How can I improve my rap voice?

Gacki

New member
So basically I just got into rapping/hip-hop. I've been listening for a little while, but I just started writing and attempting to record. I have a blue yeti microphone for recording at the moment. My voice is deep, which I do not like. I can write good lyrics but my delivery/voice sounds terrible. I know I need to practice, but practice what exactly? Just rap the same way I rap? Like if my voice sounds bad but that's the way I rap, do i just keep practicing that same way until it improves?

Anything will be appreciated.

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:26 PM ----------

Bump :o
 
As a fellow rapper I would tell you to really listen to other artist and pay attention to how they accentuate their lyrics. Iv'e been rapping since i was 12 and I'm 23 now. I listened to a lot of Cassidy, Emineim and Jadakiss because I felt they all had they greatest delivery. I use to battle rap a lot too so that also helped my delivery because in our world it's all about how you say it. Once you become comfortable with your delivery you'll begin to learn how to pitch your voice or at least become more cognizant of it. Another thing is record yourself and ask other people about your voice. Just the way our heads were created we think we sound to other people how we sound to ourselves lol. Hopefully this helps
 
I've had similar issues with my rapping voice. To be honest, you don't need to have the same delivery/voice for all your songs.
But ETDavis is right, just listen to rappers you like and see how they emphasize the punch lines and where they take breaths or breaks.

ALSO, record in front of people (friends you trust). get input. I've noticed that rappers go a lot harder when others are present. At least that's how i am.

Hope u figure it out, man. good luck
 
thanks alot guys, maybe ill record and let you guys hear it. But yeah my flow is choppy and whatnot. I gotta practice.


I appreciate it!
 
this is a good thread and learned a key lesson

im gonna treat learning my rapping like learning my producing..i studied beats of my favourite artists and now im gonna study the voice of my favorite rappers
 
I guess it's like singing, you record yourself and see what you can do better - pronounce certain words clearer, your speed, developing flows, emotion in your voice has to fit the lyrics and so on.. Practice with awareness I guess.
 
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For me, the voice developed naturally. Eventually, with an elevated comfort level and confidence on the mic, you'll settle in to a sound that works for you. I think that if you deliberately try to get your voice to sound "right" you'll end up sounding strange and unnatural.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

-E.
 
Exactly. Thats how I approched it I rapping and now trying to produce beats, I see myself using the same formula. If it worked for my rapping why not work for making beats and vica versa.
 
heres advice, practice practice practice

im talking 2 hours at a time over and over and over and over and over and over but if your not feelin a song move to something else

and how you get better is rap without the music, if you can rap without the music and still sound good...you just be that much better with the music, dont TRY to sound like anything just let your voice be natural and thats how you tap the beauty
 
Alright, thanks guys, it means a lot to me. I try to practice as much as I can. Whenever I walk or drive, I'm singing along with my iPod, write lyrics in school, etc. I just gotta get the voice down and I'll be getting somewhere.

Thanks again!
 
From what I've gathered, the single most important thing about a rap voice is inflection. If you can change up your delivery in an interesting manner, it keeps peoples attention. Other than that, it's definitely important to be natural. If you have to fake it, people won't buy it at all.
 
people like to hear that smooth voice as-well, it wouldnt hurt to take singing classes to learn how to actually sing/rap so when people hear your music they dont think its just another guy trying to be a big time rapper, with no time talent. 1. time is money and money is time. 2. you cant sound good for free... unfortunately.... PITCH CONTROL IS RAPPING. ASK THE LATE GURU FROM GANGSTARR. he called himself the monotone king. he rapped on a sinked pitch, and made it sound dope! make your voice sound dope, as time goes on youll figure out what sound good for your voice, and you will be able to compliment that in your rapping.
 
man this is aggravating, i sound so monotone and just deep and bad. I'm practicing a lot, but it's a hard to practice something i'm not sure about. Like, my flow is terrible, sound, everything. I seem to sing too much to the beat. Which i dont like, and it seems like it would be bad right? Like, obviously make the lyrics fit the beat, but i seem to make my voice follow the progession and whatnot, which sounds terrible. I'll practice tomorrow straight after school. This summer i gotta get crackin, 3-4 hours a day just practicing.
 
Practice freestyling. That helps with "feeling" the music and not just sounding monotoned. You could be monotoned because you're reading your lyrics, which can cause people to put less energy into it. If you don't feel like what your rapping about is worth listening to, then there won't be energy. Keep practicing, it'll all come in time my man. Also, if you just record yourself rapping a lot (I wouldn't suggest you release anything cause you wanna save the releases for the good stuff you'll make later down the road) and just play it back again and again, you'll get used to the sound of your voice.

Keep grindin' man.
 
I'll try to post one sometime this weekend. I am also struggling with fitting my voice into the beat with Adobe Audition. Y'know? Instead of just having my voice lay on top of the beat i'm trying to blend it in. Hard stuff. But man, college next year (senior in HS right now) and that's gonna keep me busy. I gotta do something big this summer, like put out a mixtape or something, cause school is just not for me. Go big or go home(less) haha. Hopefully something will happen this summer to give me a confidence boost to pursue rap even harder.
 
ive have yet to find my voice .. but i can see the progression im making so .. as 1 rapper to another just keep at it.. if u want it bad enough u got it
 
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