Become an MC

Rapping is an art form -- it takes appreciation, style, and devotion to master it. A good MC gets the crowd roaring with energy, has their own unique style, and creates material with a spark that's almost infectious. You listen to your favorite rap songs and wonder "how do they do it?" If you've got the dream and the drive, why can't you be the next phenomenon?

(If you're looking for how to host an event, How to Be a Good Master of Ceremonies is a better place to start. Spitting rhymes may not go over well at your next club convention.)

Steps

Developing Your Skills

  1. Listen to hip-hop and rap 24/7. A rookie mistake is listening to one kind of music -- you choose one or two of your favorite artists and only listen to them and then you wind up sounding just like them. Nah, you need your own sound. So spend as much time as possible listening to different sub-genres: ghettotech, Chicano rap, East Coast hip hop, low bap, mafioso, you name it. Become an expert. You're also checking out the competition!
    • Study all of hip-hop, from the beginning to the end. If you don't know many emcees, here's a few classic rappers everyone should know: Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, KRS-ONE. Eventually you'll be a true hip-hop "head."
  2. Think about different rappers and their "type." No one would put Ghostface Killah, DMX, and Eminem in the same category. Every artist has their schtick. They make similar music, but they twist it in very different ways. In general, here are your categories:
    • Hustler rappers. Their music is mainly about selling drugs, CDs, or however it is they're making ends meet. Similar to glamour rappers who brag about fast cars, money, jewelry, and women. It's highly materialistic content. Not hard to find these as they're the most common.
    • Conscience rappers. Sometimes referred to as a "backpacker rapper." This type of music focuses on more higher-minded things -- namely social or political issues, family, the concept behind drugs and the larger meaning of it all. A little philosophical -- a la Mos Def or Dead Prez.
    • Storyteller rappers. They're just that -- storytellers. Generally it's about them or their opponent, but the topic can obviously vary. Think Raekwon and Nas.
    • Political rappers. They're similar to conscience rappers, but they concentrate on the pitfalls of society and are usually blatantly anti-establishment. Public Enemy or even Macklemore.
    • Tongue twisters. Can rap at double the speed of normal rap (generally in 8/4 time). Similar to the "pure lyricist," who concentrates on difficult beat and rhyme patterns, large words, and burning their opponent over and over and over. Look to Busta or Twisted Insane for good examples.
  3. Write your own rhymes. Freestyling comes with time. For right now, grab that pen and paper and let your mind go. You can wax later. Think of any topic -- the couch you're sitting on, the second-hand backpack you were forced to use for years, your hatred of Jimmy Kimmel, whatever. And then start streaming those gems.
    • The easiest way to get started is to think of the ends first. You can use a rhyming dictionary if you like, but you'll have to rely on your own brain eventually. If you've got your first line ("Jimmy Kimmel, man, that time slot's just a waste of space"), come up with a list of words that rhyme with the last word (face, race, brace, case, trace). Where can you go from there?
    • No one wants to hear rhymes that have been lifted from someone else. Don't be the Dane Cook of MCs. Even if your rhymes sound more like Dr. Seuss than Dr. Dre, if they're yours, they're better than if they're stolen.
  4. Expand your vocab. Simply put, the more words you know, the more words you know that rhyme. And if you can drop a word that your opponent doesn't recognize, boom. Served (cue mic drop). So bust out that rhyming dictionary (there are a bunch online) and get to acquainting yourself with your own language. Your words are your power. With more words at your disposal, you'll be less likely to get tripped up when you're in a cipher.
    • Work with near rhymes, too. She knew that I really didn't wanna go/but she convinced me it'd be magical. The ends don't rhyme, but they sort of do. A good rhyming dictionary will have near rhymes, too. Don't limit yourself to straight up, solid rhymes. There's ton of wiggle room. And if it's hilarious, no one will really care.
  5. Experiment with flow. Study rhyme pattern. It is crucial to the development of your unique voice that you develop your own flow-style. One beat could have a dozen ways to stream along it. When you hear a loop, how many ways can you imagine spitting to it?
    • Listen very carefully to rappers like Raekwon, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Big Pun, any MC you can think of that has established a new and unique flow. Studying and learning about flow-techniques is learning mathematics in a way: you need to understand the rhythm, the beat, its structure, counting bars, where the groove comes from, where to place your rhymes and so forth.
  6. Use instrumentals. Now you've got a few rhymes of your own you can experiment with -- so get started! Pull up some instrumental beats on YouTube and go. Use the same rhymes and try finding different rhythms to incorporate. What comes naturally and what doesn't? What sounds too repetitive and needs to be spiced up?
    • Sometimes your rhymes just won't fit a specific beat. If it's not working out, find a different track. Be patient -- it may take a while to find the sound you're looking for.

