How To Write A Rap Punchline In 5 Simple Steps (Tips + Examples)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2024
- If you’ve ever heard the expression, “he got bars” or “wow, she came with the bars on that track”…
The person describing the rapper who “has bars” is usually referring to the artist’s ability to write a rap punchline in a creative and unique way.
In today’s video, we’re going to show you how to write a rap punchline in 5 simple steps.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Overview
1:20 Rhyming Course
1:46 #5 The Sound Effects Punchline
3:21 #4 The Step-By-Step Story Punchline
5:03 #3 The Stacked Similes Punchline(s)
6:30 #2 “Soundalike” Punchlines
8:31 #1 The Double Entendre Punchline
10:14 Comment
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From the very first mainstream Hip-Hop song in 1979, “Rapper’s Delight”, to the latest 21st century release from your favorite lyrically minded rapper…
…The capability to build witty and original punchlines is essential to separating a rap artist from the literally millions of hours of “put you to sleep like NyQuil” predictable bars available on streaming services to a global audience with a scroll of their phone.
Sure you’ve seen a few videos on wordplay and punchlines that tell you to just make words have two meanings… or brainstorm a little bit.
But you haven’t seen something like what we’re about to explain, using examples from some of the greatest rappers of all-time in each era of rap so that you can both see the progression of rap punchlines AND expand your ability to know how to write rap punchlines in minutes by using the RIGHT punchline at the RIGHT time…
…So, without further ado, let’s show you how to write a rap punchline in 5 simple steps.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard “Rapper’s Delight” at least once, and are familiar with the “hip-hop, a hippity-to-the-hop” verse.
While to our modern ears this sounds like some nursery rhyme type of stuff, part of the reason it was considered witty at the time was the use of vocalized “sound effects” within the rap bars in order to product a creatively unpredictable set of lyrics.
Don’t be fooled that this hasn’t been used by more modern top rappers when they want to think of a witty punchline. Consider this hilarious bar by Redman on “Cereal Killer” from 1999:
Don’t shoot, out the phone booth
I aim at your party, hit the wrong group
Happpppyyy birth - oo! Oo! Oo!
The use of a sound effect as a word that can be rhymed both adds to the hyper visual nature of the lyrics (something Redman excelled in and even influenced Eminem to do)…
…And it seen as an unpredictably creative way of writing a “punchline”.
Kanye West used a similar sound-effect punchline to end his verse on Cruel Summer’s “The One” In 2012 when he said:
‘Cause everything around me got me underwhelmed
Best way to describe my position is at the helm
Best way to to describe my new whip? Yewwwwwn
Pretty clever.
So one unexpectedly original way for you to start thinking outside of the box when writing a rap punchline is seeing if you can rhyme a sound effect to make your point the way rappers have been doing for literally 40+ years.
As we moved down the history of lyrical creativity in rap, we would be remiss to not mention a rapper like Rakim who introduced the idea of “This will happen and then THIS will happen” into punchline development.
See before Rakim, most rap “punchlines” were kind of like what you heard on rapper’s delight, very dry “I have a new Cadillac” or “Biggity bang bang” type of bars…
…Rakim introduced lines like, “Take MCs put ‘em all in a line, and add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme, it’ll take 7 more before I go for me, and that’s 21 MC’s ate up at the same time”…
…Which would help sew the sees not only for battle rap, but also the more hardcore or gangsta rappers to describe in detail what they will do if somebody messes with them.
In your case, never understand estimate the importance of being able to “tell a step-by-step story” in your punchline like Rakim, going all the way down to Eminem did in 2000’s “Criminal” in one of my favorite schemes of all time:
“Windows tinted on my ride when I drive in it…
So when I rob a bank, just run out and dive in it
‘Cause I’ll be disgusted in it, and if anybody identifies the guy in it
I’ll hide for five minutes, come back shoot the eyewitness
Fire at the private eye hired to
(That scheme never gets old)
The combination of stacked rhymes with a hyper-visual step-by-step story helps demonstrate how you don’t need to always have a double entendre in order to make a fire punchline…
…AND you can make it rhyme in a seamless way. pry in my business” - บันเทิง
![[ไฮไลต์] แบดมินตันชาย วิว กุลวุฒิ(ไทย) vs Kenta Nishimoto(ญี่ปุ่น) รอบ 16 คน | โอลิมปิก 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kaQRLljJkSI/mqdefault.jpg)
COMMENT: What is your FAVORITE punchline from your FAVORITE rapper?
