30 Day Rap Course

[Dono]

I'm working on putting together a 30 day rap course that will get you from knowing nothing, or a very low level of skill, to at least a decent level and understanding of the craft.

While I'm putting the materials together, I'm looking for 2-3 people tops that would be willing to go through the course so that I can fine tune it.

This is not specific to battle rap, but rap in general. For an idea of what I'll be covering, please see the tentative table of contents listed below. Each day includes content for understanding, examples, and exercises to be completed.

Anyone interested can message me or respond to this thread. Also, please let me know if there's anyone you know that might benefit from this. Cheers.

Section 1

1. Goals for the course
2. Learning from other artists
3. Start Now!
4. Counting Syllables
5. Writing Lines
6. Simple Rhyming/Rhyme Schemes
7. Counting Bars
8. Adopt-a-verse
9. Freestyle - Anything!
10. Overcoming Doubt (Share A Verse)

Section 2

1. Finding concepts
2. Purpose (technical) vs. Poetry (sound)
3. Internal Rhyming
4. Wordplay
5. Imagery
6. Fundamentals of Creating a Song
7. Delivery/Emotion
8. Breath Control
9. Freestyle - Rhyme, No Beat
10. ⅔ Skill check Check

Section 3.

1. Metaphors/Similes
2. Slant Rhyming
3. Multi-syllable Rhyming
4. Punchlines/Battling
5. Freestyle - Given words, no beat
6. Developing Flow
7. Freestyle - Rhyme, Beat
8. Finding beats/Recording
9. Freestyle - Given Words, beat
10. Putting it all together

[Shodan]

@Dono, I'm hardly a master pedagogue, but I do have some experience in teaching rap. More chess than rap, though. I do have a few recommendations for you.

First off, since I believe that you intend this to be a video-lecture-based self-study course (i.e. you review the given study material [at your own pace - not necessarily thirty days], rather than having it be taught to you by someone else), you ought to include "practice assignments" with it. This is basically necessary. Knowing the structure of rap isn't enough to write anything decent, in any format; you have to practice it to achieve anything decent.

You could, for example, as a tie-in, after Section 2 or 3, strongly recommend that the person taking your course go to LetsBeef, sign up, and drop a battle. This would promote the site, increase our activity, and provide valuable experience. Other assignments might be such things as writing a simple verse, coming up with an x-syllable multi set that repeats y times, writing a punchline, etc. If you were really serious, perhaps you could set up a form which allows people to send their work to us for grading/critique. I'd be willing to help with this, though obviously I wouldn't be able to write detailed critiques, and would instead be forced to just drop grades or pass/fail marks to the "students" if the demand got overwhelming, as I am an unpaid volunteer. (Important note: I absolutely refuse to charge money for this, and I will not participate or assist with this unless it is absolutely and unconditionally free of charge to partake in all aspects of the course).

Remember that this is why we have universities. Would you trust an airplane engineer, or your doctor, to perform a competent job, if nobody tested them for their competency? They just studied the material, and expected you to assume they understood it, and can apply it. Of course you wouldn't trust them. This is why practical experience is necessary - just as students of physics perform laboratory experiments.

I'm very willing to review your course materials and assist you in writing and editing them. I'm more of an editing/detail-minded person, but I could probably provide some insight. My main skills would be on removing all sorts of inaccuracies/errors and creating scripts for the lectures. I've also been working on a LetsBeef primer, which would be a text file containing information on how to battle rap, as well as a brief exegesis of LetsBeef rules, culture, and customs. Perhaps we could work on a video version of this together, as part of the course, to promote our website.

Thanks,

Jahannam

[Subreal]

@ILL4 @LiveSCIENCE

[Shodan]

Originally Posted by Subreal

@ILL4 @LiveSCIENCE

Who is this LiveSCIENCE fellow? I haven't heard of him - perhaps he is far above our weight classes. Is he an up-and-coming heavyweight champion, like Bnas and Proctologist? He couldn't possibly be as skilled, could he?

[ILLoKWENT]

@Lizman

This is right up my alley. Sign me up.

@Dono I'll volunteer.

[Student]

I actually need this lol I can occasionally write something that's decent but most of the time I can't write anything worthwhile, sign me up for this forreal

[Dono]

@Student, @Rant.

Add this facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmDonoTG

I'll get you guys in on the group. I'm planning on running it over there since I found a litter of fresh faces.

[Lyve SCIENCE]

Originally Posted by Jahannam

Who is this LiveSCIENCE fellow? I haven't heard of him - perhaps he is far above our weight classes. Is he an up-and-coming heavyweight champion, like Bnas and Proctologist? He couldn't possibly be as skilled, could he?

"Above our class" without a doubt.

---------- Post added at 01:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Subreal

@ILL4 @LiveSCIENCE

You homo, Sub goes down and only comes up for air. You dick sheath. Id bar you to death, you can be like your dad.