Flow. Cadence. Syncopation.
There are many phrases used to describe a rapper’s ability to effortlessly slide across the beat with a freedom of rhythm…
But no matter which description you choose, they all come down to the rap flow methods and tactics we’ll be discussing here today.
In today’s article, we’ll be telling you 12 secrets about rap flow that nobody is telling you.
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Flow Freedom: Master The Art of Rap Flow, Step-By-Step (RAP FLOW COURSE): freestylefortnight.com
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Freestyle Fortnight: Master The Art of Freestyle Rap In 2 Weeks or Less (FREESTYLE COURSE): freestylefortnight.com
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The Top 20 Songwriting Secrets of Professional Rappers (FREE SONGWRITING COURSE): freestylefortnight.com/top20s...
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
0:47 #12 The REAL Definition of Rap Flow
1:32 #11 Rap Flow + Rap Beat = What Makes Hip-Hop Addicting
2:17 #10 Playing A Musical Instrument Helps
3:16 #9 You DON’T Have To Be “Born With It”
4:01 #8 Learning Simpler Flows Then Building Up Is Best
5:13 #7 Write To The Beat Or Your Flow Will Sound Wack
6:07 #6 Going Off Beat Too Much Is Like Double Dribbling
6:56 #5 The More You Write The Easier It Will Be To Hear When You’re Off Beat
7:39 #4 Flow Is Often Simpler Right Before The Chorus
8:15 #3 Prewrite Your Breaths Into The Flow
8:47 #2 Rap Flow Morphs and Changes Over Time
9:33 #1 Don’t Just Stick To “One Flow”
10:13 Comment and Pick Up Your Courses
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You might see the occasional video that tells you that rappers “switch the flow and don’t stay on one flow too long to keep it interesting”…
But you haven’t heard an in-depth, full-length analysis of the hidden art of rap flow in such a real manner until this article.
Okay, so let’s not waste any more of your time with this intro. Let’s go in countdown order right here, right now with 12 rap flow secrets nobody tells you about.
The first place to start is obviously giving you a rock-solid, iron-clad definition of what rap flow REALLY means.
After running KZfaq’s most subscribed channel on How To Rap for almost a decade and coaching literally thousands of rappers from around the world, we’ve found that the BEST definition for rap flow is this:
Drum Patterns In Word Form.
That’s it. That’s the big mystery. Rap flow is drum patterns in word form.
In other words, much like on any given beat you have guitar patterns, string sections, horns, and what have you…
…You have an additional section of VOCAL INSTRUMENTS in WORD FORM, so to speak, represented by the drum-like pattern of your words.
Now that you understand that rap flow is simply additional drum patterns in word form meant to be overland with the rhythm of the instruments and specifically the beat…
…You now understand what makes rap as an art form often more ADDICTING than many other genres.
The interaction between the active rhythm of instruments along with the active rhythm of your flow (vocals in drum form), your voice, and so on.
Therefore, the more you can think of your rap flow as an additional INSTRUMENT that can play different “notes”, so to speak, through the creatively unpredictable choices you make a writer, the more likely you are to make exciting decisions on what to DO with your flow as a rap artist.