7 Habits Of Highly Effective Freestyle Rappers
I think you agree with me when I say:
When you are just starting out as a freestyle rapper or hobbyist, it can become quite discouraging along the way. You see your idol make it seem so flawless and then ask yourself:
How do they do it?
As an emcee, you need to practice freestyling every day. That is the fastest and most effective way for you to get better at your craft.
It also helps deal with writer’s block. It helps you exercise your brain muscle memory. As you put more time and effort, your brain adapts to creating rhymes on the fly.
Below, I provide you with the most effective freestyle rap tips which can take your skills to the next level. These tips can be applied by any rapper, from beginner to pro.
- Read The Dictionary
- Use A Random Word Generator
- Create A Playlist Of Beats On a Regular
- Write and Memorize Rhymes Everyday
- Keep A Pen And Paper For Your Ideas
- Get Somebody to trade Bars with
- Record, Revise And Take Notes
1. Read The Dictionary
It may sound weird to you, but this is an exceptional way to improve your skills. You don’t necessarily have to know every single word from the dictionary.
Instead, you can try learning one new word a day.
Open the dictionary on your smartphone, and write down your word of choice along with its definition. Some dictionary apps have the feature of giving you a new word to learn every day.
This will significantly build your vocabulary and help you come up with different ways of writing bars. As a freestyle rapper, you must make it a habit. It is worth habituating for the long term.
This may seem corny, but even the greatest rhymers used to do this. Rappers such as Eminem, Supernatural, Juice, Charron, and many more have used this to supplement their craft. It will help you come up with a unique way of saying things.
2. Write and Memorize Rhymes Every Day.
So you’ve started learning new words every day, now what?
Well, now that you’re actively building your vocabulary you also need to build your rhyme vocabulary. This is commonly overlooked by most freestylers and yet it is a simple way to exercise your muscle memory (as I said above).
One of the main things that discourage you when you’re freestyle rapping, is when you run out of words to rhyme with. You begin to lose momentum and energy.
Apply this simple trick daily and you will end up with an untapped gold mine of rhymes. Your brain will get used to improvising in a difficult situation, especially when you’re in a cypher.
Why memorize the rhymes? Because you can use them when you need them most. That is when you stumble and run out of things to rap or write about.
3. Always Create a Playlist of Beats
You most probably have a playlist of your favorite songs on Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes, or whatever it is you use to listen to music. Why not create a playlist of your favorite beats and instrumentals?
Here’s how you can go about this:
- Before you have a freestyle session, create a playlist of different styles of beats.
- Start with the first beat and keep flowing through the whole playlist.
Being a freestyle rapper, you need to get used to rapping on different beats. Often, when a friend or stranger asks you to freestyle, they want to be the ones who pick the beat.
You may get a little nervous, especially if you’re not used to it. You don’t want that for yourself, since first impressions always last.
Improvising is the key to all freestyle rappers.
Once you get a hang of it, you’ll be able to have a 2-hour freestyle session without any stops and stumbles.
4. Use a Random Word Generator
If you watch a lot of freestyle videos on YouTube, you will notice that rappers are given random words to use as they are rapping. Imagine if you were on Sway In The Morning and he decides to throw in some words as you freestyle off the dome.
As a beginner, that would be terrible for you and your reputation. This skill is important for you to master, especially if you are serious about this.
Here are the core benefits of this technique:
- It helps you gain some followers and fans because they will be marveled at your improvisational skills.
- It allows spectators to engage with you and feel like they are a part of the session.
Open up Playstore on your cellphone, or the iOS Store if you’re using an iPhone. Download an app named Random Word Generator.
Once you’ve downloaded it, open the app and you’ll see a screen like this:
To keep generating words on the fly, press the button on the bottom right corner that says:
“Generate A Word”
…And there you have it. Put a beat on, open up the app and start rapping.
5. Keep a Pen and Small Paper For Ideas.
Okay, maybe a physical pen and paper are a bit too old-school for the current tech world we live in. A simple notes app on your smartphone will do.
