This article was written with the hope of providing aspiring rappers with a solid foundation to hone their skills. It deals with the fundamentals of finding your "voice". With a simple breathing exercise you can increase your lung capacity and, consequently, the strength of your diction, through some basic tips on freestyle rap and a few words on methods to create puns.
Steps
Step 1. To improve breath control, do this exercise regularly
When you can't get over a line in the way you want, 98% of the time it's a problem with correct breathing, i.e. breath control. Having a solid diaphragm is the requirement of every voice artist: no one in the world can deny it. Listen to any rapper who uses the cut time, such as Krayzie Bone, Twista, Busta Rhymes, Tech N9ne, Tonedeff, or Yelawolf, and you will realize how important it is to breathe correctly and in the right places
Step 2. Do this exercise about three times a day, giving it 20 minutes for each set; it's only one hour a day of your time
If you want to rap seriously you have to be able to find the time to do it, at some point.
Step 3. Breathe out quickly and without interruption, until your lungs are completely empty
Step 4. Hold this position for about 5 seconds; it will probably hurt a little and you will feel that your lungs are ready to give, but that's only because you are not used to fully extending the diaphragm muscles
Step 5. After 5 seconds, breathe in fully, again quickly and continuously, and hold this position for about 10 seconds
Take a break to restore normal oxygen levels and repeat. You should do 15-20 reps for each 20 minute set.
Step 6. Start SLOWLY
Believe it or not, doing this exercise can hurt yourself. If you hold a position too deeply and for too long, you could collapse a lung or damage your esophagus. Make the most of your judgment and don't try too hard, and you will be able to know when you are ready to increase the duration of each rep.
Step 7. If you do this daily (and yes, I mean every day), you will notice noticeable results within 4-8 weeks
What you do with this exercise is to stretch the diaphragm and surrounding muscles; this increases the oxygenation of the muscles, increases the range of movement and, overall, allows you to breathe better. It will also allow you to let your breath flow harder for longer periods of time, add emphasis to your verses while keeping the beat, and give you much more confidence while rapping and generally performing.
Advice
- In freestyle rap, when you're rapping a verse you've just thought of, think of random words that rhyme with the one you ended the verse with, and base the whole verse on that.
- It starts little by little and then progresses; this exercise is a great complement to any cardiovascular workout you choose to do.
