SOCIAL ACTION RAP GUIDE

THE TECHBRARIAN’S

PARTS OF A RAP: BARS, VERSES, AND HOOKS

HOMELESSNESS HAS A DEATHLIKE

GRIP, SO I BEST NOT SLIP, JUST

HOLD ON…

A small section of music. Imagine a counter going 1-2-3-4. The words

you fit in during that count are a

single bar. Most verses are 16 bars.

BAR

Most rap songs

have 3 verses. This is the largest part of your song. It will have most of your information. Because you are writing a Social Action Rap, verses should be filled with facts about your issue that you found on techbrarian.com

VERSE

WRITING A RAP SONG IS HARD WORK. IT’S PRETTY EASY TO FREESTYLE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING VERSES

ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES—IT TAKES A LOT OF FOCUS AND DETERMINATION. THIS GUIDE IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOUR

JOURNEY A LITTLE EASIER AND TAKE YOU TO SOME POWERFUL PLACES INSIDE YOUR MIND.

A chorus (AKA “hook”) usually comes after the first verse. It’s the catchy part that everyone remembers. It can be rapped or

sang. Most raps songs have 3 choruses.

CHORUS

TAKING THE FIRST STEP ON A JOURNEY IS THE HARDEST

SIMILE

FACTORY FARMS ARE LIKE PLASTIC BAGS OVER HEADS, THEY SUFFOCATE

THE LIVING, LEAVING ‘EM DEAD

THESE GAME ADDICTS ARE STUCK LIKE QUICK SAND, THEY SINK DEEPER, I’M SURE THAT WAS

NEVER THE PLAN

WHEN YOU’RE GAY AND ALONE IT’S AS LONELY AS STONES, THAT SIT STILL ON A HILL, WISHING

THEY’D SKIP WHEN THEY’RE THROWN

COMPARING 2 THINGS THAT ARE ALIKE, USING LIKE OR AS:

METAPHOR

HOMELESSNESS IS A SINKING SHIP

WITH NO HOPE OF RESCUE, YACHTS PASS

BY SEEMING TO LAUGH AT YOU

EVERY HAND THAT HITS, IS A WHOLE HEART

THAT SPLITS ONCE FILLED WITH LOVE,

CUT AND DRAINED, WATCH IT DRIP BLOOD

TAKE A HIT, BREATHE IN DEEP.

WEED’S A POOL, DIVE IN DEEP.

TAKES HOLD OF YOUR SOUL, GET DROWNED, LOSE

CONTROL

COMPARING 2 THINGS THAT ARE ALIKE, BUT NOT

IN OBVIOUS WAYS:INTERNAL RHYME

ADOPT A SWEATSHOP ON YOUR DESKTOP SIMPLY HIT CLICK ON OLD NAVY AND THEN SHOP

2 OR MORE RHYMES WITHIN A LINE

#�4

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

SOCIAL ACTION

VERSE STYLES

STORYTELLING

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Sometimes I wonder how this life would be, for

one day if my dad was out the penitentiary.

I’d hold him tight and never let him go,  I got nobody in this $h#t, he’s my heart, mind and soul.

And I miss my uncle so damn much  i’m tryna cover up these tears that he can’t touch.

He changed, and it kills me inside, I do any thing to have him back in my life.

…from this pain which has overcame, who I am and who i’m tryna be  a kid with the message and a kid with a dream

Now there’s another part about this she wants you to

understand when she met her father he was a good man

but when things are strange  people tend to change quicker than a season he didn’t want no kid, she said that ain’t no reason to walk away and betray his seed you see he just a demon and she was fooled, he used her as tool to her completion

FACTS

My man Mohamed smokes them Kools

Blood clots in his brain Nicotine is the fuel He makin O’s with his mouth, doubt he knows That his clothes smell like ash, 14 dollars a pack now his cash flow close to zero 1300 die a day, may they rest in peace Duces now they cute in they Sunday best…

Best believe that they never started Told Mohamed, he don’t care So I guess he gonna wear the same…

-ALIZE, 8TH GRADE

-KAPONE, 8TH GRADE

<Kyilil> Being Transphobic, I’m against it bro,

but all I gotta say is it doesn’t make sense though. Call them he, she, we, whoever they wanna be I’ve been taught it’s not my place to put a label on a face you see…all they wanna do is use the bathroom They’re just regular people Can’t we all just be equal?