Excuse my french, but ideas are a b*#%h. We all have them in the world but they don’t always arrive at the right time.
They arrive at the wrong place and time.
This is why you need to keep a list of ideas that come to you at the moment. A place where you can record those ideas and use them when you’re practicing or even when you’re in a cypher.
It doesn’t matter what the idea is. It can be a rhyme, a punchline, or a new word. Just write it down and come back to it later when you are practicing.
Never let your ideas die inside of you. Your mind is meant for having ideas, not storing them.
6. Get Somebody to Trade Bars With
Sometimes practicing can seem to be daunting. Yes, you need to be able to practice solo, but a little company with you here and there doesn’t hurt. After all freestyle rapping is a fun activity. You don’t necessarily need to be a rapper to participate.
This is a powerful way to slowly build your confidence and help you get some real-time feedback from people. Don’t get infected with the bedroom rapper syndrome.
Bedroom Rapper Syndrome: When you develop the fear of showcasing your skills to the world and end up blindly practicing in your room with no feedback and field experience.
Get someone to help you. They don’t have to rap a 16-bar verse, but just a few lines to keep you going.
Pick someone who is an extrovert and loves rap music. Someone who can match your energy.
Start off with this game:
Get an instrumental to rap to and rap one line to each other. Relay between each other and slowly build momentum. The point is for you to get in the mood and build the proper energy.
Freestyle Cyphers are powerful when it comes to connecting spiritually and feeding off each other’s energy.
7. Record, Revise and Take Notes.
You most probably practice every day, but hardly ever record your sessions. I get it, maybe you’re too shy and embarrassed to listen to your crappy freestyles, you might think.
Or, you just can’t help the cringing feeling you get when you listen to your own voice.
As hard as it may be, you will need to learn to scrutinize yourself. Give yourself constructive criticism and try to identify the areas where you need improvement.
These are things to look out for when taking notes:
- Words you use a lot
- How long you’re able to freestyle for
- Your flow
Do this after each and every session. It will allow you to track your progress as an overall freestyle rapper. You will be able to identify your own strengths and weaknesses.
Bonus Tips: Getting Yourself out There
1. Wear a T-Shirt that Says: “ Ask Me to Freestyle Rap for You.”
If you want to build a career around this and take it more seriously then this is the perfect way to start. This is a powerful way to brand yourself and leave a real first impression on people.
Firstly you can go to Canva.com and create a t-shirt design with this phrase: “Ask Me to Freestyle Rap for You.”
Secondly, go to Teespring.com. A print-on-demand website that allows you to create t-shirt designs, place them on the t-shirt and sell for profit. They handle all the inventory and shipping while you focus on the business.
But we’re not here to start a business, so you will simply design the shirt as you wish and buy it from Teespring.
Lastly, you start getting yourself out there and showcase your skills. Go to house parties, events, and parks where a typical hip-hop head would go to chill. If you’re a varsity student then you’re at an advantage.
Make sure it’s a place where people want to have fun, relax, and be entertained. Where they have the time to actually stop and hear your freestyle. It’s pointless going where people are most likely on their way to work or to catch a bus.
Make sure it is a place where people’s guards are down.
2. Keep a Bluetooth Speaker with You.
Remember the playlist of beats that I told you to create? Now, is the chance where you can put them to good use.
Since you have a t-shirt with a clear call-to-action, you need to be prepared at all costs. People don’t go around with beats on their phones hoping to meet a rapper to freestyle for them.
You need to take up the initiative and be the one with all the tools. You can even let them choose a beat for you to rap to.
Either way, you’re engaging your audience and proving to them that you’re the real deal.
At the end of the day, there is only one thing you should take away from this: Practice. Remember that what we just provided are habits, meaning you have to consistently practice your craft.
You could learn all the tips, tricks, and hacks in the world but they will never work unless you stay on the grind of practice.
