Mastering Enunciation! – A Must for Every Rapper

A person who lacks basic skills of enunciating words properly cannot be a rapper. Does that mean if you stutter, you cannot rap? Absolutely not. You can rap – stutter or not! A lot of singers had speech impediments but they found their voice while singing. Let’s take Ed Sheeran for example. Eminem helped him with his stutter and we all know about his singing abilities.

What about Kendrick Lamar? He had a stutter when he was a teen and look at him go now! Whether it is rapping or singing, speech impediments have never stopped anyone with a burning passion inside them.

Why is Enunciation Important?

Working on enunciation is important for rappers as well as singers. But as rappers have to deliver with a certain speed, they need more practice. Tongue twisters help with enunciation as they constitute diction or articulation.

If a rapper is unable to enunciate words properly, delivering rap becomes difficult. Rap is all about losing control over words by spitting them with correct enunciation and making an impact through it.

Articulation Exercises

What are these articulation exercises? Don’t worry! You won’t have to read books out loud. You need to repeat tongue twisters for rappers. Are they different from the ones you learned back in school? Yes. Definitely. If they seem difficult to you, start with the basics. Once you master them, shift to the ones for adults.

How do Articulation Exercises Help?

• Strengthen and stretch your muscles that are used while enunciating a certain tongue twister.
• Help you notice if you have difficulty with certain syllables and words.
• Helps you speak with clarity.
• Helps you warm up your speaking ability.

Articulation Exercises help you be clear. Clarity plays a significant role when you are learning how to rap. A good rapper is someone who delivers rap with clarity. And remember! Having an accent has nothing to do with being clear. No matter what your accent is, being clear takes priority in rapping.

Tongue twisters are basically articulation exercises. Never skip this part when learning about rap or singing. It is important for both. Actors, singers, and rappers usually repeat their favorite tongue twister before going on stage. This practice is something every rapper should develop.

How to Practice?

Always start with the simple ones. Read the twister with precision. Notice if you make any mistakes. If you are unable to notice it yourself, ask for help from a friend or record your audio and listen to it. Keep repeating the tongue twister till it smoothly glides off your tongue.

Only move on to the next level till you have tried at least 5 of the basic twisters. After the basic twisters, move on to the adult twisters. This will take time and a lot of practice. But do not give up. Record yourself and work on the sounds and words that are difficult for you.

Tongue twister for rappers is difficult. Let’s not sugar coat it. Work on each twister individually for days. And do not practice in your head. Repeat them out loud. With each repetition, try increasing your speed. Once you have mastered them, then comes the last stage.

Practicing rap songs that are tongue twisters. Listen to rap songs by MF Doom, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Tech N9ne, and Ludacris. They often use twisters in their songs. Learn these songs and keep rapping them till you have mastered enunciating them.