Every hip-hop song is made up of “beat and “vocals”. The background music is called “beat”, the singing is called “vocals”. Vocals are the focus of this item. However, since you can’t create hip-hop without beat (obviously…), you’ll need to produce one first. Here’s a list of excellent sites with tips on beat-making: How to make beats, Beat maker download, Beat maker software

So let’s begin.

My first tip may sound obvious, but it’s an important one: know the words. REALLY know them. If you will read from a page, the audience will notice. You must know the words by heart. Rehearsal will increase your confidence. Your confidence will come out in the recording, and that’s exactly what you want.

And another thing. You don’t only rap, you also act. Let your audience feel the words you rap. |You have to swagger with pride, plead piteously, protest angrily. And this, too, is all about confidence, so you’ll have to practice it thoroughly.

Once you’ve styled a good performance, you can plug your mic into your computer. Have an audio recording software at hand, and a pair of headphones, to play your beat while rapping. The recording will be done in a quiet room, free of echo and background noise. To prevent echo, hang some blankets on the walls.

When you rap, keep your mouth 3-6 inches from the mic.

Before actually recording, perform a sound check to adjust the microphone’s input gain. It’s a lot more than a simple “1,2,3 check”. Sorry, but you’ll have to perform the whole song, over and over again, each time adjusting the mic’s input to make sure that you never hit the “red zone” on the meter. You must stay in the middle at all times. Yes, the software does have a tool — called “compression”– for this specific task, and it is definitely a good starting point. But doing it manually makes a world of difference. Sounding like a pro has its price.

At long last, you can actually start recording. You’ll need to record until you’ve got at least one flawless take. Main vocals are recorded separately from adlibs and effects.

Your vocals are ready! Using mixing and mastering tools, combine them with the beat and create your cool hip-hop hit.

Have fun!