1. Start with the beat, not the page
Most beginners write lyrics first and then try to squeeze them onto a beat. It rarely works. Pick an instrumental you like, loop it, and get a feel for its speed and mood before you write a word. A slower beat (around 70 to 90 BPM, typical for hip-hop) gives you room; a fast one (140 for grime, 170 to 175 for drum & bass) needs shorter, punchier lines.
2. Decide what it's about
One clear idea beats five vague ones. Write a single sentence: "This song is about…". Real experiences, a feeling, a place you know, a story from your week. Specific details ("the 37 bus at midnight") land harder than general ones ("going out").
3. Write the hook first
The hook (chorus) is the part people remember and the part you'll repeat. Keep it short, usually 4 or 8 bars, and simple enough to shout back. Once you have the hook, the verses have something to build towards.
4. Understand bars
A bar is one count of four beats: "1, 2, 3, 4". In most rap, one line of lyrics fills one bar. A standard verse is 16 bars, and a common song shape is:
| Section | Length |
|---|---|
| Intro | 4 bars |
| Verse 1 | 16 bars |
| Hook | 8 bars |
| Verse 2 | 16 bars |
| Hook | 8 bars |
| Outro | 4 bars |
5. Build your rhymes
- End rhymes: the last words of two lines rhyme. The easiest place to start.
- Internal rhymes: rhymes inside the line, which make a verse sound skilful.
- Multis (multisyllabic rhymes): rhyming several syllables at once, like "lost my mind" and "cross the line".
Rhyme on vowel sounds, not spelling. "Late" and "eight" rhyme; "cough" and "though" don't.
6. Rap it out loud as you write
Lyrics that read well can still trip you up on the beat. Say every line over the instrumental as you write it. If you run out of breath or rush, cut words.
7. Record a rough take
Your phone is enough. Listening back is the fastest way to hear where your timing drifts, where you mumble and which lines don't hit.
Common first-song mistakes
- Too many words per bar, so you rush and lose the beat.
- No hook, so the song has nothing to return to.
- Copying someone else's flow exactly instead of finding your own.
- Never recording, so you never hear what needs fixing.