Writing the Chorus
Come up with a beat. Sometime it's easier to pick a beat first, before you think of specific lyrics. It can also help inspire you when coming up with your hook, as you'll have some music to format the lines of your hook around. You can often find different types of beats online or you can create your own beats with certain software. A beat can also greatly depend on the emotions in a rap you are hoping to communicate. If your rap is about something positive then more of a fast beat may be good, but if your rap is about something difficult or sad, then a slower beat may be more appropriate. Or maybe you are rapping to express your anger or frustration, and so the beat really depends on the direction you are looking to take with your rap.
Pick a topic. You may have already done this as you were thinking of your theme of the rap. Some rappers like to write some of their lyrics first before coming up with the chorus, because they don't want the lyrics to be solely based around the chorus. Other artists will write the chorus first, and then use that as a basis for the rest of their rap. You might try picking one word and using that word as the main idea for your hook. Lecrae uses the word "boast" in his song "Boasting" to communicate that depending on his self alone is a vain pursuit that leads to nothing. Although he only uses this word once in his hook, it's what he structures his rap around to communicate that boasting in himself alone is unwise because he's not guaranteed tomorrow. There is no perfect formula for writing a rap. Do whatever is best for you, whatever helps you get your creative juices flowing. The best hooks are the ones that advance the main idea without being super obvious about it. These hooks use creativity and different vocabulary to promote the main idea, without coming right out and saying it. For example, Jay Z's song "Hovi Babi" has a hook with lyrics "Can't touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable." He is essentially saying to his audience "I am awesome" but using a creative approach that communicates his idea without using those exact words.
Use that topic to structure your chorus. With the topic or word you have chosen, write your hook with each line communicating something different about your main idea. A typical chorus is made up of eight bars (4 verses) and usually follows a set of 16 bars. A bar is essentially one line of a verse, which is usually divided up into two lines or two bars. Often times there are three sets of 16 bars and three choruses in a rap. The classic way to structure a rap is around 16 bars. The first 16 bars of your rap should last about a minute, then you have the chorus, then another 16 bars, then the chorus again, maybe a bridge, and then the final chorus.
Incorporate images and action words. To draw your audience into your rap, you want to create a story, giving pictures and examples of what your rap is communicating. The more you are able to put your listeners inside the scene, showing them the story and characters you have created, the more likely they will be able to get into the rap. Macklemore's song "Downtown" uses imagery such as "chromed out mirror... banana seat, a canopy on two wheels..." and also uses action words like "cruising through the alley... tip-toeing in the street..." These lyrics really help create a scene that's easy to follow.
Make your chorus catchy. When people recall rap songs, usually the first thing that pops into their head is the chorus, so you want the hook that you create to be catchy and stay on people's minds after they listen to it. It doesn't so much matter the topic of your hook for this, but depends more on the flow of the verses and the creativity put into them. Some artists can create choruses that don't even makes sense, but because they are catchy and fun, people enjoy them and continue to listen to them. Your focus should be to create a hook that you would enjoy. In Sugarhill Gang's song "Rapper's Delight" the hook goes like this: "I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie/ to the hip hip-hop, and you don't stop." It doesn't really make sense but it's catchy and fun to sing. Many great hooks are simple but powerful in what they say. Drake's "Started from the Bottom" features a hook that repeatedly says "Started from the bottom," but it communicates to his audience that he has come a long way from where he started.
Make the lyrics rhyme. Rhyming in a rap song is essential, but you don't want to write a verse just to make it rhyme. Start by writing your lyrics first, and then find words that are "near rhymes," meaning if you tweak them a bit then they'll create a rhyme. Then, as you start to run out of these words, begin structuring your verses so that they will rhyme, but try doing so in a way that won't change the content or message of the verse. Usually lyrics rhyme after two lines (bars) -- the first line rhymes with the second line, the third with the fourth, etc. However, artists often put a break somewhere in the middle of their lyrics, with one line that stands alone and doesn't have a rhyming counterpart. It may be helpful to use a rhyme dictionary or thesaurus when you get stumped on how to rhyme your lyrics.
Decide between a sung or rapped hook. There are two different ways to execute a hook -- you can sing it or you can rap it. Artists that tend to combine pop music with rap like to sing their hooks, but pure rappers often just rap their hooks. You can choose one or the other or you can incorporate both into your rap. Chief Keef and Lil Durk rap the majority of their songs, while Drake and Kanye West are examples of artists that occasionally combine rapping and singing.
