how-to-freestyle-rap

How To Freestyle Rap ᐉ【19 Rap Tips Every Rapper Should Know】

by Dan Hartnett // July 18 //

!WAIT! Check Out

"The Rap Lyricists Handbook

"The Rap Lyricists Handbookis not just another book to skim through. It's a powerful resource designed to be your go-to companion on your journey to rap mastery. 

With 250 colourful pages of curated advice, practical exercises, and proven strategies, you'll have everything you need to create hit songs that resonate with your audience.

Freestyle rapping is a particular rap style that comes with or without hip hop beats.

Mostly, the lyrics are improvised. If you want to learn how to freestyle rap, you are definitely not alone.

 

A lot of aspiring rappers would love to discover the techniques on how to rap like a pro.

The good news is…..

Learning-How-To-Freestyle-Tips-and-techniques-for-beginner-rappers
How To Freestyle Rap ᐉ【19 Rap Tips Every Rapper Should Know】 1

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There is no large mystery to it. Everyone can learn how to do it. Below is a list of effective tips and techniques you can do to learn how to do freestyle rapping.

Learning how to freestyle rap is somewhere every aspiring rapper should begin. Freestyle rapping helps you build experience , wordplay , rap delivery , your rap flow and confidence in your rapping abilities.

Why Most Rappers Fail At Freestyle Rap?

Most of the time people become the architects of their own destruction and self-sabotage. Saying things like :

“ I just can’t freestyle rap” 
“I mess up my words all the time” 
“I am afraid I will just make a fool of myself”
I can’t freestyle rap because I don’t think I’m good enough to join rap battles”

This negativity is never going to get you anywhere and it’s something that plays on the minds of every successful rapper at times.

You need to believe that you are good enough to learn how to freestyle rap like a pro.

Stop comparing your early stages in your rap career to someone that has tons of experience over you.

How To Be Good Enough To Freestyle Rap

Apparently, Eminem was a joke of a freestyle rapper before he became the icon that he is known for today.

Just because you see excellent freestyle rappers on Youtube doesn’t mean that you will never be at their stage or BETTER later on in life.

Staying positive and having some self-belief is the key to freestyle rapping like a professional.

 Having a good mindset is the base. All the tips and videos that I will show you below don’t matter unless you master your mindset.

Eminem-Stage-fright-

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Learn How To Freestyle Rap With These Tips

Understanding What Freestyle Rapping Is About.

To define a freestyle rap , it is understood as “ Creating rap lyrics and delivering them with your flow over a beat or with a beat in that moment in time”.

 

Many industry rappers and new up and coming rappers find freestyle rapping quite daunting.

 

This is why I speak a lot about mindset above and why it’s integral to your success as at the beginning.

 

Like any other skill when you are learning how to rap, freestyle rapping can be mastered, with growth you need to own the fear that comes with the uncertainty of looking like a fool.

2

Stop Comparing Yourself To Rap ICONS !!!!

2-pac-on-rapping

 You can’t compare your mistakes that you make while freestyling to that of a multi pre-recorded written verse of an artist like Eminem.


Don’t set the bar for comparison too high.


The only comparisons you should be making are the practice recordings your freestyles. Only comparing your last take to the next take.


Monitor your own progression using your own freestyle rap recordings as a guide to know where you make mistakes.


The focus on the section of the freestyle that’s particularly difficult for you.

3

Pat Para's {2} Golden Rules Of Freestyle Rapping

 
You can’t compare your mistakes that you make while freestyling to that of a multi pre-recorded written verse of an artist like Eminem.


Don’t set the bar for comparison too high.


The only comparisons you should be making are the practice recordings your freestyles. Only comparing your last take to the next take.


Monitor your own progression using your own freestyle rap recordings as a guide to know where you make mistakes.


The focus on the section of the freestyle that’s particularly difficult for you. 

Pat Para Freestyle Rap Video

Pat Para

The Best Freestyle Rap Teacher

"One of my favorite videos to help you learn how to freestyle rap is that of Pat Para’s freestyle rap 2 golden rules.  

Pat is a long time in the field of teaching people how to freestyle rap. And I think his two golden rules will help your mind relax when you start freestyle rapping for the first time.


And I think his two golden rules will help your mind relax when you start freestyle rapping for the first time.

The main reason I like about this video is that Pat says that learning how to freestyle rap gave him a purpose in life.

"



He says that when he was in his teenage years he used to get depressed and learning how to express himself with his raps help him overcome a difficult time in his life.

 

His brother showed him the initial skills he needed to learn how to freestyle rap.

Then it was up to him to take it to the next level.

 

This positive change created his teaching career. This also gave other people the ability to develop their rap freestyle techniques.

 

Sharing his story with his audience made me check out his courses and his other videos.

