Want to Learn to Rap - Follow These 6 Simple Steps

As a hip-hop producer I am around a lot of rappers. I am constantly working with artist that eat, sleep and breathe rap. This is one of the main reasons that I feel qualified to help those that are wanting to learn how to rap and do it well. You should definitely know that learning how to rap can be done but it will take some work especially if you are a complete newbie, but there's no need to worry it is very doable. In this article I will give you some easy to follow steps that can be used to get you rapping in a fairly short period of time.

There is a lot of information that is out there when it comes to learning how to rap, but if you start by focusing on the steps listed below you should be just fine. So here are six steps that you can use starting today.

Take Learning How To Rap Serious - One of the biggest reasons that I find that people fail at learning how to rap is because they do not take it serious. If you are not serious you will definitely not succeed with rapping or with anything for that matter. You must approach this with some sort of passion or you will get no where in a hurry. You should be willing to dedicate some time to learning and perfecting this craft. Once you have that you will be ready to learn to rap.

Listen To All Kinds Of Rappers - I say this because your average rap fan only listens to those rappers that they like, but when it comes to learning how to rap listening to all types of rappers will make it easier for you to learn. Why you ask? Well, listening to a variety of artist will allow you to evaluate and implement  some of their qualities that will help you to become the ultimate rhyme spitter and performer.

Read A Ton - This is definitely one of the most effective but underrated pieces of advice that I can give on this subject. Reading is a great way to open up your mind and keep the creative juices flowing. I know you may already have some favorite magazine that you may read on a regular basis but when I say read a lot I mean read a lot of different things. I'm talking everything from newspapers to long novels. Read it all. Trust me it helps a lot.

Start Writing Short Rhymes - At this point you are serious about wanting to learn to rap, you have studied other rappers and you have been reading a lot. Now it's time to start writing some rhymes. I didn't say songs I said rhymes. Start writing 8-10 line rhymes about anything. Do not try to rap them yet just write them down. After you have a couple written start to memorize them. Just get these rhymes in your head.

Rap Over A Instrumental - Get you a instrumental from somewhere. You can find tons of them all over the web. Once you have some pick one that you like and spit one of your  short written raps that you should have in your head. Now put a couple of your written raps together and really try to stay on beat with the instrumental. Now just repeat this step with the ones above and do it again and again. You will notice that your rhymes will come easier and your creativity will be greatly expanded.

Practice, Practice, Practice - Yes, there is more to learning how to rap then what is listed here but the steps that are listed in this articles are applied you will definitely be getting off on the right foot. Just make some time everyday to work on your rapping. You know what they say, "practice makes perfect".



If You Are Serious About Learning How To Rap Like The Pros Do Go To http://RapLikeAPro.com

Michael A Foster Is A Hip Hop Producer From Ohio. If You Would Like To Learn How To Make Beats, Learn To Rap Or Make Money By Making Beats Go To http://MakeProBeats.net




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8 Mile Rap - Are These Raps For Real

8 Mile rap battles are as entertaining as they are unrealistic. The film follows B. Rabbit -which seems to be a lightly altered version of Eminem's bio- and his rise through rap fame in his hometurf in Detroit, affectionately known as "8 Mile." 

In his first rap battle against Papa Doc, B. Rabbit chokes. OK, he's new, he's nervous, fine. But still, I've seen terrible rappers without an iota of skill spit freestyles no matter how nervous they were.

In his first battle outside the lunch truck, Eminem- er, Rabbit- comes with it against fellow worker. By far his best line of the rap: "You've worked at this plant so long... you're a plant/ Look at his boots... they're starting to grow roots!" Genius. It's this type of delivery that's gonna take this guy far in the 8 Mile rap battle circuit.

The next battle is at the local 8 Mile battle championships, where B.Rabbit has to battle his way through two other rappers before getting a shot at Papa Doc. Unfortunately, we don't really get a chance to see the other battles going on -which were filmed in an afternoon as extra footage. Basically, we're supposed to realize these guys mean business.

The first victim is named Lickety Split, seriously. Rabbit makes quick work of him with lines like "He sounds like Erik Sermon... the generic version" and concluding with the same finishing line used against him "I' m gonna walk my happy a** back across 8 Mile."