“The boom bap is coming back to mumble rap with an axe lumberjack with a hacksaw” - Eminem on Caterpillar. I don’t even know if I got the lyrics right but ye
"It takes 40 men to suffer a defeat" Eminem
Kendrick's control verse. The whole verse is full of punchlines
@@dominicmathis7504 That one is dope
Idk there are so many good ones but definitely an Eminem bar.
Actually the play on Cole wasn’t cold.. it was Coal. There’s a long-standing myth that diamonds are hidden in coal.
facts i was waiting to see if anybody caught that
Diamonds under pressure (in the ground for various amounts of years(thousands) actually makes diamonds
@@uncledrew7022 I’m aware, doesn’t change that that’s what he was referencing
That was actually simple
It’s not a myth to be precise. Coal is made up of mostly carbon which is also what diamonds are made up of so it’s essential the same thing in two different forms. Clever word play
"I paid the judge off with money in a briefcase/so when I go to court it's gonna be a brief case" - Ruthless 20Gs
Dope!!!!!!
“case so brief you won’t need a briefcase”~ some rapper that i can’t remember
@@boozagesunday7884 kanye
yup, typical bar, dope though.
"Life is a song but you cant do your take over,
go head and rock, fella. focus on your takeover"
@@boozagesunday7884 now that was wack as fuck.. lame
Idk if I'm welcome here, but I'm a Poet and you've been helping me for years. I appreciate you bro.
Cheers, thanks brother
“Idk if I’m WELCOME HERE, but I’m a Poet and you’ve been HELPING me for YEARS.” - Xav Zerrek
🐝🅰️®️💰... 🐐, 🚫🧢.
what are you saying 🤣 of course you're welcome here
Poet is rap words are rap
Definitely welcome here
I'm a rapper named PH and this are some of my favourite lines.
I don't shy away, I myself am a critic
So when I nail a punchline
It fits like acrylic
Now you cant touch me if it came to just lyrics
Not at this PH, I myself am acidic
@Willem Dafoe oooh
Damn! You really are acidic mehn 😮❤
The double entendre of cole under pressure is NOT a double meaning with “cold” how this guy thought. I thought it was pretty obvious, cole under pressure is a double entendre for “coal” under pressure, which is what diamonds are actually made from, thus, cole and coal under pressure both make diamonds
You ain't never see Em icy, but as cold as I get on the M.I.C. EMINEM S A Rap Genius
"Every bar matters". That's an underrated statement 🙌
👊🏽💪🏽
👊🏽💪🏽
@@HowToRapOfficial If you have time, check out my latest release which dropped last night. I'd like to hear your expert opinion on it. It's called What Would I Be 👊👊
"Before I lose my mind who am I gone use it on... Utilising this tool I'll execute a line like what i try to do in my youth when I euthenized"
That's gotta be one of my favourites from Eminems discombobulated track✌️✌️✌️❤️❤️❤️
What the fuck does that mean
eminems bars are an illusion. just a bunch of consonance with very little substance. he uses his cadence to redirect focus to the middle schemes instead of the punchline. to be honest dude needs to retire and stop being a gatekeeper.
@@matthewthompson6455 didn’t finish writing the bar tbh
I loved those Carter 2 & no ceilings bars.. they were so simple and yet so clever. Lil Wayne killed it. Hard to believe it's been 15 years tho..