 

I got the chance to interview Pat on my other podcast you can listen to that podcast here. Here are Pat Para’s Freestyle rap golden rules.

4. Freestyle Rapping Rule Number 1 


"Don’t Worry About Rhyming When You Start Practicing Freestyle Rapping"
rhyming-rap

This is the biggest rookie freestyle rappers make.

 

They hear professional freestyle rappers rapping and they just think about the way the rapper is using alliteration and rhyming.

 

Then they only just say words that rhyme and have no basis in the freestyle. You can see that they will place too much emphasis on having to match the previous line with something else that rhymes.

 

This will lead them down a path where they get stuck in the freestyle and the end up getting frustrated.

 

So it should be a rule of thumb to start practicing freestyle raps that don’t rhyme. Then you will get used to not putting too much of your energy on matching up words.

 

When you move the barriers of having to rhyme every word, you build the confidence of getting in the flow.

 

This also removes the unnecessary pressure that you place on yourself. No one has to hear your practice rap freestyles.

 

Once you gain a bit of confidence and you can see a bit of change in your flow, start getting into having a long recording on in the background just so you can go back over it later to see you progress and what you like within your freestyles.

Part 5:  Freestyle Rapping Rule Number 2
"Don’t Stop Your Freestyle Rapping If You Make A Mistake"
Eminem-Stage-fright-


As I mentioned above nobody has to hear you practice. So if you make a mistake keep going.

 

Here we are just trying to develop a flow of rapping, without any words that rhyme.


Embrace it when you mess up and continue with the freestyle.

Keep your mindset in an upbeat and positive place for when you are practicing your rapping skills.

 

The goal of freestyle rapping is to develop the ability to create freestyle about anything.

 

So when you are thinking about a topic for your freestyle, think of something that will put you in a good mood or that makes you happy.


6

Have A Clear Mind And Have Fun
a-good-rapping-mindset


One of the most important things you need to do is clear your mind form any thoughts. 


This way, you’ll be able to rap and express yourself freely. At the same time, do not forget to have fun.

 

This gospel if you are at the beginning of learning how to freestyle rap.

 

Practicing can become tedious and boring after a while so it’s important to think of the reasons that you are learning freestyle rap in the first place.

 

It’s best practice to work on it for a least 20 mins a day when you start off.


Then if you feel that you can increase your practice time to an hour a day and it doesn’t bore you, go for it.

7

Stop The Perfectionism Killer Mindset
perfection

I also get the perfectionism killer mindset when it comes to making music or writing songs. But I force myself to snap out of it.

 

Some songs that I have created started out as the worst records, but after some strong discipline, I just had to let go. I said to myself “it’s ok to make a not so great song”.

how-to-get-good-rapping

Perfectionism isn’t a bad quality to have. I understand that when you are freestyle rapping you want your audience to treat you like a pro.


It’s good to want to create a song or freestyle that you can be proud of. But with perfectionism comes procrastination , lack of progress and a negative mindset.

8

Stay Clear Of Negative Diss Rap Freestyles At The Beginning
diss-rap

This might cause you to stop freestyling and lead to frustration as you are creating a competition mindset.


When you are practicing your freestyles you need to keep it fun and upbeat so that when you fall on certain bars you are embracing your fears of sounding wack.


I feel that’s why Eminem has the Slim Shady side to his persona. All of Eminem’s freestyles are funny upbeat and make jokes about Dr. Dre or Celebrities.


Keeping in mind the more upbeat side of Slim Shady enabled Eminem to become a global Icon.


I think that this more positive approach to Eminem’s raps, to the Emphasis of him as a white rapper.

9

Creating Confidence Your Flows

When you feel that there is a flow coming to you a feel empowered and confident in you freestyle rapping skill gradually add some rhymes to the certain bars.

 

You will be surprised at what you can create once you have first gotten a good mindset and second followed those 2 above golden rules for freestyle rapping.

 

For more information on developing your rap flow read this article here

 

10

Focus On Practicing Rapping
biggie-freestyle-rap

Rap experts say that one of the most common mistakes people commit when they start freestyle rapping is they tend to focus more on their voice and how to sound cool.

 

The thing is, what they fail to realize is that they just need to rap.

If you want to do freestyle rapping, you have to focus on rapping. When you’re freestyling, don’t think about your voice or the importance of how to sound cool.


If you are too conscious about your voice, your brain will need to deal with a lot of things which can affect your overall performance. You just have to be yourself.



It’s important to remember that you should be freestyle rapping about things that mean something to you or that mean something to the song. Clever lyrical play will come in due chores. 

11

Study The Eminem and Proof
MTV Freestyle


“I know I have used the Eminem freestyle example a dozen times.”
Learn freestyle rap

I feel that if I show you a professional freestyle rapper like Eminem creating upbeat entertaining freestyles, you will start to relax a lot more, and stop obsessing about fast rhyming.

