How to not be corny as a rapper?

[Rozay Oro]

doctor recommendations a daily dose of East Coast mixtapes with maybe a but of chill west coast classics afterwards.

I got old head tastes so that could help build a foundation.
Also listen to a track and when you catch a good rapper spit a wack bar....replace it with one that's harder.

Just like basketball got to have to handle your dribbles first young man before you shoot out to leg work. Yeeeee

I'm young but I been heard many classics. I was put on to Nas when I was in the 8th grade. I was pretty much how j Cole called himself a rap nerd in his teen years. These were the days when you'd just google album name with MediaFire at the end. Nearly 10 years ago. Crazy how time flies. I'm 22 right now. These streaming platforms I can hear even more obviously. I want to make music that appeals wide but still remain true to the genre and heads. I say Kanye and Curren$y have done that the best as far as crafting songs. I do like these newer artists like Vince Staples who isn't with the lil ______ mumble fukkery. It's a hard thing to balance, become too lyrical or more melodic than having bangers. Your audience is a sea of cacs. Be too different and the same outcome (I went to a Tech N9ne concert once, full of cacs. Like 7 black people).

 

[Taadow]

Clarify. Because to what extent and what you define by corny? You mean some song and dance shyt or you referring to lyrics and flow?

You gotta not be afraid to own your corny chit in the moment.

For example:
Jay during the Blueprint 2 era is my favorite version of Jay because he was finally in a space
where he felt like he could let his hair down, and he didn't take himself so seriously. Because of
that, the music was more fun - and dare I say, more real. So I didn't trip off quotes like:

"Jay straight like Indian hair"
"Half Black, half White chick - I call her Minnie Mouse"
"You might have to get you some Scooby Doos"

Or like Ghost.
Dude is tough, but he'll bust out singing some Doo Wop out of nowhere and chit...


When you can show you moments of corniness, that takes heart in a genre of people who
are always so guarded about looking hard all the time.

 

[King Khufu]

You gotta not be afraid to own your corny chit in the moment.
.

I just shortened the quote to commend this response. That I can agree with. I just wanna address a side comment to reader's of the forum who stumble across this, it's okay to be yourself but keep the goofy toned down to where it comes off as dope and not as some absurd comedy or weirdo shyt. I think that's sensible.

 

[MyMindWarpsandBends]

Just be yourself put the music over everything, and figure out who you’re tryna speak to with it, if the music is undeniable it won’t matter if you’re corny or not J. Cole is corny as far I’m concerned but he has a dedicated fan base that will support him every time he drops whether the critics like it or not because the music is good and he speaks to them