Yo!

This is probably LTS's first critic topic on rap… XD Forgive the lame topic title.
Anyway... I've seen a lot of nice (and harsh) critics here on singing techniques, but I also noticed that there are a fair number of rappers in the forum (you know who you are).
So I shall be your rap critic/coach/tutor/whatever you wanna call it. I'm not saying I'm a good rapper, but I know quite a lot about rapping techniques.

A few notes about rapping:
- Rapping is very different to singing. When you rap, you use more energy and muscle because you need to enunciate each word and control your breathing. Your brain also needs to memorise words (unless it's a freestyle rap--I'll worship you forever!) and know the right pronounciation (if the rap is in foreign language).
- Rapping isn't just mumbling and slurring words over a backing track, but it's an ART. Anyone can rap, but not everyone may have the right pitch or technique. If you don't, then you're just basically talking :dreamz1:
- The standard rap verse length is 16 bars (or 30 seconds), but some artists do go beyond this.
- IMPORTANT: when you record your rapping part, ALWAYS dub. If you don't know what this term means, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkhOEO1_lAU and listen to how some words (normally at the end of each line) have backing vocals. This is done so you don't sound rushed and flat.

A few facts about me:
- Been singing rapping for: …have been exposed to hip-hop since middle school (English only at this point). The first Asian hip-hop artist I listened to was Epik High (yes, they're practically gods); from then I began to fall in love with Korean and Japanese hip-hop (which make up about 70% of my iPod music). Started learning how to rap (and write lyrics) when I was 14 (self-taught), and sometimes me and my friends do public performances for school festivals.
- Strengths: Korean & Japanese pronounciation (fluent in both languages), good ear (meaning I can tell when a note goes off-pitch even the slightest bit), & familiarity with various hip-hop techniques.
- Weakness: … although I have a pretty wide vocal range (from very low note to falsetto), I suck at singing techniques.
- What makes you qualified? Apart from the information given above, I've actually identified different rappers and their styles--I'm not too fond of idol rappers (unless they have hip-hop roots and write their own lyrics, e.g. Block B's Zico), but I'm more into raw, underground hip-hop.
- Number of maximum clip submitted to criticise: 1/post (full-length song only). If it's only a few bars cut, then up to 3/post is fine ^^

I'm a blunt critic and I speak what's on my mind, so be prepared for harsh words. If you're doing a collab that requires rapping parts, feel free to submit your piece of work


Yours truly,
Kira <3

To JayKayGL,

This is one of my favourite rap songs ever (all YG biases aside)... I can see you recorded this in one-shot ^^ Nothing wrong with that, but I know that this particular rap part by CL requires a lot of dubbing and layering (voice-overing) on some lines--which explains you running out of breath at some points.

But anyway, moving on to the feedback part~~

Strengths:
1. You have a good rapping voice. In my opinion, you have a similar tone to CL.
2. You have above-average Korean pronounciation for non-native speaker--and as I've mentioned above, knowing how to enunciate each word correctly is important. And of course, since there are a lot of English usage in the rap it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
3. Most are in right pitch, although there are some off ones (especially 0:13 and 0:18--with the rest, I blame it on the fact that you recorded it all in one shot). But I did like 0:21-0:31... long lines, but you managed to identify the pitches.
4. Near-perfect timing... so far. Since this is done on a vocal-removed instrumental (VR), I can't judge you much on timing.
5. Good flow.

Weaknesses:
1. You start out strong and fierce, but you lose it by 0:09. The rest of the rap sound weak to me--but hey, who can do it perfectly in one-shot (if we're to compare with studio version)?
2. There are some slurred words/parts (0:09 "kkwak", 0:14-0:15, 0:23, 0:27 "jikiljuraneun", 0:30 "aju").
3. You lose the timing around 0:34.

Of course, I'm criticising you in regards to the original version (unless you're improvising/freestyling; that's a different story). CL's rap style is heavily emphasised on the "d" sound of "r" (giving her rap much colour and tone), and she doesn't do offbeat rapping (meaning she keeps her lines in rhythm to the beat)... these are her two main characteristics. Therefore when you cover her, make sure you pay attention to the first point, okay?

I don't like to give a score on raps on VR, so I'll end this here. Hope this helps! ^^

Thanks for the advice! : popflower :

Hello... Do I just post here? o.o If so, could you please critic my rapping in this duet? ><



I still have a long way to go for both singing and rapping so I am prepared for harsh comments

To DustbinHugger, (what should I call you? Dusty? Binnie? Huggie?)

