Title - Write a Rap Song
By - Bob Urbani
Subject - Music
Grade Level - 6-8
Raps are talk songs. They are not sung; they are spoken. They have a very heavy beat and a lot of rhyme. Behind the speaker of a rap, there might be original music, "scratching" sounds, and parts of other peoples' songs.
To write your own rap, begin with your topic. You have to know enough about your topic to rap about it. I usually make it school, friends or family and always MUST be in a positive sense. Once you learn all about your topic you're ready to rap.
Tell the whole story of your ballot topic in rhyme. Most raps rhyme in 'couplets." That means lines rhyme two at a time. Lines one and two rhyme with each other, but not with the other lines. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with each other, but not with the other lines. And so on. The two lines that rhyme together are a "Couplet."
Begin your lyrics with a line that has a strong beat or rhythm. Rhyme the next line with the first. Try to repeat the same rhythm in the second line, too. Then begin a new rhyme with the third line. The fourth line should rhyme with the third line. Keep repeating this rhyming pattern.
The beat can be different in different lines. Some lines can be short; others, long. You might want to have a "refrain" in your lyrics. A refrain is a group of lines that remain the same and are repeated throughout the song.
A Rhyming Alphabet:
Use this special phonetic alphabet to help you find more rhymes. Begin your word with each of the following letters and consonant blends; make a list of all the "words" that make sense.
B,D,F,G,H,J,K,L,M,N,P,Q,R,S,T,V,W,Z, BL, BR,CH,DR,FL,FR,GL,GR,KL,KR,PR,SH,SHR,Sl,ST,STR,TH,THR,TR
good luck!
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