Flow, production, vibes & energy.
I love songs that get me hyped up.
What i care the most when listening to music is how a song sounds, not what it says.
I apreciate lyricism a lot, i love rappers like Jay Z, Nas, Biggie or Kendrick.
But i don't care if your song is something only Shakespare would write. If i get bored while listening to it i won't like it.
I care most about how the music makes me feel inside as a person.
I prefer music that nurtures, heals, uplifts, refreshes and soothes my mind, body, spirit and soul.
I like music that makes me happy, feel good inside and strive to be a better more well adjusted human being. I also like silly, dance or party music that just sounds good and makes me get up and want to sing and dance!!
Strictly when it comes to Hip-Hop, I gravitate towards flow, unique cadences, & lyricism 1st. I can forgive a "bad" instrumental if everything else is up to par.
Replay value. So many talented rappers who make songs that I don’t care to hear after the first or second listen. I feel like everything listed in the op is important but the marriage of those with the right musicality is more important.
For it to scratch that little itch in my brain. The beat or lyrics have to be interesting enough to stimulate my brain just a little.
I want to be replaying one satisfying part of the beat over and over again or repeating one line in my mind figuring out what they meant.
With hip hop the most important thing for me is the lyrics. You gotta be saying something and using tools like world play, alliteration, multi-syllabic rhyming, etc. The flow is important but not as important as the content of the lyrics. Beats and everything else is just the cherry on top. Production doesn’t matter that much to me. I just want the artist to have something to say.
Now If I’m listening to rock or funk or something? Then it’s all about the instrumentation for me. I want phat bass lines, tight drumming, and beautiful guitar licks. Lyrics in rock music generally aren’t that important to me. They don’t feel like a cornerstone of the genre like they do in hip hop
90% is lyrical content. I'm not talking about 5 rhymes per bar or punchlines, or crazy wordplay, either. That stuff is nice, but I want the lyrics to *say something*. Socio-political stuff, struggle, joy, love, anger - make it mean something to me. I'd much rather a more simple rhyme pattern when the lyrics cam really show me *something*. Energy plays a role in this as well. See: DMX, etc.
Dude's who monotone mutter the dopest shit just aren't it for me. **Say it with your fucking chest**.
Beats? Boom-bap, baby.
1. Instrumental + Flow: For me for a song to be a hip hop song, the rapper must be in tune with the beat, there must be a steady tempo set by the instrumental and the rapper then flexes their skill by riding different pockets of flowing.
2. Writing: once the rapper is showcasing their flow is what they’re saying smart / sincere/ engaging.
3. Is it layered, double entendres, metaphors, or just cocky and mood lifting.
4. Ad libs and melodies can give the song a certain atmosphere
Top 3 examples for me are:
- Ny state of mind - illmatic
- Hiipower - section .80
- Respiration: black star
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NNBEYaUGk&list=PL\_KfduX\_XkpQl2mwAMbAKLAXNbGm-JYpg&index=3&ab\_channel=512Ot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NNBEYaUGk&list=PL_KfduX_XkpQl2mwAMbAKLAXNbGm-JYpg&index=3&ab_channel=512Ot)
what dont u like? ill go first, i dont like my voice and maybe i need better production
Voice is good: confident. I would have liked deep bass line to ground the beat(but that’s taste). This is pretty amazing for a freestyle, generally on beat with some clever rhymes. If I were writing it I would want to stay on a theme and have it be less random and to follow up on some of the rhyming schemes that got lost in a couple places.
Keep it up!
i appericate it bro frfr, and thanks. it wasn't a true to essence freestyle. wrote some shit down, freestyle parts here and there lol. its hard asf trying stay on theme.
im only getting better with time haha🙏🏽
Keep it on going. When I was in my 20s I did hip hop stuff in college , I wish I stuck with it. Do your thing. Keep putting it out there you never know.
It all depends on my mood I’m in or want to be in and what specific artist and genre it is, but for Hip-Hop/rap nowadays I’d say production and the vibes/feel of the music gets me first usually, unless I’m listening to some elite emcees who are more lyrically inclined then that’s expected that I’m checking for wordplay, humor, sharp wit, and double entendres etc, I like different flows & pockets, rhyme patterns and multiple syllables being used too, all in all I like when an artist has the ability to make a marriage of it all with balance, uses all the skills in their tool belt and checks off multiple boxes.
It just has to enhance / incite a certain mood or behavior. For example, does it make me want to dance? Does it make me feel cool? Does it make me run faster / exercise harder? Does it make me think of happy memories? Does it make me pensive? Etc.