Finding Your Flavor

  1. Start freestyling. Ditch that pen and paper and start doing it off the cuff. The best MCs only need a few seconds to start dropping one-liners and biting rhymes. So get in your shower and start freestyling about how wonderful your soap is. Take any instance and work it. The goal is for someone to hand you any situation and you can run with it.
    • As you let yourself go -- and you need to truly let yourself go -- write down that line that you want to use for later reference. Not all of freestyling is truly 100% spontaneous. Most rappers have a store of end rhymes or lines that they can build new material off of to get started.
  2. Have a few fillers up your sleeve. Every rapper has been in the moment where they need a second to regroup. When that time rolls around, you rely on a filler. It's just a simple phrase that gets you back to the top of the beat and can start a new stream of thinking. It's best to have two or three you can rely on when that dreaded time rolls around.
    • Don't overthink it. Your filler could be something like, "you know what I'm sayin'?" or "That's how I do." Generally picking a phrase that ends in a common sound is best.
  3. Create real content. You are not a WCW wrestler. Your music has to be genuine and real. The last thing you should be rapping about is your homies in Compton and how you need to powder your backhand when really you're sitting in Topeka, Kansas playing D&D by yourself. Stick to what you know, what you understand, and what you feel. Your music will be better and you'll get respect for it, regardless of what it is.
    • Freddie Gibbs got big rapping about Gary, Indiana. It's a perfect example of taking what you have and making it work. Because of that, his music is unique and undeniably creative (not to mention definitely his own). Your situation is not a burden. You just have to know how to spin it.
  4. Develop your persona. There is always something that eats at your soul and is constantly waiting for you to expose it. Becoming a good MC is about finding yourself and expressing it. So who are you? What's your sound? How do you flow?
    • Though it has nothing to do with your skill and acting becoming an MC, it helps to have the look, so we'll mention it briefly here: have the look. Match your music. If you rap about bling, you best have bling. If you're rapping about how tough it is having so much swag, you best have superfluous amounts of swag. If and when you hit it big, you won't be scrambling for an image and be caught getting "packaged."
  5. Rap in ciphers with your friends. A cipher (or cypher) is when two people rap back and forth, feeding off of each other and making a friendly competition out of it (it is not a battle). So grab a buddy and spend a couple minutes rapping back and forth. Practice is the only way you'll get truly good at freestyling.
    • There's a couple things to aim for in this situation: 1) take your opponent's look/skills and address them when your turn is up, 2) pick up where they left off -- if they say, "Who do you think you are?" you literally answer them back, and 3) take their same flow initially, and then run away with it, doing your own thing. It creates a more cohesive feel (all of these do, actually).