 

I feel this is a great video to learn from when you want to learn how to freestyle rap.

 

You can see many of the skills that Eminem uses in this video.

 

Even though his topics are common stories about his life that sound dark and depressing, he openly mocks his upbringing. But in light-hearted comedic effect.

 

The tone of his voice matches his flow. His vocals are higher pitched when he raps as Slim Shady. When you compare this to the aggressive sharp throaty raps, he spits as Eminem.

 

In this video Slim Shady is keeping the tone upbeat. Focusing only on the matching stories in the freestyle.

 

Also keeping in mind the MTV audience and a place for his friend Proof into the freestyle.


I think that the Eminem video is a good place to start at.


Here is a link to the Eminem and Proof Instrumental so that you can practice your freestyle to the beat.  

12

Study Your Idols – Why Great Rappers Today, Still Study The Greats That Came Before Them
j-cole-I-let-nas-down-lyrics

Just before I make this point I need to stress again that you should not compare like for like with your idols

 

Lyrics , words and the freestyle raps that your favorite hip hop artists make, should be studied not compared.

 

Even this video proves below that Eminem still has to sharpen his tools every day by practicing the raps from his hip-hop mentors.


Skip the video Too – >  Where he mentions Yoke The Joker By Treach

Finding freestyles that inspire you is a great way to build up your initial freestyle rap skills.


13

How Stories and Rap Topics Can Keep Your Audience Interested ?

rap-stories

You need to keep in mind that even though you not writing a rap song in the traditional sense of having a pen a pad.

 

But you are still trying to communicate a story with your audience.

 

Don’t force yourself to stick to one story. You will end up putting your flow at a dead end and end up blanking.

 

You need to practice matching up stories and different freestyle rap topics. Developing this skill set can enable you to find a way to navigate within the freestyle.

 

So when you are practicing find certain rap topics that you are really familiar with. Use these topics and stories in certain times when you feel that you almost of out of ammo in the freestyle.

 

Musicians like guitarist , drummers , and pianists even do this when the are improvising with their instruments on stage.

 

Even though the may be creating certain solos on the spot, they are using scales and familiar chord progressions that will keep them in time or in key with the rest of the band.


14

Why You Have To Showcase Your Spontaneity ?

Why You Have To Showcase Your Spontaneity ?

Another thing you need to remember is that freestyle rapping is not about impersonating other rappers’ style or rap flow.


It is about expressing your thoughts with rhyme and melody. If it’s your first-time rap freestyling, opt for an easy flow so that everybody can relate to you easily.

 

A lot of people commit a mistake when it comes to freestyle rapping because they choose too complex rap flow despite the fact that they’re still new to it.


Always start with a light flow, enough to ignite the energy. Do not overthink.

 

Even when you are just trying to learn how to rap freestyle , don’t be afraid to be bold and break the rules every once and so often. Take risks on words and your rap flow that you are working on.


15

Taking Time To Perfect Your Raps
freestyle-rappers

Find Subjects Other Raps  – If you are still a newbie in learninghow to freestyle rap, another effective technique you can follow is to choose fun subjects such as girls, drinking, partying, cars, money, business grind and music.

 

Your rap can be about any of these things to make it easier for you to find a good flow. Do not be so serious. Inject humor into your lyrics. Or, you can make fun of yourself.

 

One of my favorite ways to write rap songs is to write in the perspective of someone else.

 

This takes the pressure of me having to be cool or have a very interesting life. Rappers like J Cole , Kendrick Lamar , Eminem and even Biggie Small all create characters in the perspective of someone else.

 

Sometimes I hear people criticizing Rick Ross for portraying himself as a gangster when he used to be a correctional officer. But Biggie Smalls came from a good home and went to great schools.  


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16. Learn To Develop Your Own Freestyle Rap Style

freestyle-rapping

Never hesitate to experiment to figure out which flow or style works for you.

Your vocal intonation, rhythm patterns, pitch and other aspects can play an important role in developing your rap style.

 

One important thing you need to remember is to opt for a rap style that feels right for you, not the style that you want to imitate from your favorite rap artists.

 

Do not be pressured to sound like a professional rap artist. Moreover, another essential thing to keep in mind is to be patient.

 

It may take weeks, months or even years to develop your own rap style. With this, you need to be patient.


17

Your Brain Activity is 50% More Creative In The Morning

rapping-brain-activity-255x300

For most people psychologically our mind is at it’s best when you have proper rest. That’s why I get up early in the morning to catch myself at my creative peak.  Doing anything when we are tired or not focused is unproductive work.

 

In the morning our brains have high levels of a stress revealing hormone called cortisol.


This can help your mind be more focused on the tasks at hand.

Now that your mind is ready for a learning and challenging experience, your creativity doubles due your concentration level and attention on. 

