As a rapper, one of the most important skill sets that will separate you from a lot of other rappers is multisyllabic rhymes. At the beginning of Hip Hop it was quite a rare thing to find, but now almost every rapper one listens to is doing it intuitively when writing, or freestyling their raps. Rappers have coined the term “Multi’s” for short. Multi’s are fairly simple to understand. You rhyme multiple words or syllables in your sentences.
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.
There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti.
He’s nervous. But on the surface, he looks calm and ready...
to drop bombs. But he keeps on forgetting.
So just in case you don't remember me...
I’ll run your brain around the block to jog your memory.
It’s either them or me.
How cool is that? Spit that rhyme and you'll channel the inner G, I promise.
Multisyllabic rhyming is really a cool trick that rappers use to make their rhymes sound really damn cool. It also aids in recalling their rhymes when they have to recite them once again. The average verse contains about 140 or more words, and the majority of rap songs are assimilated of three verses. So you can imagine that it makes it a lot easier if you remember the specific sound of syllables at the end of each of your lines, as opposed to another one of those +-450 other words you have to remember!
Yeah, that may save you from having a brain fart on stage.
One would also find that a lot of rappers that practice this technique tend to have better overall flow with the instrumental or beat they’re rapping to. But flow’s flow, pro’s pro, and… now I don’t know what I’m saying anymore. What I’m trying to saying is – to each his own. There really isn’t a correct or incorrect way of rapping. There are plenty of incredible rappers who have made their mark on the rap game without having to use this technique at all or, at least, using it sparingly. Which brings me to my next point, of knowing when and not to use it. It’s imperative that you never just rhyme words just for the sake of using Multi’s! If you’re going to use it, make sure the message you’re trying to portray in your song takes the precedent!
Check the rhyme! This is how you do it ---> Kendrick Lamar - THat Part (Black Hippy Remix)
As with anything, practice makes perfect for using multisyllabic rhyme. The more you use it, as a rapper, the easier it gets to incorporate it into your writing. To the trained ear – a Hip Hop head, like me – Multi’s are noticed instantly and are enjoyed listened to, too, for the intensity of syllable length and complexity of the rhymes. To someone who listens to Hip-Hop on a rarer occasion, make sure to keep a look out for it when you listen to the next rap song! The technique is more subtle if you don’t follow the rap music all too much, but it does make the overall rhyme fall quite nicely on the ear.
Another cool trick I’ve loved about multi’s is its ability to take two or more words or syllables that “half” rhyme, by throwing them all together, and making them sound a great deal like full rhymes! For instance, the phrases, “honest with ya” and “father figure” rhyme quite nicely. One wouldn’t necessarily say “father” and “honest” rhyme well, nor “with ya” and “figure”. But when one uses the Multi technique, it tricks your brain to make them appear as if these words or phrases rhyming completely, because the rhyming sounds are stacked, and so your ear focuses on the sound of the syllables. A full rhyme would be something along the lines of; “Conrad, it appears that you’ve gone mad.”
Although it may not be something that’s discussed as much as the actual content in a rap song, it means a great deal to a rapper that people acknowledge the tireless efforts of rhyming! Besides, it’s not every day that someone throws this at you:
The worst hated God who perpetrated odd favours…
demonstrated in the perforated Rod Lavers.
In all quad flavours! Lord, save us!
Unfortunately, MF Doom’s rhyme schemes are so complex, no amount of bold or italics can illustrate his rhyming techniques. But in these three lines, he’s managed to rhyme “worst hated God”, “perpetrated odd” and “perforated Rod”. But if you take a closer look, he’s also rhymed “odd favours” with “Rod Lavers”, “quad flavours” and “Laawd, save us.”
How’s that for intense multisyllabic rhyming skills? Good Lord! I mean, Good Laawd!
Start here to become an expert rhymer. ;)
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
Swag. :P
