Rap hooks are a key element of rap music that help to capture the listener’s attention and create a memorable and catchy chorus or refrain. A rap hook is typically a short phrase or line that is repeated several times throughout the song, and serves as the main melody or chorus of the track.
Rap hooks are often characterized by their catchy melody, rhythmic delivery, and memorable lyrics. They may be sung or rapped by the artist, or may be performed by a guest vocalist or collaborator.
The purpose of a rap hook is to create a memorable and catchy chorus or refrain that can be easily remembered by listeners, and that can help to establish the theme or message of the song. The hook is often the most memorable part of a rap song, and can help to create a strong connection between the artist and the listener.
Examples of popular rap hooks include “I’m living my best life” from Lil Duval’s “Smile (Living My Best Life)”, “Started from the bottom now we’re here” from Drake’s “Started from the Bottom”, and “I got 99 problems but a b*tch ain’t one” from Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”.
Creating a great rap hook is the essential part of making simple melodies and word patterns bounce over the beat. This audio sonic synergy is the fusion between a great beat and awesome chorus of a song composition.
Making Rap Hooks That Stick
It may seem obvious, but simple chorus and hooks that stick out in the listeners head is the secret sauce. Before you start recording, you’ll want to make sure your flow with the beat compliments the cadence of your lyrics.
Give yourself more creative space to be as simple as you need, as this can allow for so many mix tricks and techniques to be even more special to the overall song composition. If you don’t feel good about laying it down it certainly won’t go over well after recording. Make sure your hook falls in the pocket of the groove of the beat as much as possible.
Now that you’ve created the dopest hook you can for your song, it’s time to test the waters a bit. See if this sounds familiar: you know that boomin’ system that’s loud as heck in the parking lot of the gas station or shopping plaza you frequent? Time for you to stop this person and ask them to play your song right? Hey, every little small promotional effort counts….remember that!
The benefits are clear: you get the hit record vibes when you know the little kids are bopping to your song. Perhaps you even decided to send your song here to us at RapHooks for a special review. After years of radio song placements and meetings around the major record label executives, you start to know what works and what doesn’t. Typically after that, it’s the DJ’s that really help to break the hits and make your magical hook a memorable melody for years to come.
Test your Rap Hook
Don’t be afraid to invest in pushing that hot song onto as many DJ and radio playlist platforms as possible. After all, this is essentially the formula for consistency with music that grows fans and followers on every level on platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, etc.