 

As Eminem mentions in the video above the words that he uses just pour out of his mind in the morning. But he as says that he is ready to capture moments of inspiration writing them down on his hand if doesn’t have a pen and a pad ready.

 

You have to capture the inspiration and the lyrics that come to you at random intervals of your life. My favorite way to keep account of my songs our lyrics is by using my phone as a dictaphone recorder.

 

Later when I need to write a song I either transcribe the recording or I add the audio to Logic or Pro – Tools.

voicerecorder

 


18

How To Pick The Right Type of Beats To Freestyle Too ?
Buying-Freestyle-Rap-Beats

Picking the right beats is essential to getting the best results when you are learning how to freestyle rap as a beginner. There are tons of slow rap beats that will enable you to cultivate your rap freestyle techniques.

 

Learn to stick to slow mid tempo classic hip hop beats. These beats tend to be in the range of 85 – 90 Beats Per Minute {BPM}.

 

If you are unsure of the fundamentals of a rap song read these other articles on my site.

 

 

How To Count Bars In A Rap Beat

 

Learn How To Flow To A Beat

 

Some beats that I recommend are that of J Dilla type beats , 9th Wonder and any beat that Biggie Smalls raps over. These beats were designed for freestyling. These mid-tempo rap beats are story telling instrumentals.

 

So even when you are practicing in your room, pretend that you have an audience and you have to entertain them with your freestyle raps.

 

Start to change the up the rap instrumentals by pick them at random. Get a friend to help surprise you with a beat that you aren’t ready for. This the fear of the unknown is the whole freestyle rap game.

 

If you are looking for beats to rap over try checking out our beat store here. We have sourced tons of great beats from beat makers all over the world. These beats are a mixture of hip-hop beats , soul beats and classic boom bap type beats.

 

Here is the link to our beat store.

Download-Slow-Beats-1

 


19

Never Forget To Be Creative When Rapping
Creativity Freestyle Rapping

Showcase how creative you are when it comes to freestyling.


And yes, freestyle rapping is about expressing yourself freely with flow and rhyme. However, you have to realize that you also need to control yourself a bit when you rap.


You have to control yourself enough to be able to utter lyrics that makes sense.

If you want your rap to have rhyming words, for instance, you just can’t inject words into the whole lyrics just to achieve the rhyme. You also need to make sure that words in your lyrics make sense.

 

When you are trying to learn how to rap freestyle, it is not just about doing it for your career.


You can do rap freestyling when you’re with friends at the bar or just about anywhere. As you continue learning to master the craft, you can inject your own technique and style as well.

The Punchline Wrapping Things Up

Punchlines-In-Freestyle-Rap

This all comes back to creating a positive mindset , building your confidence in front of a crowd and your abilities.

 

If you flop DON’T WORRY ABOUT. SHIT HAPPENS !!!!

 

Dust yourself down and learn from your mistakes. Even Eminem bombed when he first rapped in front of a crowd. That’s where the story of 8 Mile came from.

How-to-end-a-freestyle-rap

 

Oh shit, I forgot, how am I supposed to send this shit out?

 

I need to stress none of the tips that I mention here matter unless you take action on them. Reading and watching a hundred videos doesn’t matter unless you start implementing the points that I have made in this long Assed blog post.

 

Reading and watching a hundred videos doesn’t matter unless you start implementing the points that I have made in this long assed blog post.

 

If there is anything that you take away from how to learn how to freestyle rap, make sure you create a good and positive mindset before you start. Otherwise, all of the freestyle rap tips and techniques won’t help you in any way. 

 

A negative mindset will breed procrastination , self-doubt and kill your discipline to practice the steps that I have outlined here in this blog post.


Starting with a good mindset and Pat Para’s 2 golden rules is the best place for a beginner. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Most people fail because they either give up or never even try in the first place.

 

Remember that rapping is an art and a form of self-expression. So never hesitate to express your thoughts and beliefs through rapping.


The tips and techniques above are helpful in allowing you to master freestyle rapping and achieve your maximum potential as a rapper.


If you liked this article about how to freestyle rap , try looking at the other articles we have below. 




!WAIT! Check Out

"The Rap Lyricists Handbook

"The Rap Lyricists Handbookis not just another book to skim through. It's a powerful resource designed to be your go-to companion on your journey to rap mastery. 

With 250 colourful pages of curated advice, practical exercises, and proven strategies, you'll have everything you need to create hit songs that resonate with your audience.

Daniel Hartnett Getchorus.com Admin
About the Author Dan Hartnett

My aim is to create a songwriters hub of information, my plans will also include information from other songwriters and rap artists on how they create their work and the skills they have acquired over the years in the music industry.

I hope you enjoy the Blog from Dan - The Getchorus.com Admin

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