The second- and best- battle is with Lotto, who comes with the line "I feel bad I gotta murder that dude from Leave it To Beaver." Rabbit comes responds back with "Ward, I think you were a little hard on the Beaver/ So was Eddie Haskell, Ward and Ms. Cleaver..." and the single best line of the movie "Is that a tank top or a new bra? Look, Snoop Dogg just got a boob job!"

While both these 8 Mile rap battles were somewhat believable- most freestyle battles tend to involve the crowd more- the final battle against Papa Doc is ridiculous. B. Rabbit drops some ill verses that review all the points that can be used against him: namely, that he's broke, white and lives with his mom, and apparently Papa Doc is left speechless while the crowd cheers up Rabbit.

Huh? In the countless rap battles I've been to, no one has ever walked away from a championship round like that. Sure, you get a rookie who's drops it in the first round (like Rabbit) but not an experienced freestyler. No way. And the fact the crowd wouldn't let Papa Doc get on? Again, this would never happen. These people came to be entertained, and what better way to be entertained than watching the two 8 Mile rap champs duke it out?



Wanna rap like B. Rabbit? Get Your Free 15 page freestyle rap guide and start improving your raps today! "Yes! Teach me how to rap!"




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How to Write Rap Music - Learn to Write Rap Songs

If you want to know how to write rap music, then read this now. You will learn to write rap songs.

Tip #1: Have a Rap Journal

You want to have your own rap journal. This is the place where you write all your rap lyrics. If you want to be really good at writing rap songs, then get serious and get yourself a rap journal. A rap journal will help you put all your songs in one place.

A rap journal is also a notebook to write down your personal goals of becoming a better hip hop artist. Studies have shown that people who write their own goals down tend to achieve their aspirations more often than those who don't take the time to write down their goals.

Tip #2: Write every day

If you want to learn to write rap songs, then writing songs every day is a fundament key to your success. Writing lyrics in one place on a regular basis will make you have a very good habit. So go get yourself a rap journal and start writing lyrics every single day. Don't care if you make a mistake. The important thing is to write on a consistent basis on your rap journal.

Studies have shown that if you do something for 21 consecutive days, then it becomes a natural habit. That means after writing rap songs for 21 days in a row, it will be more natural for you to write rap lyrics than not to do it.

Tip #3: Study other people's lyrics

If you want to get more creative and want to know how to write rap lyrics, then you have to study other people's lyrics once in awhile. So pick your favorite hip hop artists and actually take some time to study their song lyrics. This will help you understand the formula for writing rap songs in the right way.

By learning from others, you will be able to incorporate their strengths into your own style. Obviously, you can't copy someone else completely but you can definitely learn something from many different emcees. Just put together those lessons into your own rap song writing to create a unique and powerful style.

Tip #4: Have a 4 step structure to your song

In every rap song, there is generally a 4 step structure. That 4 step structure is an intro, verse, hook, and outro. That is the basic outline of writing a hip hop song. Follow that 4 step structure to make your song structured and flow in the right way.

Tip #5: Add your own personality to your song

In addition to having a structure to your song, you want to add your own spice and personality to stand out in your rap songs. So add your own personality to make your rap song stand out from other people. You can do this by writing a rap song about your own personal life experience that most people didn't go through.

Don't be shy about writing about your own life. The more you write about yourself in an honest and authentic way, the more people will connect with you and end up loving your songs. So do that starting today.



If you want to discover how to write rap music, then learn to write rap at http://www.LyricsMethod.com.




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How to Freestyle Rap Better

So you want to know how to freestyle rap better? After a decade as a freestyle rap MC, I wanted to share with you how to freestyle rap like a pro:

Exercise is super important. I know what you're thinking: "How on earth will exercise help my freestyles! Look at all those fat guys who rap: Biggie, Fat Joe and Big Pun! They didn't exercise!"

True. However, exercise strengthens your lungs which helps you during a freestyle rap. Think about all the rappers who sound great on an album, but can't seem to spit their verses live without gasping for breath. Freestyling is hard enough as is without adding concerns over breath control. Outkast used to run around their neighborhood while rapping to keep themselves strong. I'll kick a freestyle when riding my bike. Keep yourself fit and watch your freestyles improve.