(This collab is actually in one of my planned list... I love this song XD)
And yes, you just need to post here. JayKayGL up there PMed her audio because she didn't know if she was supposed to post here--but yep, all critic requests go here ^^

So you chose Bang Yong Kook! Me gusta <333

Let's get to the good part~~

Strengths:
1. I like your intro ("tch'yeah" XD), & I find your rapping voice nice to listen to (Can I collaborate with you?) ^^ I personally think your rapping tone is similar to Bora (Sistar), or even Inati (Dalmatian).
2. Despite mispronounciations here & there, you have great accent. You also enunciate (almost) each syllable very clearly, which is a very good skill!
3. Excellent pitch & energy from beginning to end. The part "...naegeseo tteoreojil su eobseo" is my favourite.
4. Near-perfect timing & flow, albeit some mistakes there at 0:38-0:40, 2:05-2:07, 2:09-2:10. I believe you're also very familiar with dubbing & harmonising technique (0:36-0:40, 2:11- 2:16).

Weaknesses:
As mentioned above, I spotted some slurred/off-timing (often too-fast) parts, as well as lines that mismatch the dubs (and vice-versa). Try get the timing right for EACH word (practice 100 times, if necessary) so it matches perfectly to the original version (not too slow, not too fast). What I do when I'm learning a rap is re-write (or copy/paste) it to a Word document (or Notepad). Then following the audio, put marks, lines or gaps between each word/syllable that needs to be pronounced longer or at a certain rhythm. After you finish doing that for all verses, then try reciting it to the audio version. If you want, you can also record it on the track to know whether you've nailed it. This is a great method to help you memorise the rap flow.

If you've observed Bang Yong Kook in all of his songs, his style relies on offbeat breath flow, as well as putting the right amount energy on his rapping without sounding like he's shouting (even though he is). And of course his smexy, hoarse voice is unf

I really like your cover~~ Unfortunately I have to ignore the awesome singing by MissBerryJane in order to only give you marks based on your rap parts >.<

7.8/10
A few more practices would make this a perfect cover.

Hope this post helps Feel free to post any other questions/critic requests ^^

ooooo this seems interesting :O
I wanna get critic on my rapping as well!
Unfortunately, this is the only rap cover I have since the others only have like....less than 20 seconds of rap :P (and its an old cover too but i dont think my voice changed much)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A00iE5wvxM

To zombiefishy,

Just letting you know that you're welcome if you want to post the other raps (preferably cut since they only make up 10% of the songs) ^^

Now, G-Dragon! Even though my Big Bang rapper bias is TOP, I have to admit that I like GD's rapping technique better~~
Also, the main thing I noticed when I first heard this cover was that it was recorded professionally (as in you actually took time to do the dubs, editing & such) even though it's only a small cut =D

Strengths:
I'm not even gonna bother list everything because I'm IN LOVE with this. You've got the technique & rhythm nailed. Even the timing is perfect; breath control, pronounciation, pitch, dubs & backing vocals are awesome... honestly. I can see that you practiced this one a lot ^^

Weaknesses:
1. Having saying all that, I did find minor flaws with your rap. Around 1:11 ("jeseuchyeoneun choemyeon"), if I'm not mistaken it sounds like you're running out of breath (for the first time XD)? I'm not sure if it's intentional to make way for the dub (1:13, "neol yuhokhaneun suhwa"), but that's what it sounds like to me. Ignore this if that was actually how you wanted it to be XD
2. The second thing... the main mistake that all rap coverists do is the tone. Now, tone is generally different than pitch (for obvious reasons)--but it's VERY important to note, especially when rapping. Albeit your awesome swag, the rap sounds like you're talking. I'm not joking, because that's what it sounds like to me~ What I want is for you to put more "punch" (or "scream" if you like) so it sounds like you have power. Did you record this sitting down or standing up? It's always good to choose the latter, so you can project your voice better. Rap like you're performing on stage (don't mind other people in the house, unless they complain hahaha). In other words, I want you to 'step up' (not the octave/pitch, because GD raps in his low voice here) a bit. Does that make sense?

GD's rapping style... he's basically the male version of CL (or rather, CL the female version of GD). Refer to my post to JayKayGL up there if you want to know what I mean by that. And yes, he keeps his raps to the beat, & I hardly hear him doing the opposite.

9.5/10
Put more ENERGY to it.

I'd actually love a collab with you, & I'm anticipating more covers from you<33
Hope this post helps!

cikidoa1 wrote:

To DustbinHugger, (what should I call you? Dusty? Binnie? Huggie?)