Coming Up with a Theme
Decide on the subject of your rap. Maybe you have an idea for a chorus, but you need other lyrics, or maybe you have other lyrics, but need a chorus. Either way, you want your rap to have a general theme or main idea that comes across. Before you write your rap, brainstorm some ideas. If you are stuck on ideas for your rap, you can visit websites online that have lists of song themes to get some ideas. Think about what you want to focus on in your rap. Is it going to be about a place, emotion, time frame, lifestyle, action, event, etc.? Do you want your rap to have a more upbeat, positive message or do you want to communicate something negative, difficult, or frustrating? When brainstorming for a rap it's beneficial to think about your audience, or your desired audience. Rap artists Drake and Lecrae are very different in what they rap about and in their audience. Drake raps for a more secular audience while Lecrae's audience is mostly Christian based. As you construct your rap, you'll want to make sure you are writing something appropriate for your audience.
Freestyle. Many artists start creating their raps by first freestyling and then writing down every emotion, thought, or idea that comes to mind. This can be a helpful step before you begin to write a rap, because you want your rap to be individual and personal to you. Sometimes it's helpful to keep a pen and paper with you or a notepad app on your phone so that you can write lyrics down throughout the day as they pop into your head. Sometimes artists come up with the best lyrics or inspiration for their songs at the times they are doing something completely different. Writing down these thoughts or ideas as they come to you will make it much easier to brainstorm for more lyrics later on.
Look up other artists. It's best to do this after you have brainstormed for a bit, to prevent the temptation of copying another artist's lyrics. After you have brainstormed some, it can be helpful to look at other artists and listen to their raps. You may be able to get some ideas for the structure or organization of the rap, or just ideas about how rappers use lyrics to form a story. The best way to start this is to look up your favorite artists. Your rap style is likely going to reflect theirs in some way, because you obviously like their music, so it can be a great way to get ideas or to understand the inspiration behind their rap. Don't copy their music, though. Blend their style with yours to create something that is uniquely your own. Sometimes raps don't say it all, meaning there is more behind the lyrics. Try looking up some commentary on raps, so that you can further understand how artists take lyrics and use them to convey certain emotions or ideas to their audience.
Be inspired by your own life. Some of the best art is created from a person's own experience. Think about the things in your life that are important to you, that you feel others should know about or you want others to experience, and use those emotions and memories in your rap to create something personal. Maybe you want to rap about family, success, a failure you experienced, heartbreak, etc. or you can rap about things that aren't necessarily personal to you, but you are passionate about like poverty, wealth, abuse, tolerance, etc. Not all raps have to be personalized, but when someone sings or raps a song that is personal to them, often times it is easier to put more into the lyrics, which will help your audience latch onto the rap. Eminem's song "When I'm Gone" is moving because he raps about his relationship with his daughter.
Be creative in your music. Just because the majority of rappers rap on certain topics, doesn't mean you have to. Some of the best, most entertaining raps are based on things that you would never think a rap song would be about. These types of raps can be interesting and can really attract a niche audience. So, rap on whatever topic you want, but don't feel like you have to fit into a box. Weird Al may not be your typical rapper, but he uses other songs and creates a parody in his own music. He took the rap "Ridin" by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone and made it into his own rap "White and Nerdy," which is well known for its creativity and humor.
Tweaking the Music
Practice the chorus with the rest of the lyrics. This is the best way to determine if your chorus and lyrics flow well together. Read your rap out loud or practice rapping it and pay attention to the content of the chorus and lyrics as well as the flow and structure of your rap.
Rap to a beat. You may have practiced portions of your rap to the beat you have chosen, but you should perform the entire rap to the beat to listen to the connection of the lyrics to the music. You can also practice putting intonation in your voice to emphasize certain lyrics or the hook.
Tweak your music. After you have practiced your rap, you may find that it is just as you want it, but it's possible that it needs some tweaking to improve the flow, continuity, or cooperation of the lyrics to the beat. Edit your lyrics or beat as necessary so that you achieve your best rap.
Perform your rap. Music is created for others to hear, so why not try performing your rap in front of a small audience or a friend? You can then ask for suggestions or constructive criticism.
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