During your freestyle rap, look up. Sure, it sounds weird, but by looking up you registering the creative part of your brain (this is why liars often look up when telling a fib). I've used this technique with a group of students and their freestyle raps improved immediately. Give it a shot, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Build rhyme schemes. Basically, the more words you know, the better. Consult a dictionary and grab five words that you like. Then open a rhyming dictionary and write down five rhymes for each of those five words (for a total of thirty). Commit all thirty words to memory, which you can use during your next freestyle. This is how to freestyle rap better every day: increase your vocabulary, increase your rhymes, increase your comfort level.

Freestyle about objects. This happens to the best of rappers: you're freestyling away, then ... nothing. Your mind goes blank. If you need a second or two, look at an object and start rapping about it. Even if the line doesn't go anywhere, you're buying a few precious moments to shift your focus.

Pass the freestyle off. Rather than hog the mic in a cipher, focus on getting a couple good lines out there and pass it to someone else. A common practice is each MC gets 8 bars before they pass it to the next guy. Pass often and you're less likely to ramble on and on and on...

So there you have it. A simple method that shows how to freestyle rap better than most. Practice these strategies and watch your freestyle improve in no time.  



Get Your Very Own Free 15 page freestyle rap guide and start improving your raps today! "Yes! Teach Me How to Rap!




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Rap Music - The New Frontier HipHopology 101

ROLL CALL

During the early to mid '70s, visionaries like Kool DJ Herc introduced new ideas to the way music was played. Like some other music-loving 'bredren and sistren' along with myself, Kool DJ Herc was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Following the footsteps of Jamaicans that came before him, he relocated to the Bronx, NYC and took root. With a sound system like no other, there was always a party when Herc spun records. Folks from all city boroughs showed up, and brought their friends. Most of them had never experienced anything like Herc's thunder in the clubs or at 'block parties,' where he was a hometown favorite. There'll be more on these unique, social gatherings a little later. Kool DJ Herc was one of those cats that was thinking outside the box for a long time, and inspired other DJs to follow suit. Everywhere Herc touched down, he left a distinctive mark imprinted in the minds, bodies, and souls of music lovers in and around the vicinity.

Afrika Bambaataa was homegrown in the Bronx. He is best-known for taking the radical, independent factions of the Hip-Hop lifestyle and organizing it all into an urban music society...and for being the first rapper, ever. In 1984, he worked on the song "Unity" with the recently departed Godfather of Soul, James Brown. (We're gonna miss ya, 'Soul Brother #1.') By mixing block parties with DJs and break-dancers, he synergized all the varying entities of Hip-Hop through his Zulu Nation. The Zulus educated inner-city youth about their history and empowered them to be productive citizens. His ears were open to all types of music as he became a catalyst for blending rhythmic styles from Africa with Funk, Go-Go, Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Salsa and Soca for the first time in music history.

Bambaataa's affiliations included the Rock Steady Crew and Double Dutch Girls. There was also a spray-painting graffiti artist who parlayed his love for 'visual art' into being the host of a popular show that engaged the minds of America's Black and White youth. It ended up changing Rap music history all over the world. Now with a 'retired' can of spray paint, Yo MTV Raps' Fab 5 Freddy was also a key player in the classic film, "New Jack City." There'll be more on that captured moment in time a little later, after we finish up with Afrika Bambaataa (& friends), and dig further into the chapter: there's some real meat in thar! That's what's up.

Afrika Bambaataa became a major music producer in his own right. He spent a lot of time logged in at Tommy Boy Records between 1982 and 2005. While there, he produced a huge hit for the New York club and radio scene, 1982's "Funky Sensation." To me, that song defined a new era of music for both myself and the City of New York. "Funky Sensation" helped to establish a path that many dance music producers followed, well into the new millennium. Another historical Rap label that Bambaataa put some time in with was Profile Records.

Profile was the home of a trio that made music history: Run-DMC and the late Jam Master Jay. Their chronicles defined the next wave of Hip-Hop and fashion by way of brimmed Fedoras, leather pants, blues jeans, and unlaced, Adidas sneakers. During the winter, they sported snorkels with fur around the hood. In New York winters of the 70s, we sported hats like Kangols (still popular) and 'Robin Hoods'(with side feathers) on the dome. Some folks liked toboggins and ski caps for their 'masking' feature. Brooklyn later picked up a pseudonym--Crooklyn. Our 70s fashion also consisted of colorful silk shirts (Versace predecessors), polyester pants with stitched pleats running down the sides called Swedish Knits, and bell-bottom blue jeans with zippers at the foot.

Squares (L-7's) wore no name 'rejects,' but our popular footwear included Converse All-Stars, red, black and green Pro Keds, Pumas (my favorite were rust-colored), PONY's, and shell-toe Adidas. We had interesting acronyms for the latter two brands. "I could tell you, but..." you know the story. Looking back now, I notice that Adidas kept the same body style longer than the Ford Explorer did! My New York winter-wear included snorkels, sheepskins, leathers, 'Maxie' and 'Cortefiel' coats with soft fur on the collar; they were the rage. People got stuck up (ganked) for them, too. I once witnessed someone grab a friend's hat right off his head - as the train doors closed (this guy was quick!)

Some of my 'classic' garments are still intact: a black Robin Hood hat with a now-wilted side feather, a colorful, winged (big collar) polyester shirt with a Disco theme on the front, my sky-blue high school graduation three-piece suit, 'Mack' full-length Maxie coat (it looked good; mom made it), and black Cortefiel coat are all stashed somewhere around Area 51. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with them, but my coats still have fur around the collar. Does "E.T.W." (Extra Terrestrial Wear) sound catchy to you? Let's check in with 'Rush' (Phat Farms), 'P-D' (Sean John), 'J to the Z' and 'Double D' (RocaWear), 'Fiddy' (G-Unit), and WTC (Wu Wear) for the final answer.

I'm being told to nix the trip down memory lane and stick to the script, so it's back to the original 'bad boys' of 80s Rap. Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay opened up Pandora's box with their classic hit "Rock Box." I got a premonition of what was around the corner for Rock and Rap early on: sampled 'guitar crunches' fused with 'dem phat Hip-Hop beats, boyee!' Then the crystal ball revealed something else to me - up jumped Def Jam Recordings, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys, all using overdriven guitar sounds riding along with the big, deep 808 beat that caused car trunks (and the inside of your body) to vibrate.

Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay un-laced their Adidas and went on to re-make Rock group Aerosmith's classic "Walk This Way," then invited the original rockers to get in on it. Along the way, Run-DMC sold a 'few million' records. In the background was one Russell Simmons, pushing buttons on his remote control. Then he got a cellphone. But before groups like Run-DMC made it to the game, there was one of the first major league rappers--Afrika Bambaataa. Oh yeah; along with his group The Soulsonic Force, Bambaataa fired off a ground-breaking shot remembered as being 'most strategically launched' from the annals of New York's urban jungle.

When the classic "Planet Rock" hit Billboard's charts (it hit the year 1982 in a BIG way too), the song considerably changed music history. It used a similar robotic, vocoder-like sound as the one found in Kraftwerk's smash "Trans-Europe Express." "Planet Rock" was a smorgasbord of cool electronic sounds and Hip-Hop beats. Meshed together with samples from other records, it captured the attention of music lovers caught dancing to the non-stop, funky sensation of this incredible new beat. Afrika Bambaataa's Electro-Funk style went on to influence the sound of music styles like Dance, Electronic, House, and Techno. If a sound system exists anywhere in the galaxy, I predict that "Planet Rock" will rock it. In the meantime, you can listen out for this classic hit on Internet radio, satellite radio, broadcast radio, clubs and dance parties everywhere. 'Nuff said--next!

Creative minds of legendary pioneers such as Russell "Rush" Simmons, Eddie Cheeba, Spoonie G, Lovebug Starski, The Juice Crew, Marley Marl, MC Shan and D.J. Hollywood are also among those credited as being key leaders in the surge that brought Rap music and Hip-Hop culture to mainstream society. Many people may think the Sugar Hill Gang was one of a few initiating forces in Rap, but there were actually many other hot acts out there grinding to earn their dues

--like those affiliated with Rush Productions. Rush was building a name for itself as a music promotion company to be noticed. I'll expound upon the meteoric rise of the dynamic institution which followed this event shortly thereafter.

With affiliations everywhere and credits that include the timely debut of Hip-Hop players like Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Scott La Rock, DJ Red Alert, and countless other faces hidden in the trenches, Rush was on a mission to conquer the world. The first-generation of Rap and Hip-Hop spawned a godfather, Russell Simmons, in addition to all these other creative talents. Collectively and in unison, they helped to centralize the cultural origins and sound of this music for an evolving world. The second-generation leaders of this new movement would include Russell's little brother Joseph, who along with Darryl McDaniels and the late Jason Mizell, made up Run-DMC: the first artists of their kind to go platinum by selling a million Rap records on Profile Records. This was just the beginning; Def Jam Recordings was on the way.

Now let's connect the dots with Sugar Hill: Back in 1957, a group called Mickey & Sylvia recorded a Bo Diddley song, "Love Is Strange." Guitarist Mickey Baker and a vocalist named Sylvia Vanderpool established themselves in the music market as a potential hit-making duo. In 1964, Sylvia married a man named Joe Robinson. Their union led to the formation of a legacy that wouldn't play itself fully out until the Rap craze hit. In 1973, Sylvia rolled the dice and released a huge hit, "Pillow Talk." This song established a format that would be followed straight into the Disco heydays. Originally written for Al Green, his pass became Sylvia's score when it tallied up a #1 R&B and #3 Pop hit. "Pillow Talk" was a sexy song that featured lots of heavy breathing, whispers, sighs and moans. It's reminiscent of Donna Summer's classic hit, "Love to Love You Baby."

Sylvia Robinson synergized her abilities as a singer, musician, producer, and record executive to take her whole game to another level. As a key player at All Platinum Records, she had a hand in Shirley & Company's 1975 hit "Shame Shame Shame." This became a top dance song, and hit #12 on the Pop charts. By 1979, Englewood, New Jersey's Sugar Hill Gang busted a big move by releasing a classic, "Rapper's Delight." In the background were Sylvia, Joe, and their Sugar Hill Record label. Passing their genes on to son Joey, Sugar Hill's West Street Mob went on to release hits like "Ooh Baby" and "Sing A Simple Song/Another Muther For Ya." Other aces in the deck included groups called The Sequence and The Funky 4+1. They scored a few hits with "Funk You Up," "Simon Says," and "That's the Joint," which used a nice sample from my girl Cheryl Lynn's song "Got To Be Real." We'll be taking her song apart and putting it back together again in another chapter of this book series, "What Is A Song."

Using finance money from Roulette Records chief Morris Levy (you can find out more about this guy in the book "Hit Men"--a highly-recommended favorite of mine. "I could tell you more, but..." You know the drill. As Sugar Hill grew, so did its artist roster, with the addition of Grandmaster Flash and his collective unit, The Furious Five. Although the Sugar Hill owners paid up a big balance and purchased the remaining interest in their company by the early 80's, things began to sour for them: a deal with MCA Records died and a fire toasted their legendary studio. The label eventually shut it doors by 1986.

Almost 10 years later, retail-friendly Rhino Records picked up the Sugar Hill catalog and resuscitated the masters in the same way that they've done with many other lost or obscure masters. Through creative re-packaging, Rhino went on to revitalize the music (and some careers) of artists that were probably still waiting on royalties from the previous owners of their master recordings. The Sugar Hill Gang, West Street Mob and Sequence all have been released on various Sugar Hill compilations. An interesting occurrence after the Sugar Hill assault was the massive availability of the sequencer, drum machine, synthesizer, sampler and MIDI around the early 80s.

'Creatives' and 'infamists' among the likes of Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, The Bomb Squad and producer Marley Marl locked themselves up in 'Big Apple laboratories' coming up with the next lethal mix of sound. When released, Def Jam and the 'Sound of Marl' quickly put music listeners into a 'yoke' as concoctions they whipped up became highly potent chemicals on the proverbial 'periodic music table of elements' upon hitting the airwaves; through radio station, mobile and club DJs. I cannot over-emphasize it enough: 'BIG UPS' to these guys! After the creative synergy of vocalists, musicians and producers, DJs are credited as being one of the most direct pipelines to exciting new music. You should take note that "DJ" makes up the initials of Def Jam. Now let's keep the record playing; teacher's not through with today's lesson yet...

Independent labels like Profile, Sugar Hill, Priority, 4th. & Broadway and Tommy Boy scooped up young, talented Hip-Hop artists. Major labels like Columbia, Epic, MCA, Mercury and Warner Brothers got an early jump on the game as they formed alliances with Rap labels and artists. Moves like these were executed through street-savvy labels like Def Jam. It grew into the premier, multi-faceted music conglomerate of the century. Started in a college dorm room, Def Jam is now managed from a corporate boardroom, and worth hundreds of millions.

Founder Russell Simmons parted from his share of the company in 1999, after the Universal Music Group made him a $100 million offer that he couldn't refuse. We're not talking pesos here, folks! Let's breeze through a few landmark events regarding Def Jam Recordings: In 1983, the company was founded by Russell, who was called "Rush" when he was business partners with one Rick Rubin. Before this form of osmosis occurred, Simmons 'did the business' behind pioneers like Kurtis Blow, the first Rap artist with a major record deal. He signed on with Mercury Records; it was a part of the PolyGram distribution machine. The label went on to forge a long-lasting relationship with Kurtis Blow, Russell 'Rush' Simmons, and his growing company.

In spring of 1984, I began a two season internship with Def Jam's distributor. By fall quarter, I was a college rep. During Def Jam's first decade, I marketed and promoted every record released through the pipeline. This included music by the distributor's affiliated Epic label. Epic was born to CBS Records (a division of CBS, Inc.) during the early 50s. It was a cute little Classical/Jazz label and grew to be a strong, healthy major label with many active body parts (Rock, R&B, Country). Epic picked up other siblings. One of them was T-Neck Records. An influential Soul/R&B/Funk collective of the 50s, 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond the new millennium terrain, The Isley Brothers ran a music empire tucked inside this fully-functional sibling unit's clothes. And bank account--let's call it a budget.

Another sibling was Portrait Records. By the 80's, Portrait had sold millions of records by major stars like Cyndi Lauper, Sade and Stanley Clarke. Since Epic was the oldest kid, it acquired a firm place in history as the foundation that supported the throne of none other than the King of Pop music, Michael Jackson. As a matter of fact, the former lead singer of Motown's Jackson Five actively participated (along with wildly colorful CBS Records group president Walter Yetnikoff) in the disbursement of CBS' unwanted offspring (CBS Records, Inc.) to the Sony Corporation in 1988. By 2004, Sony Music Entertainment had consolidated its monster Columbia and Epic labels, then merged with another major record label: BMG. On the Internet, iTunes was selling millions of digital downloads. But that's a story for later. Stay tuned.

Def Jam product began flowing through shortly after I jumped in the big game to see if I could swim. I witnessed the music of many groundbreaking artists 'rushed' through the system. Notable executives like Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles entered the fold, as promoters like Wes Johnson and Johnnie Walker locked down efforts to turn the airwaves into 'Def Jam radio.' Def Jam became one of the hottest commodities in distribution by the other major label within a major label.

This record company made its mark by using a red trademark on the product it manufactured. Columbia Records was the big brother of Def Jam: the hottest Rap label in the Hip-Hop market. Def Jam had million-selling acts like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, and later arrivals like DMX, then Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records. Columbia, also known as "Big Red," was owned by music giant CBS Records. By 1991, CBS Records was purchased by the Sony Corporation for some $2 billion that I'll say came out of the 'petty cash fund' (they had OLD money, and plenty of it). CBS Records later became Sony Music Entertainment. If you haven't guessed already (where've you been?), here's a prediction: you'll read about more adventures with 'the firm' as we move along.

Between all of this 'promoting' (as a college rep), I managed getting an introduction to Russell Simmons at a Jack The Rapper convention in Atlanta by Columbia's national director of Black music promotion, Miss Mike Bernardo, who is such a sweet lady. At this time, she was next in line to the vice-president of Columbia's national promotion department: Vernon Slaughter and Mike Bernardo were responsible for the overall performance of Columbia's Black radio and club promotion department. Vernon later became one of Atlanta's top power brokers. He was LaFace Record's first general manager, personally signing artists like Toni Braxton to the label. He later became a key player at a law firm headed up by powerhouse entertainment lawyer Joel Katz, and was the legal muscle behind many artist deals, movie soundtracks and no telling what else!

As vice-president and national director respectively, Vernon and Mike implemented the national strategies set forth by Columbia. The staff consisted of dozens of regional promotion people strategically placed in key American cities. Throughout my career at the label Vernon, Mike, and the promotion people I knew showed me plenty of love, and were first-class players in the game, too. Not long after Def Jam's arrival, I became an account service rep, then a Black music marketing rep for Sony's southeast regional branch in Atlanta. I doubt if there was any connection. Anyway, Def Jam left Sony for PolyGram in 1994 (also the year that I parted company with Sony and launched a recording studio); that same year, PolyGram purchased 50% of Sony's holdings in Def Jam.

By 1996, PolyGram bought another 10%, and in 1998 the Universal Music Group (UMG) acquired PolyGram Group Distribution (PGD) to become the world's biggest record label. After a series of major operational changes, longtime staffers Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles severed ties with Def Jam, which by now had grown to include other hot labels like Atlanta-based Def Jam South (headed up by The Geto Boys' Mr. Scarface), Disturbing Tha Peace (Ludacris), Def Soul, Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella. Though DMX's product was released through Def Jam, his Ruff Ryders crew got a label deal with Interscope. In the post Cohen/Liles era, former LaFace/Arista big-wig L.A. Reid re-appeared at the helm of the big ship. Then, multi-platinum rapper Jay-Z became the new chief of Def Jam (now part of Island Def Jam Music Group), proving that he too, could do what Rap music guru Russell Simmons' legendary rapper Kurtis Blow said he wanted to do: 'Rule The World.'

The future of Def Jam included plans for more affiliations with labels like Atlanta's Slip-N-Slide Records (Ying Yang Twins). Atlanta was now a city on the move, and Simmons made it a frequent stop on his international itinerary. From Rush Productions and Kurtis Blow to Def Jam, OBR and Rush Associated Labels, to Rush Communications and Phat Farms, the Visa 'Rush Card,' a beautiful model-wife and kids, to astronomic amounts of future cash flow, Russell Simmons demonstrated his ability to serve as the Rap game's foremost guiding hand...and 'head of the household,' too. He was the proverbial captain of a ship, navigating through those often-bumpy waters of the constantly shifting Rap/Hip-Hop industry. Def Jam Recordings became an extraordinary multimedia company because of a determined visionary's ability to reach out and touch people-- through the power of Rap music and the Hip-Hop culture. Simply put, none of these entities could be spoken of without mention of the great and powerful, "Mr. Rush."



A valedictorian and contributing author to Bernard Percy's books during elementary school, L.A. finished high school in Brooklyn, then went to L.A.City College. He graduated in 1987 from Georgia State University in Atlanta. An internship led to 10 years with CBS Records/Sony Music, where L.A. worked with almost every act, implemented sales/marketing campaigns, received numerous gold/platinum albums, awards, and traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to events.

As a recording studio owner, AV technician and manager for a global audiovisual company (TAVS), L.A. owns MKM Multimedia Works. In 2001 he executive-produced the Million Mom March’s Atlanta Artists Against Gun Violence compilation CD, featuring top Atlanta acts. In 2002, L.A. secured a commercial with The GAP for Arrested Development’s Baba Oje. L.A. now initiates his ‘6 books in 5 years’ plan.

With a vision of where he's going, L.A. works towards a goal. A quote that L.A. picked up from mentor/author/educator BernardPercy.com is: "Everything turns out right in the end - if it isn't right, it isn't the end."




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Basics of Learning How To Make A Rap Song To Remember

When you teach yourself how to make a rap song succeed, one thing you have to bear in mind is that rapping probably originated with the cultural tradition of sharing history verbally, as some Africans still do around the campfires of their villages. Urban youth who struggle against poverty and poor school programs share many of the same problems as the inhabitants of third world countries who never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. In both situations, the creation of life stories through spoken word becomes a powerful and necessary form of expression and of preserving knowledge. By chanting poetry to catching rhythms, the words are preserved and immortalized.

Same as with regular singing, the art of rap utilizes the human voice as a musical instrument, but while ordinary singing uses the melody, rap lyrics emulate some form of percussion. Rhymes are used in innovative and surprising ways to suggest the internal rhythms of words and lines. Homonyms are used to simulate off-beats, and to create memorable hooks. Sometimes a rhyme or a certain vowel sound would occur several times within the same line in quick succession. Forget about the traditional rules of meter you learnt from your English teacher when studying poetry.

In order to illustrate these principles at work, familiarize yourself with different genres of rap like for instance the West Coast style made popular by Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and Cypress Hill; East Coast rap, such as it is used by the likes of Jay-Z, Nas and P. Diddy and then throw in some Old School Classic such as Sugar Hill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' to see where it all began.

If you do not know the vocabulary of rap artists, listening to rap can be compared to learning a new language. You would not want to get into trouble by accusing someone wrongly of 'glazing' you or call someone your 'face gator' if you really want to beat them up. To check out some of rap's unique lingo, go to the online rap dictionary at http://www.rapdict.org/Main_Page. This is an online dictionary where you can browse for rap personalities and some of the more unique rap terms.

Anyone with aspiration of making his mark in the world of rap, could also read the book 'How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC' in which the writer Paul Edwards shares the opinions of more than 100 rap artists, among them, Nelly, Akir, Big Daddy Kane, Bishop Lamont, Kool G Rap, Lady of Rage, Imani from The Pharcyde, Chuck D of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill.

Rap is a medium for sharing your life experiences, whether they are violent or humorous or frustrating. Rap uses words to paint the world occupied by the rapper. When you teach yourself how to make a rap song, you are sharing a piece of your world with your fans and listeners.



To become a rap music studio producer, you need to know how to market yourself and your music. A successful music producer attracts good artists, gets the right contacts and is able to promote his music effectively. That's not easy when you're first setting out. However with the advance of internet, there are things that you can do to reach an audience like never before. Check out these tips on how to market your music.




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Learn to Rap Like a Pro - How to Rap Guide Review

If you are reading this article you probably are looking for a real way that you can learn to rap. Learning how to rap can be done if provided with the right information and resources. There are several "learn to rap" guides floating around on the internet that claim to be able to show anyone who wants to learn how to rap how to do so, and do it well. There is one guide out there titled "Rap Like A Pro" that has been getting a lot of attention as of late This article is a real review of "Rap Like A Pro". Hopefully this review will help you decide weather or not this guide will help you reach your rap goal of finding a legit learn to rap guide.

I decided to review this guide because for it to be so new, it has been getting a lot of attention on the internet. What I mean by this is, I have been seeing this guide all over the place. In search engines, hip-hop forums, blogs even Youtube. After seeing this product for seemingly the 100th time I decided to see what all the hype was about.

First off, let me start by saying that this is a 20 page ebook broken up into 10 sections. Listed below is a breakdown of each section, so here we go:

Section 1 - This is just a little introduction welcoming you to the guide and explaining what you are about to be reading. The intro is short and to the point, but what do you expect from an introduction?

Section 2 - This goes over the basics of rapping. It gives a good understanding of what learning how to rap is all about and what is expected of someone who is wanting to learn the art.

Section 3 - This section is dedicated to defeating writer's block. It goes over 4 simple but very effective techniques that can help you overcome writer's block.

Section 4 - Takes you step by step through the process of writing a rap song. It goes over everything from how to write the rap song to how to format your rap song.

Section 5 - This section gives some easy tips and tricks that can be used when recording a rap song. The information found in this section is meant to help produce quality recordings of your rap songs.

Section 6 - This section teaches how you can take your new rapping skills and turn them into a profit. It shows in detail how easy it could be to start making some money know ing how to write raps.

Section 7 - How to freestyle rap is the topic of this part of the guide. You will learn several techniques that can enable you to freestyle rap with ease. It gives you a good understanding of what freestyle rapping is.

Section 8 - This section goes over a very popular form of rap known as battle rapping. It teaches how one can become a hard to beat battle rapper. It actually gives you a good line that should help you win most of your rap battles.

Section 9 - This is a closing statement from the author. This is nothing more but a thanks for reading goodbye.

Section 10 - These are bonuses that are geared for helping aspiring rappers getting exposure via the internet.

Overall, I did enjoy "Rap Like A Pro". For a learn to rap guide It provided real information that could be easily understood and implemented.



For more information on "Rap Like A Pro" go to http://www.squidoo.com/Learn-To-Rap-Like-A-Pro.




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