(This collab is actually in one of my planned list... I love this song XD)
And yes, you just need to post here. JayKayGL up there PMed her audio because she didn't know if she was supposed to post here--but yep, all critic requests go here ^^

So you chose Bang Yong Kook! Me gusta <333

Let's get to the good part~~

Strengths:
1. I like your intro ("tch'yeah" XD), & I find your rapping voice nice to listen to (Can I collaborate with you?) ^^ I personally think your rapping tone is similar to Bora (Sistar), or even Inati (Dalmatian).
2. Despite mispronounciations here & there, you have great accent. You also enunciate (almost) each syllable very clearly, which is a very good skill!
3. Excellent pitch & energy from beginning to end. The part "...naegeseo tteoreojil su eobseo" is my favourite.
4. Near-perfect timing & flow, albeit some mistakes there at 0:38-0:40, 2:05-2:07, 2:09-2:10. I believe you're also very familiar with dubbing & harmonising technique (0:36-0:40, 2:11- 2:16).

Weaknesses:
As mentioned above, I spotted some slurred/off-timing (often too-fast) parts, as well as lines that mismatch the dubs (and vice-versa). Try get the timing right for EACH word (practice 100 times, if necessary) so it matches perfectly to the original version (not too slow, not too fast). What I do when I'm learning a rap is re-write (or copy/paste) it to a Word document (or Notepad). Then following the audio, put marks, lines or gaps between each word/syllable that needs to be pronounced longer or at a certain rhythm. After you finish doing that for all verses, then try reciting it to the audio version. If you want, you can also record it on the track to know whether you've nailed it. This is a great method to help you memorise the rap flow.

If you've observed Bang Yong Kook in all of his songs, his style relies on offbeat breath flow, as well as putting the right amount energy on his rapping without sounding like he's shouting (even though he is). And of course his smexy, hoarse voice is unf

I really like your cover~~ Unfortunately I have to ignore the awesome singing by MissBerryJane in order to only give you marks based on your rap parts >.<

7.8/10
A few more practices would make this a perfect cover.

Hope this post helps Feel free to post any other questions/critic requests ^^

Haha you can call me anyone of those names you like XD

Thank you so much for the critic! Yeah, I recorded this only a few times and honestly I haven't learnt it extremely well yet... Yeah ><

As for the dubbing & harmonising, I'm not very sure of it, cuz I listened to the audio & the live to search for the parts with doubles or are rapped again in a different tone...

And yes, Bang Yong Guk's rapping is so HOT&SMEXY full of swag :)

Thanks so much for the critic! :)

WOAH 9.5/10?!?! I didn't expect to get that high of a rating! :O
Thank you so much for your critic! and YES I do need to put more energy into it! I mostly do my recordings sitting down. And the whole running out of breath is ALWAYS my problem >.< I need to practice that :( I prefer putting my own style in the rapping cos I don't like imitating the original artist much (like, say, my own kind of swag haha)

Again, thanks so much for your critic!!! :D

hi!~ give me some advice with the rapping
here's my singing rapping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgdnO2lwtLs

To @Casi,

One of my fave songs of 2011!! (Didn't actually think U-Kiss would be able to pull such concept ^^)
Alright, so we have three rappers here (AJ, Eli, & Dongho)--which is good, 'cuz I like analysing different rapping styles <33

Here we go~~~

Strengths:
1. You did Eli's part close to perfect--timing & pitch-wise.
2. I like your accent & pronounciation ^^ Your rapping tone reminds me of... hmm... Cheezy from Crispi Crunch (low voice).
3. Utilisation of dubbing techniques, as always, never fail to make your raps sound pro =)

Weaknesses:
1. Good energy at the beginning of AJ's part, but it diminishes by 0:59. Eli's part, however, is originally done in a soft, smooth manner--so leave it like that ^^ Dongho's part sounds SLIGHTLY flat, though (or my ears could be playing tricks on me). AJ & Eli's duet in the end... it sounds like you're talking--meaning it lacks power.
2. You started Dongho's part without dubbing (0:54-2:02), so you lose breath & had to do the second part separately (2:03 onwards). In fact, you didn't use any dubbing at all for his part... don't be afraid to use dubbing here, because Dongho's lines here have almost no gap between each other, & obviously you'll run out of air before reaching the fifth bar. Also, ALWAYS record standing up... rapping is especially hard to do when sitting down because your stomach muscles are trying to hold in all the breaths while you record.

The guys of U-Kiss aren't exactly known for their individual rapping styles (blame NHMedia for giving them auto-tuned songs T___T), so there isn't much to comment here--although it's important to note that in this song Dongho's rap style sounds... I don't know... lazy? I mean, in comparison to, say, "What"; but still, although it does sound like he doesn't use power to the rap (probably intentional) it doesn't sound flat. Another thing is that Dongho's rapping voice is the same as his talking voice... so yeah.

Honestly, I like your singing as well--but since this is a rap critic thread I can't talk about that any further >.< But I give you credit for managing three different rappers in one song ^^

7.3/10
Power, power, power!

Hope this post helps

wow thank you! this will be a big help for my future rapping career XD
i should record while standing! *noted* i'll post another rap if u don't mind! i wanted to boost my rapping talent hahaha

here's another one^^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiTFriEMxi4

You're welcome! Glad you're submitting another rap to be critiqued ;) (Soooo sorry for the lateness, though >.<)
B1A4... my bias is the multiplayer CNU but rap-wise is Baro (I mean, just listen to his rapping voice... it's eargasm)
I love this song... shame that the rap part is too short, though, because short rap means short review =(

Let's go~~~

Strengths:
1. Pitch is fine.
2. Overall pronounciation is good, despite the mistake at 1:33 ("salpyeoshi)." Also, I noticed that you have slight troubles enunciating "d" and "j" placed close together? Because I noticed it when you're singing 1:24 ("da jalmothaesseo"), as well as during the rap part in 1:29 ("dagalttaejjeum"). Therefore the timing is a bit off, and it sounds so obvious that you struggle with pronounciation.

Weaknesses:
1. Energy is audible at the first few bars.... until 1:31. The rest sounds like you're talking.
2. You recorded this in one shot, without dubbing--it's obvious because you lose breath between 1:32-1:33, and there's the visible gasping for air at 1:34. Remember, ALWAYS dub... it really helps with breath control, flow and dealing with long lines.

Baro's rapping style is lazy, laidback... so you might want to balance the power/energy when you record his parts (e.g. not too strong, not too weak either). He also layers lines, so you'll really need to focus on dubbing ^^

I really like your singing--but this is a rap critic corner... >.<
I'm all for your future in rapping!

7/10
Dubbing, power, & breath control.

Hope this post helps

omo! this thread is so unique and cool! a really great idea!

pleae CRITICIZE my Taecyeon (Dream High) rap HARSHLY.....AS IN HARSHLY...lol....also pls. rate it (like/dislike on the page)...kekeke...advanced thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOUWA3zgen4

thank you! you're a very good critic! i will do those points when i record my next rap! kekekek...
yeah i kinda struggle pronouncing the d and j when they are together! =)

To Panda_Lulu,

You're rapping as Janey! =) I never really followed GP Basic back in the days, but Janey's stage presence really stood out whenever I watched music shows.

Go go go~~

Strengths:
1. Loving the energy! =D You actually sound like Janey.
2. Overall on-the-spot pronounciation (although some parts weren't audible, I actually had to refer back to the lyrics for 0:13 to know what you were saying).
3. Correct pitch all the way (except for 0:09, "talk"), & a slight voice crack at 2:21 ("plan").
4. Near-perfect timing--except for very little parts I've noticed, which I'll leave you to figure out since you should know them best ;)

Weaknesses:
Quite excellent cover, but no dubbing... because of this you lose breath & I didn't feel much energy starting from 0:10. I know that Janey shouts her raps here & that requires a lot of power, but that should be the more reason why you SHOULD go with dubbing. Did you record this sitting down? I hope you didn't, because... well... no one should be recording raps (or singing) sitting down XD

Unfortunately, Janey is still very young--she hasn't had her voice breaking yet, let alone develop her own rapping style. Yes, I know, she just basically screams her raps & I thought that her high-pitched parts in this song could be quite hard to record. But overall, I think she has potential.

I actually browsed through your other collabs... But compared to the those, I prefer this one SO MUCH MORE because of the energy <333 I can't actually find your rapping tone... although you did give me a Nana (After School)/Jiyoung (KARA)'s vibe based on those other collabs, but somehow with this one you kinda proved me wrong XD
But yeah, I can see that you really LOVE rapping ^^ Keep going at it, keep practicing & keep finding ways to improve ^^

9.5/10
Dubbing.

Hope this post helps

Thank you :D .... but may I know what does "dubbing mean? xD ahhaaha

and yes =w="" I record everything while sitting "cough" xD

May I ask if you are korean? :D ~~ .

hahahah and is it bad if i have Nana/ jiyoung ( she doesn rap 0w0"") vibe?? XD

sorry and thanks :D <3

It's me again! XD With another Bang Yong Guk cover, but this is erm...done before the Going Crazy one... So I'm guessing it might be worse ^^"



Thanks! :3

To jiroSHExfilesTATU,

I actually checked it out this morning but I had work... so I just got home & can only reply now. I'm sooo sorry T___T

This is the first LIVE cover anyone every posted in this topic... therefore, I'll eliminate the possibility of dubbing XD
And OMG my 2PM bias (although I'm not much of a Hottest anymore)! I dunno why he leaves a good impression on me maybe it has something to do with that deep, eargasmic rapping voice... I just don't know

Let's do this~~

Strengths:
1. Overall good pronounciation, but due to the speed at some parts you had trouble enunciating (0:14, "kkumdeureul"; 0:19-0:21, "ni soneuro irwoga mirael duryeowohajima").
2. Pitch-wise, OK (sounds SLIGHTLY flat towards the end, though).
3. Timing is a bit too fast at some parts (0:20, "mirael duryeowo" & 0:30, "ijebuteo yeogi").

Weaknesses:
Although the pitch is good, I just didn't feel much power from this cover. I know it's hard to record live & get perfection right in one-shot, but I just want more power to the rap =)

How do I describe Taec's rapping style? Deep, powerful & fast. I don't even know why the hell JYP made him sing in their debut song, because... DUDE IS A RAPPER (well, he's better in rapping than singing). If there's one thing that differentiates Taec's style from Chansung, it's his "furious" rapping. I know that 2PM's concept is supposed to be beastly, but I wish they don't have to make him look & sound angry all the time T___T If only he writes his own rap lyrics, he'd be perfection.

Too bad I can't give you a score because live recording is basically the same as VR... meaning that you can just sing over it without having to worry too much about timing & pitch, as opposed to using official instrumental that has zero backing vocals XD
Anyway, I think this is a pretty good cover! Despite it having lots of lines & being a live recording, you have great breath control ^^

Hope this post helps

Panda_Lulu wrote:

Thank you :D .... but may I know what does "dubbing mean? xD ahhaaha

and yes =w="" I record everything while sitting "cough" xD

May I ask if you are korean? :D ~~ .

hahahah and is it bad if i have Nana/ jiyoung ( she doesn rap 0w0"") vibe?? XD

sorry and thanks :D <3

XD

Dubbing means singing doubles... Rappers usually dub the last syllables of their lines so it doesn't sound too rushed & amateur XD Do you get what I mean? If rappers use dubbing then they can control their breath more easily as they progress to the next line because the dubbing will cover the last syllable/parts before. I'm really bad at explaining/describing, so if you want examples, lemme know & I'll give you some ^^

Hahaha A LOT of people--especially my Korean friends--actually thought I was Korean (even though I don't look like one XD)... maybe because I'm fluent, but that's just self-taught. Why did you ask~~? ^^

No, it's nothing bad, it's just that their rapping style is more of the sweet, soft voice-type (I honestly can't imagine them rapping with a swag like Miryo... HAHAHA that's just NOT going to happen). Yes, Jiyoung raps--check out "Love Is", "STEP", & "Strawberry".

Your welcome dear <333

OH :D . i get it now... hahah i was too lazy doing it =w=""" and since the actual song didn't have it ... so i didn't do it XD

Coz u was talking about pronunciation so I ask u that :D

I'm not a fan of kara music at all so i didn't know Jiyoung was rapped in those xD

Hahaha yeah I used to be really lazy with dubbing but I always forced myself to do it, & now I automatically do it without thinking XD

Oohh~~ yeah I suppose I'm too Koreanised that I can actually notice even the tiniest pronounciation mistakes??? XD

Yeah me too, I only practice their dances LOL. They were so good & fierce when they debuted, now they're just known for their cutesy image =\

Not sure if this will offense u or not but i can never look at Kara as a musician ==""""

^
Unfortunately I have to agree.

another cover that needs to be criticize kekekek.... =)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUrCBp2b4tU

another live cover....sorry, i'm a rookie mixer...kekeke...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ_lKcbBKVY

Can you comment on my cover too ? :)
it's a...little bad..but..i want to know what do you think about my rap ^

could you plz critique my rapping in this duet please? i don't care how harsh it is, i just want to know how my rapping is
thank you. i know i messed up in the beginning but that was my own fault ><