<Abdoul> Um, boy, I am not these people’s favorites I don’t care about their feelings or what they want bro I don’t got time for these trans As a matter of fact, they should be banned They’ll molest your sisters, brothers, and…

<Kyilil> Abdoul, don’t you have a soul?

-CASTRO, 7TH GRADE

-KYILIL & ABDOUL, 6TH GRADE

#�5

STEAL THESE IDEAS!

OBESITY12% OF THE L.E.S.

HAS DIABETES

STATS LIKE THESE

MAKE YOU FREEZE

SUGAR’S THE VILLAIN

FILLIN’ YOU WITH…

6 HOURS OF MEDIA

MORE FACTS TO READ TO YA

DIABETES

TAKIS VARIETIES

SOCIETIES

1.6 BILLION SPENT ON JUNK FOOD ADS FIBER’S THE HERO

SUGAR’S A ZERO

SHOULDN’T CONSUME MORE THAN 2000

CALORIES THAT’S THE REALITY

FRUIT IS FOR REAL

BUT FRUITY PEBBLES

WILL KILL

VEGETABLES GOT THE

PULL WHEN DRIZZLED

WITH OLIVE OIL

EXERCISE THOSE THIGHS AND DO

REPS FOR BICEPS

SHOULD HAVE 6

TEASPOONS OF SUGAR

EACH DAY, WE HAVE 34

IMMIGRATION

DT’S

IMMIGRATION

PLAN

WOULD COST

935 BILLION

FACT IS: UNDOCUMENTED

WORKERS

PAY OVER 10 BILLION IN

TAXES

DT WANTS TO REMOVE 11

MILLION IMMIGRANTS

OVER 18 MONTHS…

THAT’S 27K A DAY

FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS

DACA: IMMIGRANTS WHO CAME AS KIDS CAN

STAY. DT WANTS TO GET RID OF IT, NO DELAY

WE’RE SUPPOSE TO BE

THE GOOD GUYS? ICED

AGENTS TAKING PARENTS

AS THEY’RE CHILD CRIES

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? WE ARE ALL

IMMIGRANTS (EXCEPT NATIVE AMERICANS)

IMMIGRANTS

ARE LESS LIKELY TO

COMMIT CRIMES

THAN CITIZENS

BOTTLED WATER

EARTH CALLED:

ONLY 1 IN 5

BOTTLES ARE

RECYCLED

BELIEVE THIS: 1/2

OF BOTTLED WATER

COMES FROM TAP, GENIUS

17 MILLION BARRELS OF

OIL USED TO MAKE YOUR

PLASTIC BOTTLES

MOST BOTTLES END UP

IN LANDFILLS, Y’FEELS?

COSTS A 1000 TIMES MORE THAN

TAP, WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

22% OF

BOTTLED WATER HAS

CONTAMINANTS

SUCKING ON THAT DASANI

LIKE BABY BOTTLES FROM YOUR MOMMY

YOUR EVIAN IS ENDING

UP IN THE OCEAN, REST

AMERICANS

DRINKING 8.6

BILLION GALLONS

BAN THE BOTTLE TAKE BACK THE TAP

GREAT TASTE, LESS WASTE

RISE ABOVE PLASTICS

THE GOVERNMENT T

EST

TAP, B

UT BOTTL

ED WATER

COMPANIES HAVE NONE

OF THAT

WATER CRISIS

EVERY 90

SECONDS A

CHILD DIES

FROM A WATER

RELATED DISEASE

WATER

CRISIS, WORSE THAN

ISIS, BUT WHEN WILL IT

GET MORE ATTENTION?