Now it's clear that I'm here for a real reason
‘Cause he got hit like I got hit, but he ain't fuckin' breathin' - 50 cent
This made me forever be a 50 cent fan
favortie punchline gotta be a ,,real g's move in silent like lasagna", hits like nothing else
“I ain’t no joke. I used to let the mic smoke. Now I slam it when I’m done and make sure it’s broke.” Bruh, when them horns dropped and the God MC’s voice crackled so clearly I instantly got hooked on “rhythmic
The song that made me try to rap at age 7!
Rakim
Always a great help, thank you !😁
Ive been watching your videos since i was in middle school and always watch your videos whenever i get writers block or feel like i begin to get repetitive its good to have a refresher every now and again i practically honed and learned almost everything i know because of this channel so thank you for the videos and keep doing what youre doing youre a great teacher
Dope! Glad to inspire you Ezrawolf!
Jay-Z - I jack, I rob, I sin. "Jackie Robinson"
Cole’s verse could actually have a quadruple meaning. I also understand that “coal (Cole) under pressure, what that make? Diamonds (diamond, Riaa certification)” because he said earlier that he only makes classics.
Man this is possibly one of the best videos on punchlines!! Always thought I figured it out then I discovered something new!!
🙏🏽🙏🏽
Hey Drew, Thank u for bein' the best online rap coach 🔥
🙏🏽
Ive had Writers Block few weeks, now Drew just clicked that on button, thanks for reminding me of all crucial things!
Legend! Happy New year fam!
🙏🏽
If youre having writers block just put on a timer for 7 or so mins and just write whatever comes to mind without judgement, just to get your creative juices flowing. I got it from jcole i hope it helps stay safe and be blessed bro
You are my favorite TH-camr. Thnx for all the help.
🙏🏽💪🏽
i’m not a rapper, but i watch these and they are so inspirational and give me new ideas
Why not?
Also another tip kind of along the same lines if you're writing about something you may or may not know about look up to see if what you say is actually true kind of goes along with looking up words for instance if I'm writing a song
And it's like
"This here's a song for all the street-poor kids. Homicides go unreported, Little change in the drug game-just dimes getting sorted. Gangsters are at war, kid. Everyone only looks out for numero uno, constant ghetto funerals. Streets cold, foes bring heat, while mothers bring pink orchids"-
And see it's so easy to do some research. Are orchids ever brought to funerals? What does a pink orchid mean? Are there even pink orchids?
And this may sound stupid but if you want to be taken seriously as an artist and not thought of as another clown with garbage bars, I just suggest doing a little research. And I am kinda shocked that I have seen so many get away with kind of laziness.
Quickest way to be not taken seriously is to come across like you have no idea wtf you are talking about.
#Knowledgeispower
Nice addition, Justin! Definitely verifying bars can be a good touch
Wordplay and punchlines are easy to write. I do it and punch every line from the intro to the end, if you want to get good at that, listen to Montana Of 300. I also write triple and double entendre
He is fire
Lil Wayne - “I’m staring at a Tramp on lean, made my eye jump”
Nas - “I never sleep ´cause sleep is the cousin of death”
Big L - “I’m so ahead of my time my parents haven’t met yet”
Big L - “I smash mics like cornbread you can’t kill me I was born dead”
Well said man
Hell yeah you're doing a real service
Congratulations on 500k
I'm really saucy but you made me more saucy. "Looking in my rear view. I see the world in it. I try to slow down. But I get rear ended" -Lil Wayne
Pause
@@ahmadking5229 that's exactly what came next
Just here to per usual, read comments. I like seeing what other people say and converse on in the threads.
Honorable mention tip that I have:
Don’t be afraid to rewrite your song/verse several times.
I am working on a Lil Wayne remix (lol no pressure there 🤣) and I’m on draft FOUR m’kay.
First draft was a’ight, fourth draft has the ooomph because things have been rewritten and reworked, so like that had clunky punchlines or no punchlines at all are becoming the shining stars of the track because there has been thought, time, and effort put into it.
I cannot wrap my mind around how Wayne just… raps. I could never be as witty or intelligent as he is just off the top of my head. I take the Nicki Minaj approach of writing and writing and writing until something is perfect.
