ALLEGORY

An explained metaphor. (i.e: “Your sic wit it, BECAUSE the crowd’s screamin/”. The word “because” explains why “your sic wit it.”)

ALLITERATION

Repetition of the same sounds or types of sounds at the beginning of words. (i.e; “spit, sit, slit, some split sure cents/”. Note that “cents” does not begin with a “s” but still sounds the same.)

APOLOGUE

Based on a fable. Where you compare inanimate or animate creatures and compare them to people using fables or stories. (i.e: “Stayed steady like the tortoise, now ahead of the hare/” / Story of the tortoise and the hare.)

ASSONANCE

Repeating similar or identical vowel sounds, but contains changes in the consonants that are intervening. (i.e; “silly bill, killed Nifty Bill at Six fifty/”)

CALLBACK

HENDIADYS

INNERS

An inner is just a word that rhymes but not at the end of the bar. (i.e; “Chokin up VETS like a kamikaze fighter/in SETS. Take BETS on whos hot spitfire is lighter/”. “Vets”, “Sets” and “Bets” are the inners.)

KENNING

A name given to something for what it is essentially used for, or what it does. (i.e; “My records touch the DJ, soundwaves hit the back/needle like a drug and you’re addicted like crack/”. The DJ needle on the record player becomes a drug needle.)

METAPHOR

PERSONIFICATION

Making an inanimate object act in a human way. (i.e; “This song hits, the snares be clappin/” . Snares don’t actually clap, but here they are compared to the human function of clapping. The song doesn’t actually hit, but here, the song is compared to humans fighting/punching.)

PROVERB

Repeating an old sayin. (i.e; “What goes up must come down/”)

SYNONYM

A word with the same meaning as another word. (i.e; “cold/freezing”, “cut/slice” “money/currency”, “dead/diseased”.)

BARS AND HOOKS

A bar is the time it takes to count to 4 on rhythm in any song, this is because the time on any rap song is in the 4/4 time format. A usual verse in a commercial song is 16 bars, sometimes 8, and on freestyles nobody counts. To count bars simply count to 4 in rhythm on any song and add one after each succession. In a normal rap song you should be able to count to 64 on beat, remember after each 4 is a new bar. Hence 64 divided by 4 is 16.

A hook is the chorus part of a song that comes immediately after the verse or bridge and is usually 4 to 8 bars and above after the breakdown part of the song and sometimes may fade out.

The breakdown is after the first two choruses and is sometimes continues by another verse. Sometimes the instrumental music may change slightly and an extra verse or chorus may compliment it.

The Bridge is like an extra chorus that can be used anywhere.

Basic song structure:

intro

verse

chorus

verse2(*1)

chorus

breakdown(*2)

chorus

chorus

outro

*1 = there may be more than 2 verse or choruses

*2 = a breakdown/instrumental sequence varies in bars and in some songs do not exist.

FREESTYLING

First, I suggest you listen to other great freestyle rappers like Cassidy, Eminem, Jin, Hell Rell, Jay-Z or Fabolous to get a feel of how an expert does it. Practice freestyling anywhere and everywhere to get yourself accustomed to freestyling on the spot. Even if you think you sound stupid just keep doing it. As an exercise, get a friend (or you could do this by yourself) and point at random objects in a room and freestyle on it, T.V., refrigerator, phone, then rhyme as much words as you can. At this point it does not matter if it makes sense. Pausing after a word causes it to have more power, especially if a word is rhymed with the paused wor on the next bas. Also watch T.V. and take notes on daily things that are occuring. USing famous people or events is HIGHLY effective when you need that strong punchline to close your last bar.

Then start taking on subjects you have strong opinion to and start freestyling about that, this will develop you to have substance. Keep practicing, once this is mastered continue to the next step. Now you can freestyle battle. Battle with friends or if you can find someone who is really good, battle him. After each battle most freestylers will automatically tell you what they felt you’ve lacked, so you will improve. I’m not saying a great boxer becomes great by losing street matches, but it would unquestionably make him more humble. Eventually, after your weaknesses are spotted and improved (staying on topic, picking something about your opponent and mocking it) you should be very lethal.

Freestyling consists of disses, metaphors and punchline patterns.

- A diss is basically attacking someones appearance, personality, lifestyle, history, family, obvious weaknesses.

- A metaphor is comparing your enemy to something animate or inanimate to insult them.

- A punchline is the bar that can take the diss or metaphor and puts it in a single bar.

INCREASING SPEED

Can mean many things where you copy and repeat with words, schemes or technical use. It also means using a quotation and not giving immediate credit to the author or creator.

TYPES OF RAPPERS