RAP

In its purest form, hip-hop is fast, on-the-spot, spoken poetry. But, hip-hop and rap are more than poetry or music-- it's a label for a type of urban culture which includes music, fashion and attitude. Hip-hop's origins stretch far back to African oral tradition. In more recent times, it was the basis for the spoken-word expressionism of activists in the 1960s. In the early 70s, New York-based mc's began "rapping" spoken rhymes about street life to the beat of dj-manipulated drum machines and turntables. Thus "rap" emerged, a subculture was born. The rapping of this era was often edgy and political. The early 90's enjoyed a brief spate of creative, artistic hip hop/rap. Though a significant number of rap acts have positive messages, mainstream rap has become big business and show business. Watch this video to learn more about the way rap and poetry are linked.

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Cool, now that you've seen some rap/poetry performances, it's time for you to learn how to write a rap.

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Hope you're inspired because now it's time for you to write an original rap song. Think of images, descriptive words, and figurative language that best describe your theme. Jot them down in web form or in a list as you think of them. Turn your ideas into a poem. Revise the lines until they look, feel, and sound right to you. Draft, revise, and edit. Now, for the real test, read it ALOUD. Does it really paint a clear picture of your idea? Share your poem with someone else. Listen to his or her critique of your poem. A critique is when someone tells you the strengths and weaknesses of your work. DON'T GET MAD, LISTEN to the suggestions. Revise your work. Remember, the BEST writers are REWRITERS! Give your poem a title. Type and choose a font that adds to the look of your rap lyrics Illustrate your rap lyrics.