Taking It to the Next Level

  1. Pay attention to the news and what's trendy. Using your knowledge of current affairs, you can make apt, timely, cutting-edge similes and metaphors to give an edge to your rap battles and songs. Your words are your weapons, and you can use these to stop what is eating at you. And the crowd will go wild, too.
    • A story about your life is good; people may be able to understand and relate. But talking about a cultural-wide thing is something your entire audience can understand. They'll feel like they're in on the joke and get your message. So whether you're knocking Miley Cyrus or spitting your views on Obamacare, if it's relevant, it's good.
  2. Get a crew. Plenty of MCs surround themselves with like-minded, equally talented people for an explosion of hip-hop creativity. Imagine the Wu-Tang Clan as just the, well, Wu-Tang Man. Totally lacking. So get to collaborating!
    • It's a good idea to work with someone who has some serious DJing skills. They'll be able to back you up and give you the feel that you need -- if they know what they're doing, that is. It also probably means they have gear.
    • A hype-man or sidekick. Having someone else onstage that is full of verve and charisma that can chime in on your hooks or get the crowd going when you need a breather can make a huge difference when dealing with audiences.
  3. Record yourself. Take some of your best rhymes and get to recording yourself. Not only will you be creating something you can give to others or post online, you'll be able to hear how you sound, where your strengths lie and where you need work. If you're not happy with it, you simply rerecord it.
    • You could make a demo, but that'll come in time. Right now you need some basic recording software and equipment or, if you've the moolah, some studio time. You can do it with everything from your computer's sound recorder and an instrumental track to getting more hi-tech with programs and software. We won't get into all the options because wikiHow has an entire category devoted to music producing and recording.
  4. Put yourself on the Internet. You're not just gonna put those recordings on your bookshelf and use them to lull yourself to sleep tonight, are you? Nope! Set up a Facebook page, Twitter, fancy Tumblr, Soundcloud and get going on generating attention. This is not a time to be modest -- right now you're selling yourself.
    • Did we mention YouTube? Definitely YouTube. Every platform you can imagine, put your name out there. When people wonder about you, all you have to do is hit 'em up with a link and they can start on getting addicted to your sound.
  5. Get onstage. Now you gotta bring your skills to the live table. You're not just singing to your Dove bar anymore, you're not just spitting with your friends -- you need veritable gigs where you rap battle -- or at least showcase your rhymes to people who have yet been graced by your innovative beats. You'll develop the public appeal you've been waiting for and start working on that cred.
    • Hit up club owners with your recording. If they're interested, they may offer you a night as a "try-out." If no venue in your area is looking for that kind of music, go to open mic nights! Just having people hear you is the goal.
    • Be confident, clear, articulate, and, above all, sober. You do not want to go into one of your first gigs under the influence of anything. Do a mic check beforehand, feel the vibe of the room, start bantering with the audience, and get into it. When you show you're into it, it allows the audience to get into it, too.
  6. Start talking to labels. If that's the end goal, of course. It'll be easiest to do this with an Get an Agent, so start asking around! They can start sending your demo to people looking for the next best thing. If you send it, it may just get sorted into the trash bin. So grab your demo, grab your agent, and get to turning this into your career.
    • Be patient -- sometimes these things take years. Keep dominating cyberspace and marketing yourself, too. You never know who will run across your talent and want a piece! Take whatever gigs you can until that fateful day when your agent calls and says you have a bite. The rest is history!

Tips

  • Rap because it's you. Not because you want to be Eazy-E, or Dr. Dre.
  • Try not to make a gimmick. Take ICP for an example.
  • Never make lies in your rap. The hip-hop society would actually respect you more if you rapped about who you really were. Don't be another Vanilla Ice!
  • Don't get mad at someone better than you. Learn from them.
  • Remember, singles aren't remembered forever, they always change. So keep your flow up to date; no one wants to see a re-enactment of MC Hammer.
  • It is also alright to make a stage name. Just keep it real and not too cheesy.
  • Most importantly, keep it real! Don't rap about things that you have no experience with, or you'll sound fake.
  • If you're having trouble, take a look at your 50 favorite rap songs, and analyze what makes them so good. If you do this regularly, you should improve greatly.
  • You don't always have to rap about your problems. Positive rap is also great! Negative rap can be stereotypical.
  • When making a trademark, don't kill it! When it says this don't be like Little Jon and his Yeeeeaaahhh! trademark or Jeezy's CHEAAAAHHHHH! trademark.
  • Do you and nobody else. Rap doesn't care about your culture or anything else that defines you. Rap as you and who you are.
  • It's okay to exaggerate some things in rap, but don't over-exaggerate, because that can be borderline lying.
  • Limit saying "yo", "CHEAH", "Yeah", "get jiggy wit it",and "boogie." These are cool to use in some songs, but don't make it a trademark.
  • When making a stage name, limit Lil', DJ, MC, Young, or Yung, from being in it because these are very common and this limits your chances of getting respect.
  • Never pose other rappers. There are reasons why people say hip-hop is dead. And posers are that very reason why.

Warnings

  • If you rap because you bang, don't expect your competition to be friendly then. This could result in violence, jail, and even death.

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Sources and Citations

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