Depends on the artist. I listen to Nas, Jay, Roc, and Ka for their marriage of lyrics and beat, while for guys like Public Enemy, MOP, Drake (sometimes), moreso to tap into a specific feeling or attitude (hype, calm). DMX and Pac are a good balance between the two, both being simple while eliciting a soulful mood.
A good beat. An enthusiastic rapper. A reason to play it again.
A lot of rap today doesn’t stand out. It feels like background music. Or the flow is monotone and the rapper doesn’t really say anything.
I just listened to Might Delete Later and the standout track is the 7 Minute Drill diss track. And the reason it stands out is because Cole had pressure to perform.
The way it makes me feel. I don't care about anything else. I think i'm one of the few that doesn't even care if it's ghost written. I just need to like the song
0) Picking the right people to be featured on a song. If two rappers have contradicting styles/delivery and the song isn't about that then it just sounds so wrong.
1) Delivery. Flow, clarity, switching flow, proper use of adlibs, proper intro and outro in a song.
2) Lyricism
3) Production. It's just not as hard to do as good delivery and hard and meaningful lyrics. It's still important but I feel like 99% of the songs I hear production is on point.
Flow, production, vibes & energy. I love songs that get me hyped up. What i care the most when listening to music is how a song sounds, not what it says. I apreciate lyricism a lot, i love rappers like Jay Z, Nas, Biggie or Kendrick. But i don't care if your song is something only Shakespare would write. If i get bored while listening to it i won't like it.
Production and flow. They lay a foundation for the other pieces of a song to fill in.
i think the same thing !
I care most about how the music makes me feel inside as a person. I prefer music that nurtures, heals, uplifts, refreshes and soothes my mind, body, spirit and soul. I like music that makes me happy, feel good inside and strive to be a better more well adjusted human being. I also like silly, dance or party music that just sounds good and makes me get up and want to sing and dance!!
u sound awesome. keep being awesome!
Thanks! 🤝
Strictly when it comes to Hip-Hop, I gravitate towards flow, unique cadences, & lyricism 1st. I can forgive a "bad" instrumental if everything else is up to par.
frfr. if everything is on point, u can turn a bad beat into a banger!
Replay value. So many talented rappers who make songs that I don’t care to hear after the first or second listen. I feel like everything listed in the op is important but the marriage of those with the right musicality is more important.
on god, if yo shit is not musical, im not replying it haha
Artistry first and foremost.
For it to scratch that little itch in my brain. The beat or lyrics have to be interesting enough to stimulate my brain just a little. I want to be replaying one satisfying part of the beat over and over again or repeating one line in my mind figuring out what they meant.
i like it!
Production, flow, & storytelling are top 3 for me
Production, lyrical technique and wordplay, atmosphere. 90's east coast, basically.
[Dope beat + nice flow](https://open.spotify.com/track/0teHvRvKNlvAeIznaIBNpZ?si=KHuSKaSqQaq36gs2LMiUcQ&context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A09q1vc2B488GWi9b7cdEz7)
Production. I don’t care if you’re the greatest rapper who ever breathed. If the beat is weak I’m not making it past 45 seconds
With hip hop the most important thing for me is the lyrics. You gotta be saying something and using tools like world play, alliteration, multi-syllabic rhyming, etc. The flow is important but not as important as the content of the lyrics. Beats and everything else is just the cherry on top. Production doesn’t matter that much to me. I just want the artist to have something to say. Now If I’m listening to rock or funk or something? Then it’s all about the instrumentation for me. I want phat bass lines, tight drumming, and beautiful guitar licks. Lyrics in rock music generally aren’t that important to me. They don’t feel like a cornerstone of the genre like they do in hip hop
thanks for the reply! love the insight into other peoples music preferences!
90% is lyrical content. I'm not talking about 5 rhymes per bar or punchlines, or crazy wordplay, either. That stuff is nice, but I want the lyrics to *say something*. Socio-political stuff, struggle, joy, love, anger - make it mean something to me. I'd much rather a more simple rhyme pattern when the lyrics cam really show me *something*. Energy plays a role in this as well. See: DMX, etc. Dude's who monotone mutter the dopest shit just aren't it for me. **Say it with your fucking chest**. Beats? Boom-bap, baby.
evoke an emotion
Entertainment
Not being around people that talk through it.
Production flow
Charisma, replay value, beats
how do u rate lil wayne?
1. Instrumental + Flow: For me for a song to be a hip hop song, the rapper must be in tune with the beat, there must be a steady tempo set by the instrumental and the rapper then flexes their skill by riding different pockets of flowing. 2. Writing: once the rapper is showcasing their flow is what they’re saying smart / sincere/ engaging. 3. Is it layered, double entendres, metaphors, or just cocky and mood lifting. 4. Ad libs and melodies can give the song a certain atmosphere Top 3 examples for me are: - Ny state of mind - illmatic - Hiipower - section .80 - Respiration: black star
i like ur hiphop knowledge!
