, and the emotion with which you rap.

Lyrics are, of course, the words you rap. But what is flow?

Flow is how you rap the lyrics – your rhythm, the emphasis you put on certain words/phrases, and your rhyming.

Mighty says that “emotion and flow create a vibe” and “people respond to vibe more than they do lyrics these days.”

Now that you have some basic knowledge of how rap works, here’s how you can put it into practice…

There’s one thing you need to do before you even consider rapping: listen to hip-hop, listen to your favorite rappers.

Mighty says it all starts with consumption and a love for hip-hop.

“I think if somebody was looking to get into rap, they should definitely start by consuming rap,” she says. “…Try to understand what storytelling they resonate with the most.”

As in any genre of music, there are many different styles within hip-hop/rap music, so listening to it will help you figure out what type of rapping you want to do.

“I think it’s really just about finding an aesthetic, which really comes from knowing what you like,” she says. “And that’s obviously just going to come from consumption, and listening to music, and understanding where your preferences lie.”

She pointed out that learning through consumption does not mean copying what other rappers are doing. It’s more nuanced than that.

“It’s getting a sense of understanding and figuring out what resonates with you, so then you’ll understand [that] when you start creating,” she says. “…It’s not to mirror what you’re listening to so that you can be exactly what you like. It’s understanding what is impactful to you so that you can understand how to put that impact in your own music.”

For example, when she was coming up as a rapper, the well-known artists that she liked included 50 Cent, Nelly, and Lauryn Hill.

Mighty got her start in rap by rapping over other rappers’ songs. She would imagine what she would do if she were featured on, for example, a 50 Cent song. Then she would just start rapping.

She says learning how to rap starts with “understanding what that vocal component of rap is.”

“What is the artist doing that is separate from the instrumental?” she says. “Getting a sense of that and then trying it. When you start, you’re probably not going to be good. So just accepting that and giving it a go.”

“These things, you don’t learn until you get practice,” she said.

Battle rapping is when two people take turns rapping bars at each other, and it usually involves insults and bragging. It’s like an all-in-good-fun game where each rapper gets to show what they can do.

Mighty says battle rapping is a great way to get feedback and grow your skills. Historically, many rappers have been validated and given a chance to find their style through battle rapping.

When she started, Mighty didn’t have access to in-person battle rapping, so she used LetsBeef.com. That’s how she got feedback as a new rapper and that’s how she figured out what made her unique.

Battle rapping is also how Eminem came up. He started battling at The Hip Hop Shop, making sure he was there on Saturdays to participate.

It’s not the only way to get better at rapping, but it is a common way that has helped countless rappers hone their craft.

Here’s how you can start writing a rap song, based on insights from some of the world’s most renowned rappers…

Kendrick Lamar says he has to write down his ideas. Then he can revisit them months later to write his lyrics.

“I have to make notes because a lot of my inspiration comes from meeting people who are going outside of the country or going around the corner to my old neighborhood, talking to a five-year-old little boy,” he said. “And I have to remember these things. I have to write them down, and then five or three months later, I have to find that same emotion that I felt when I was inspired by it.”

Eminem, too, writes down all of his lyrics, even if he does so in an odd, scatter-brained way.

Get your ideas out of your head and onto paper or a device or whatever works for you.

When Lamar is ready to write a song, he goes to the studio and raps over a beat. He takes his “premeditated thoughts” and forms them into a song.

“By the time I get into the studio, I have to find that exact sound that triggered the emotion or the idea that I thought about two months ago,” he said.

Mighty suggested new rappers go to YouTube, search for an instrumental beat, and just start rapping. This can give you inspiration to write.

If you end up writing a song you want to release but can’t legally or practically use the beat you initially rapped over, you can find or make a beat at the same BPM with a similar vibe.

Even though the average listener may first resonate with your flow, emotion, and the beat, lyrics are still important. They are the heart of your song. They convey what you’re trying to say, which is part of what makes you unique.

Jay-Z pointed out that if you were to just read some rapper’s lyrics, you’d realize they wrote poetry.

Mighty emphasized how important it is to be yourself as a rapper. You have to be your own type of artist that’s unique and stands out from every other rapper.

“I feel like learning how to connect but also learning what makes you unique within that connection is the pocket,” she says.

The Notorious B.I.G.’s advice to young rappers is to be in charge of your art (and your career if you choose to go that route).

“Take control of your sh*t,” he said. “Don’t be a stupid rapper. A stupid rapper is a [rapper] that has somebody else to tell them what to do…”

Ultimately, if you believe you can rap and you have a passion for it, then don’t let anyone stop you. If you feel it’s a helpful way for you to creatively express yourself, go for it.