Related pages
Related websites
Forums
- Lil Wayne HQ - http://www.lilwaynehq.com/forums/
Criticisms of rap
- The lyrics
- The accompaniment
- Lack of sophistication in the melodies
Keith Richards (of The Rolling Stones) - "What rap did that was impressive was to show there are so many tone-deaf people out there. All they need is a drum beat and somebody yelling over it and they’re happy. There’s an enormous market for people who can’t tell one note from another." (Source)
- Lack of sophistication in the melodies
Books
- Books about different rap songs' lyrics, but not exactly a 'how-to' for writing lyrics:
- Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies
- Decoded by Jay-Z
- The book consists of lyrics "decoded," where Jay-Z explains both where the song ideas came from and the way all the lyrics are connected to each other, as well as portions of his real-world story
- Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B
- This is just a simple history of hip-hop.
Rap-analysis websites
- http://www.rapanalysis.com/
- https://genius.com/posts/1669-The-rapper-s-flow-encyclopedia
- https://genius.com/posts/1610-How-to-listen-to-kendrick-s-backseat-freestyle
Terms
- punching - A technique used when recording a track where the rapper will start rapping part-way through the song, and then multiple recordings of them rapping will be stitched into a single track. This allows the rapper to correct mistakes more quickly. It's criticized by some people because it seems to make it possible to record raps that the rapper isn't actually able to perform live, because there's not enough gaps in the rap for the performer to breathe or because it's simply too difficult to get through the song without making mistakes.