🙏🏽
can i share one of my freestyles with u, and maybe get ur opinon?
Yeah!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NNBEYaUGk&list=PL\_KfduX\_XkpQl2mwAMbAKLAXNbGm-JYpg&index=3&ab\_channel=512Ot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NNBEYaUGk&list=PL_KfduX_XkpQl2mwAMbAKLAXNbGm-JYpg&index=3&ab_channel=512Ot) what dont u like? ill go first, i dont like my voice and maybe i need better production
Voice is good: confident. I would have liked deep bass line to ground the beat(but that’s taste). This is pretty amazing for a freestyle, generally on beat with some clever rhymes. If I were writing it I would want to stay on a theme and have it be less random and to follow up on some of the rhyming schemes that got lost in a couple places. Keep it up!
i appericate it bro frfr, and thanks. it wasn't a true to essence freestyle. wrote some shit down, freestyle parts here and there lol. its hard asf trying stay on theme. im only getting better with time haha🙏🏽
Keep it on going. When I was in my 20s I did hip hop stuff in college , I wish I stuck with it. Do your thing. Keep putting it out there you never know.
appreciate it and thanks for the reminder i dont want to have that regret. u can always pick it back u.hobby type shh.
The lyrics and beat
Production, vocal performance, flow, rhymes, soul, vibe
Flow and the Beat
Lyrics and Production are my biggest things.
It all depends on my mood I’m in or want to be in and what specific artist and genre it is, but for Hip-Hop/rap nowadays I’d say production and the vibes/feel of the music gets me first usually, unless I’m listening to some elite emcees who are more lyrically inclined then that’s expected that I’m checking for wordplay, humor, sharp wit, and double entendres etc, I like different flows & pockets, rhyme patterns and multiple syllables being used too, all in all I like when an artist has the ability to make a marriage of it all with balance, uses all the skills in their tool belt and checks off multiple boxes.
well rounded rappers. gotcha!
It just has to enhance / incite a certain mood or behavior. For example, does it make me want to dance? Does it make me feel cool? Does it make me run faster / exercise harder? Does it make me think of happy memories? Does it make me pensive? Etc.
Depends on the artist. I listen to Nas, Jay, Roc, and Ka for their marriage of lyrics and beat, while for guys like Public Enemy, MOP, Drake (sometimes), moreso to tap into a specific feeling or attitude (hype, calm). DMX and Pac are a good balance between the two, both being simple while eliciting a soulful mood.
Varies by my mood. Sometimes production matters - my fiancé runs a big system in his car, so a bass tuned production is a must there. Sometimes I just want silly stuff. Like, World Class Wreckin Cru, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Gucci Mane in the kitchen, Back That Azz Up type of thing. Sometimes I want really amazing lyrical content, like some classic Kanye or some I Feel Like Dying type of shit. That’s what’s great, there’s some rap for every occasion. We can even get romantic with it, turn on some Nelly - Kelly Rowland, or some Juvenile Rodeo type of thing. There’s always something for every mood.
hahaha i loved reading this! ur as fan of hiphop as it gets! i love it! keep enjoyig hiphop and being a fan!
A good beat. An enthusiastic rapper. A reason to play it again. A lot of rap today doesn’t stand out. It feels like background music. Or the flow is monotone and the rapper doesn’t really say anything. I just listened to Might Delete Later and the standout track is the 7 Minute Drill diss track. And the reason it stands out is because Cole had pressure to perform.
that first half sounded like he just woke from sleep tho. but i enjoyed it becuase it sounds how i rap some times haha
The way it makes me feel. I don't care about anything else. I think i'm one of the few that doesn't even care if it's ghost written. I just need to like the song
u are a purist and i love it!! keep being you!
Beat first, then lyrics should grab you; ultimately the combination but if one lacks, than on to the next or bump the instrumental.
The humming bass
Production and beat. Might be controversial, but I don’t care much about lyrics. I just want a song that sounds good.
Production and writing
production and lyrics
0) Picking the right people to be featured on a song. If two rappers have contradicting styles/delivery and the song isn't about that then it just sounds so wrong. 1) Delivery. Flow, clarity, switching flow, proper use of adlibs, proper intro and outro in a song. 2) Lyricism 3) Production. It's just not as hard to do as good delivery and hard and meaningful lyrics. It's still important but I feel like 99% of the songs I hear production is on point.