Great example, I have a song called Beast Mode (by PNK KanD) and one of the lines is “call me the goat cuz I eat nails for breakfast” that punchline wasn’t there until the very last draft. All I knew is I wanted the imagery of eating nails because the song is about being bad ass. Once I was tweaking animal related punchlines, the thought made me fall out of my chair laughing! To be a GOAT is a great thing in this industry, but real goats be eating trash and ish, so like… I’m tough cuz I eat nails but also, goats eat nails, call me the GOAT 😊🥰 🐐
Don’t get discouraged! It all takes practice. Listen to some old old school Em and compare him to new wave Em. EXTREME amounts of growth and Eminem was already a great 💗
needed to hear this, thanks
@@jmcfar03 oh wow! No problem 🥰😋 everyone deserves to be reminded that precision and a skilled craft takes time 💕💕💕
@@EW_Studios for sure. i've made this one beat i really fuck with but both a balance of writer's block and insecurities with my own abilities has got me continuously rewriting the verse
ive started it over like 4 times so far and a fifth is definitely nigh once i finally get it down
@@jmcfar03 my best work isn’t until the 4/5!! At least 🙌🏽 keep at it and remember that no one (in the mainstream) proposes to their fiancé with a diamond in the rough. That gem has been cut down to show off its best parts 💎
I feel like songs should be edited at least ten times.
Ironically, Lil Wayne and Wminem are my two favorite rappers, they have so many examples that it's hard to name. One is Lil Wayne and 2kgolden: "Control the world" and another is Lil Wayne and travis scott: "let it fly".
I just like watching you're videos and a few other channels of course but I need to actually put into practice 😅
🙏🏽
2:28 tell em that im the one! love that song
solid to!
4:20 WOW 😯
9:04 😮
you missed the cole reference cole as in his name like coal which is what is used to make diamonds while under pressure
The Cole line was a quad. Classics albums diamonds.
Brilliant
🙏🏽👊🏽
That Criminal line still cold af 😂🤣😂🤣
Do words that are connected in ways fall into the double entendre punchline? Someone I know made this bar yesterday:
"Bumping dreamville fried rice like basmati"
It references dreamville member, Bas's song called fried rice and Bas-mati is a type of rice. Is this a double entendre?
Yeah that's a double entrendre bro, sick line bro, mad creativity, love that song tho more for JIDs part tho
This was good stuff!
American Poetry” (rap), a la the DOC circa 1991, it had imagery, entendres, and floetry! RAKIM fo’ life 🥇
The cole line is also a Martin reference so it’s a quad
Murakoze is thank you 🇷🇼♥️🚀🔥🚀
My Dog you saved the best for the Cookies set for the commercials you placed.
Aww this can help me out a lot more cause I don’t want to be plain in my raps or songs period I drop 2 songs on my page
Nasty C - Gd up like the Ground floor - but honest all Nasty Cs punchlines hit hard
damn this is a channel on literature .
"i got the drive to show for the passion" and this is my first time on the channel.i chose my own BAR.
🔥
I dont rly like using 3 much; i personally feel its lazy for me to try it. Like, i use similes, but im more fond of the other ways to make a punchline (number 4 and number 1 the most)
I also wanna try using soundalikes more now
It's called onomontopia. Formation of a word by imitation of sound...
Very handy tool. Js.
J Coles face on a video about punchlines is hilarious 😂😂😂
Big daddy kane the master of bars
You couldnt make your fans throw up their hands if they sallowed their fingers - Eminem
Can you please describe double entendre more precisely how to set it with bars to make a proper meaning
One of my favorite punchlines of all time is " Baby I'm a Slim Thug, the Bossman fellas/ Y'all niggas like LA y'all los' n jealous" 😁😁 Freck Billionaire
Hahaha nice!
I camp with a Unit of G's, 50 deep, with Bank rolls of Bucks in the Game sellin Yayo
Bruh this is probably the most important rap video there is. Great job explaining all this.
A video suggestion on how to write a funny rap song, can u do that sir?
Redman is in my Top 5.