900K DIE EVERY DAY

DUE TO DIRTY WATER-

EQUAL TO THE

POPULATION OF SAN

FRANCISCO

WATER-THE SOURCE OF LIFE, SOURCE OF

DEATH

THE BOTTOM LINE: 844 MILLION, 1 IN 9,

CAN’T GET WATER

HARDEST HIT: SOUTH

EAST ASIA, AFRICA

& LATIN AMERICA

2.3 BILLION- 1 IN 3- LACK ACCESS TO TOILETS TO POOP

AND PEE

GIRLS AND

WOMEN ARE SPENDING 6

HOURS A DAY, FINDING

WATER. NO WORK OR

SCHOOL

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

THE BEST RAPS COME FROM STORIES THAT HAPPENED TO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW. IF IT FEELS UNSAFE TO USE YOUR REAL IDENTITY, CHANGE THE DETAILS THAT REVEAL IT.

HAVE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO

HAS NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT IT?

ARE YOUR FAMILY IMMIGRANTS? ASK THEM ABOUT WHAT LEAD THEM TO

LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY. WHAT DO THEY STRUGGLE WITH NOW THAT THEY ARE

HERE?

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLES WITH OBESITY OR

DIABETES? DOES IT CHANGE HOW YOU THINK ABOUT EATING AND

EXERCISE?

HAVE YOU SEEN FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN AN UNHEALTHY

RELATIONSHIP? WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? HAS IT CHANGED WHAT YOU

LOOK FOR IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS?

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? DON’T HAVE ONE?

INTERVIEW A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TO GET

THEIRS

DOES SOMEONE YOU KNOW SMOKE WEED? DOES IT GET IN THE WAY OF

THEIR SCHOOL OR RELATIONSHIPS? SHOULD IT BE LEGALIZED? WHY OR

WHY NOT?

HOW WOULD SOMEONE STEREOTYPE YOU IF THEY’D NEVER MET YOU

BEFORE? HOW DO YOU BREAK THOSE STEREOTYPES?

STEP 3GO TO SOUNDTRAP.COM AND CREATE A SIMPLE

BEAT BY DRAGGING LOOPS.

STEP 1 DISCOVER A SOCIAL ISSUE YOU

CARE ABOUT ON TECHBRARIAN.COM

STEP 2THINK OF A PERSONAL STORY

HAVING TO DO WITH YOUR ISSUE OR ASK SOMEONE YOU KNOW TO GET THEIR STORY. YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH FOR SOMEONE’S STORY

ONLINE.

STEP 4 AS THE BEAT ROCKS, IT’S TIME TO WRITE! USE

INFOGRAPHICS FROM TECHBRARIAN.COM ALONG WITH THE STORIES YOU’VE GATHERED.

STEP 4 GO TO GOOGLE DOCS.

PLAY THE BEAT YOU CREATED IN SOUNDTRAP.

STEP 5HELPFUL HINT FOR WRITING

RHYMES:

WRITE A MEANINGFUL LINE: 15 PERCENT OF TEENS SEXT

TAKE THE LAST WORD FROM THAT LINE AND RHYME IT ON THE END OF THE NEXT LINE:

15 PERCENT OF TEENS SEXT NEXT

FILL IN THE SECOND LINE IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE: 15 PERCENT OF TEENS SEXT

SAYING TO THEMSELVES, JUST ONE TIME, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT

PRACTICE YOUR RHYME 1000 TIMES WITH THE BEAT PLAYING.

NOW, PLACE YOUR RHYME ALONGSIDE SOUNDTRAP.

HIT RECORD AND GO AT IT. REMEMBER:

YOU WON’T GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

ENJOY!

STEP 7

WRITING & RECORDING

STEP 6AFTER WRITING YOUR 3 VERSES, IT’S TIME TO

THINK UP A CHORUS. REMEMBER: THE CHORUS IS WHAT PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER

THE MOST ABOUT YOUR SONG.

ONE WAY TO CREATE A CHORUS IS TO TAKE A PART OF YOUR VERSES AND REPEAT IT. LIKE:

YOU KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT YOU KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT

NO DOUBT KID, YOU KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT