The Advance

Issue date: 4/15/10 Section: Features

Hip Hop is an art form. It is crucial that every artist understands how important it is to have your own sound. There are many ways to find your own sound in the music industry. The biggest thing is figuring out what kind of music feels good to you. You must first be comfortable with the music you make yourself because that is what will drive you to continue to make more music. It will also reflect in your music if someone else gives your material a listen. They will be able to hear the passion and love you put into your work.
Part of creating your own sound involves experimentation. You would want to first start by trying out different writing methods. A good idea would be to listen to old Hip Hop vets and study there lyrics to get a feel of how they wrote and came up with their bar structure. I would advise you to study more than one rapper to get a varied look at the many ways you could structure your own rhymes.
Once you've gotten good at writing, you now should work on your delivery. In Hip Hop, how you say something is just as important as what you are saying. For example, you wouldn't want to make a motivational rap with a soft giddy-like sounding voice. You would want to sound clear and inspiring, with a slightly aggressive tone to express how serious you are with your message. Distinct voices are very important in Hip Hop especially if you plan on making mainstream success. When working on your delivery, practice on your breathing and how you project when you are in front of the mic. It is better to already know your lyrics before a recording session that way you are giving your full attention to the song and it doesn't come off on the song as if you're reading. This all comes with time and practice.
Another trend in Hip Hop that comes with an artist's sound is his/her ad-libs. When you feel confident that you have a unique voice and rhyme style, you should then come up with your own ad-lib. Ad-libs are words or phrases that you occasionally repeat throughout many if not all of the songs your record. If it's catchy enough, people that listen to your music and follow you will be able to recognize when your song or any song you are featured on is playing just by hearing one of your familiar ad-libs.
These are just a few pointers that could help any young aspiring artist develop their own sound. I hope I've been some assistance to you guys. I'm your boy Sir Coop and this has been your inside scoop.

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