Biggie “You cursed it but rehearsed it, I drop unexpectedly like birdshit”
I'm the bar Queen 🔥😏 lol
"Neglected for now but yo, it's got to be accepted. That what? That life is hectic"
We need you to show us examples like u normally do it with .. writing it out is better explanation for me
9:30 Yo he is talking about COLE/COAL under pressure. (Coal pressurised become diamonds)
I have an idea couch to write each one of them in an example to get the full idea and still the video was good hope you do better
Plus Cole signed to the ROC (rock) = Diamond , Quadruple Double lol
One of my favorite bars is from evocalist of b.u.m.s.
"Haters Will pull the Smith, and drop the Hammer Quik,
Buckshots and make Big Boi's do Lil Flips,
Money and Drama is like Salt & Peppa, yessir they Mix-a-lot,
But it wasn't no Biggie, cuz I once had Faith like 2pac"
BARS
"Only thing we 'spect now is violence anything besides this, we playing violins" JAY Z's verse on Drake's Love All Track
"I got styles u cant copy bitch, its the triple six in the mix straight from h e double hockey sticks" now thats flava
breaking in cribs witha crowbar, i wasnt poor i's just po, i couldnt aford the o r
i told him give out the dough, before u get smoked, ow you broke? BOOM BOOM now u dead broke
I can't remember my favorite rn but I'm pretty sure it's from either Lil Baby or Polo G
nocap got da best punchlines ngl
Loved your point of view cuz u held no punches - jay z
The punch line thats been on my mind recently is "I'm like a pigeon with precision, Snoopy shittin' from the top" - Snoop Dogg, "Talk That Shit To Me"
Eminem diss aside, That's a fire ass song 🔥
@@oreogd1500 you do know the beff was squashed right?
@@Sageffects yeah I know I'm just saying
@@Sageffects yeah I know I'm just saying
“ Life like this is what your life like try to live your life right people really know you push your buttons like typewrite”. -Ye
😎
I got so many flows men my shits like a building, and that shit more stories than your eyes can tell.......By me
We can't fight fire with fire but at least we can turn the flames some
The smoke from the lyrical bud make me (cough)
What do you all think of 2 pac, about his rhymes?
The visions i see when travelling overseas with morisey
Quick off the top.
They can not see me, stepped out of the dark made it look easy, i will be on top like lil weezy, but like shady, they wanna make me look crazy, off of the top it was wavy, that girl thick like ya moms gravy, ain’t do it right aka failing.
❤❤❤
How you miss the coal under pressure, coal being under pressure(in the ground) literally makes diamonds
"Im droppin beets like a clumsy farmer...Ill unleash the poison with my music, like a snake charmer"
its always crazy to see Cole with short hair lol
K RINO AHNIALATION OF THE EVIL MACHINE BAAAARS
"Haters tryna get in my hair, I should keep my head bald like Jada"
Rakim is so boss
God it
Let's talk about how The Game and how his style is just name drops
"Heart beating fast let a nigga know that he alive , fake niggas snakes , snakes in da grass let a nigga know that he arrived" J.cole
Wutang - The dum are mostly intrigued by the drum
9:37 - Cole under pressure = coal under pressure. Diamonds are made by putting carbon (coal) under pressure.
Anyone have good punch line for Dave chips? 😅
Lloyd Banks' classic line on Victory: I know the watch bothering your vision, but reach, and Imma put a dot on your head, like it's part of your religion.
Banks again with the first 4 bars on Worrk Magic.
Cassidy in his BET Rap City freestyle over his own song "I'm a Hustla", that just blew me away.
When Weezy said; "She gave me her only but I'm not a fan"
Or Em with
I'd just be like everyone else in the fucking industry
Especially an effing Recovery clone of me (NFing)
Off the top of the bar from Drake , “fuck being rich when I’m 40, I’m tryna make it now”
One of My favorite punchlines is “ Boy I be top perro(dog), dogging rappers like a kennel, but I don’t think they get the memo. I don den told em they don’t want this SMOKE cuz if I ROLL UP issa WRAP no RELLO” -Hecava Mecca