Table of Contents
Foreword Kool G Rap vii
Introduction ix
Part I Content
1 Content Topics 3
Real-Life Content 5
Fictional Content 9
Controversial Content 10
Conscious Content 14
Club/Party Content 19
2 Content Forms 23
Braggadocio/Battling Form 25
Conceptual Form 30
Story Form 34
Abstract Form 37
Humorous Form 38
3 Content Tools 41
Imagery 42
Similes, Metaphors, and Analogies 44
Slang 47
Vocabulary 50
Wordplay 56
Punch Lines 58
Part II Flow
4 How Flow Works 63
The Flow Diagram 67
Beats and Bars 68
Syllables and Stressed Syllables 70
Fitting the Lyrics to the Beat 71
Rests 73
Overlapping Bars 75
How Is the Flow Diagram Useful? 76
More Examples 78
5 Rhyme 81
Perfect Rhyme 82
Assonance (Vowel Sound Rhyme) 84
Alliteration and Consonance 86
Compound Rhymes (Multisyllable Rhymes) 87
Coming Up with Rhymes 92
6 Rhyme Schemes 95
Types of Rhyme Scheme 99
Extra Rhymes 103
Number of Rhymes in a Bar 104
Rhyme Placement 107
7 Rhythm 111
Coming Up with Rhythms 113
The Pattern Diagram 116
Patterns of Rhythms 118
Rests 127
Part III Writing
8 The Writing Process 133
Research 134
Ways of Writing Lyrics 139
Places to Write 152
Times to Write 156
How Long Does It Take? 157
Writing in One Go or in Pieces 162
Keeping or Changing the Process 165
9 Beats and Freestyling 167
Writing With or Without the Beat 167
Picking Beats 174
Rapping and Producing 177
Freestyling 181
10 Structuring, Editing, and Selecting Lyrics 185
Song Structure 185
Editing Lyrics 197
Selecting Which Lyrics to Use 201
Selecting Singles 204
11 Writing with Other People 211
Writing in a Group 213
Guest Verses and OtherShort-Term Collaborations 220
Ghostwriting 227
Producer Writing Input 231
Part IV Delivery
12 Vocal Techniques 239
Breath Control 239
Enunciation 244
Vocal Style 246
Taking Care ofYour Voice 260
13 In the Studio 263
Reading or Memorizing the Lyrics 264
Practicing the Vocals 269
Deciding Where to Breathe 271
Guide Vocals 273
Recording over Several Takes or in One Take 274
Number of Takes 280
Doubling Up and Ad-Libs 282
Further Editing the Lyrics 283
Producer Vocal Direction 285
14 Performing Live 289
Confidence and Showmanship 293
Using the Mic and PA System 294
Rocking the Crowd 295
Being Spontaneous, Improvising, and Freestyling 300
Adding Something Extra 302
Working with a Hype Man, DL or Group 303
Learning from Other Artists' Performances 305
Rehearsing 305
Final Words 311
Interviewed Artists 315
Index 335