People ask me all the time:
“Where do I learn to rap?”
Or sometimes:
“How to become a rapper?”
Usually something along the lines of how to rap.
The truth is it takes hard work, consistency, practice and drive. It doesn’t happen overnight – It takes time, dedication and patience to evolve your craft.
Just like you can’t expect to have a 6 pack after one gym session – you can’t expect to spit ether when you 1st jump on the mic.
So I’ve decided to share my top tips focusing on 3 sections
1. How to rap
2. Learn to rap
3. How to become a rapper
Enjoy!
how to rap - unleash the beast
Everyone can rap. Every hip hop head has at least one verse they have ready to go or at the very least they have a few bars. You have to cultivate the craft.
Rap is a confidence game. It takes courage to stand in front of a crowd of people and spit rhymes. It takes an immense act of bravery to go on stage and put yourself on the line. It’s a vulnerable thing.. but the rush is unbeatable.
I used to say to myself all the time that I was waiting until I was ‘ready’ before I took the plunge to spit rhymes in front of a live audience. I’d still be rapping to myself in the living room if I was waiting until I felt ‘ready’.
The simple truth is there is no right time. It’s a fearful thing to be in front of people on stage. It’s a real fear of public humiliation. You want people to like your shit. And as a performer and entertainer you are sensitive to the crowds vibe.
All massive growth is found on the other side of fear though.
practice, passion, perseverance
Ok so to get back to the topic of how to rap. The first thing I would say is to write as much as you can as often as you can.
It’s such a cliche but it is so true:
‘Practice makes perfect’
Anything worthwhile takes time and hardwork. You can’t learn how to rap without putting in the work.
No one is born a rapper. You can have talent. But talent will only take you so far. You need to cultivate the passion. In other words you need to put in the work.
Everyone wants to sound like their favourite rapper when they’re starting out. Everyone is influenced by a style of rap that motivates them. Be prepared to put in time and work before your own style starts emerging. Again it doesn’t happen overnight.
undeniable honesty
It’s fair to say that if you wanna learn to rap, you have to be willing to make mistakes.
There are courses and tutorials to take on the subject which are fine and have probably helped a lot of people. What I’m sharing now is purely my experience..and for me, nothing beats consistency.
When people ask me where they can learn to rap I can only share what has worked for me so far. Which is through the practical application of writing, performing, making mistakes, getting beat down, having amazing experiences, getting better, fucking up and just not stopping. Grind baby, grind.
It’s not like a course you do and become a certified rapper. You gotta put the work in. Again the main tips I can say is write as much as you can, listen to as many emcees and rappers as you can, emulate their style, listen to those who are considered the GOATS and apply what you like to your own rhymes so you can develop.
It will develop naturally over time, as long as you stick with it.
the truth about rap
Let me tell you a story.
Before I gripped the mic for the 1st time I had been writing consistently for about 3 years. My bar structure and rhyme schemes were pretty tight but I had no confidence in my voice.
In my mind I sounded like Eminem. When I heard my voice for the 1st time though I was devastated! I couldn’t believe how bad I sounded.
This was part of my game that I had not developed at all. Evidently.
I was quite lucky as my cousin Adam Bowes is a performer. A talented singer and actor to be precise – who has been performing for many years. I reached out to him and he started giving me tips to help work on my voice. We mainly worked on tone and breathing to begin with and after a few months I did my 1st gig. Shout outs to my cousin Adam.
Tip 2:
Ask for help. Ask for help from people who have done it before you and people that you admire.
staggering simplicity - how to rap
I got hit up today on Insta from someone that was starting out and looking for tips on how to become a rapper. Funny how things happen like that sometimes.
It reinforced what I’ve been sharing in this blog.
Let me recap the information with Prims top tips.
1. PRACTICE! – You gotta practice. Gotta put the action in. Roger Federer didn’t get to number 1 by playing every now and then.
2. Study the flow – have a student mentality. Be teachable. Find artists you love and emulate their style. Take what you like and leave the rest.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – don’t be too proud to ask for help. We all gotta start somewhere. Most people are humbled when you ask them for help.
4. Write everyday – you don’t have to show anyone. Write for yourself. Over time you will develop your own style.
5. Push yourself – try new things. Do live shows. Get out of your comfort zone and your craft will improve immensely.
spirited
Something I feel I should mention is something I feel goes unsaid a lot:
Enjoy the ride. Enjoy the ups and downs.
It’s a lot easier when you enjoy something and have passion to put the time and effort in.
Probably the biggest tip of all is don’t stop creating, and enjoy yourself in the process!
WOWWWW!! this is perfectly written, Definitely my favourite entry so far.. Mann your an inspiration!!
Thanks so much for your support and following the journey!
Beautifully written cuz!
So proud of how far you’ve come!
Thanks family ❤
Thank you for your ongoing support!
Wow so awesome.. it’s great that you share your experiences. You have an excellent way of expressing yourself. Can’t wait for the next blog to drop.
Thanks bro! Thanks for following the blogs and your continued support✌
Really well written, Pete. You can tell it’s from the heart.
Ros xx
Thanks Ros! Thank you for your on going support!
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