[Flocabulary] The Rapper's Handbook - Preface

A rapper is a poet with a beat. To rap is to spit, and a rapper spits syncopated words that tell stories, show off, and teach. A rapper is also an emcee, and an emcee moves the crowd. Whether he’s rocking a basement party in the Bronx or controlling the mic for thousands of screaming fans at the Superdome, he uses his infectious rhymes to connect with his audience. A rapper is also a lyricist, and a lyricist plays with words. A lyricist crafts complex rhymes full of metaphor, alliteration, in-rhyme, assonance and enough wordplay to make a crossword puzzle dizzy.
He flows with stylish ease, dropping knowledge on the beat, behind the beat, or in the pocket, right where he wants to. A rapper is all of these things. Hip-hop music has come a long way in the past 30 years. From back rooms and block parties in South Bronx in the late seventies to the Golden Age in the late eighties through gangsta rap in the nineties to today, where you can hear emcees rapping all over the world in dozens of languages. In Poland and Italy, in China and Korea, in India and Ghana, in Peru and Columbia, a whole generation has adopted hip-hop as their own. They’re not just listening; they’re writing rhymes too. It makes sense. Rap music is the most democratic music in the world, open to anyone with vocal chords.
You don’t need a piano or a drum set, or money for guitar lessons. All you need is your voice and a desire to spit. A pad and pen, maybe, but those are optional. There is no cookie-cutter for rappers, and this book is for everyone out there with a desire to freestyle, write rhymes, or battle. Freestyling and writing rhymes are not only truly thrilling and fun, but they’ll also open your mind up in ways you probably never have before. Freestyling and battling involve a quickness of thought that rivals any thinking exercise. Writing involves analytic thinking and creativity. Whether you ever release an album or not, those are skills that you’ll use for the rest of your life.
This book is the first comprehensive handbook for rappers. It covers all of the major aspects of rapping, divided into sections. You don’t need to read this book straight through. Feel free to skip around, though some of the sections may reference earlier chapters.
There is a lot of information here. Don’t try to swallow it all at once. Elevating your rhymes takes time and effort. It may be worth it to tackle one section at a time, before moving on. Of course, it’s up to you.
This book quotes from various artists including Eminem, Jay-Z, Rakim, Bun B, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Chamillionaire, Papoose, Tupac, Mos Def, Tonedeff, Kanye West, Immortal Technique, Dizzee Rascal, Lauryn Hill, Substantial, Session, Wordsworth, Punchline, Canibus, Sage Francis, Cormega, Consequence, Outkast, Black Thought, Ludacris, Raekwon, the Coup, Masta Ace, and from various netcees from the Flocab Rhyme Boards and EmceeBattleForum. com. We apologize if you’re favorite rapper didn’t make this list. Obviously, there is no possible way to include every skilled emcee out there.
One of the best ways to improve as an emcee is by listening to great hip-hop and analyzing what the rappers are doing. All of the lyrics mentioned in this book are from songs that are worth buying. You can find a full list of albums and links to buy them on Flocabulary.com/artists.
Use this book to learn more about the various techniques that rappers use to craft amazing lines. But as with everything, don’t just copy what’s inside. When you spit, be sure to tap into your inner creativity and bring something real and personal. Those are the best rhymes: the ones that are not only technically interesting but also come from a deeper, realer place. Whether you know it or not, we’re all capable of writing rhymes like that.
Enjoy the book and always spit fire.
- Emcee Escher and Alex Rappaport