MCing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To introduce MCing, ask students to read the Hip Hop intro then watch the following movie (click the icon below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity - Creating A Rap Song

 

Day 1

 

1. Describe word webs (see example)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. As a class

- choose a topic and create a word web

- revise the word web

- group words within the word web by general and specific

 

3. Split students into groups of 2, then ask students to

- choose a topic that is meaninful to them

- create a word web about the topic of 20-25 words

- revise the word web – get rid of/consolidate words that are too much the same

- group words within the topic by general and specific

 

 

 

 

Day 2

 

1. As a class discuss the structure of a rap.  The key points include:

- Each line of the verse is based around 4 beats

- Uses rhyming words that fall on beat 4.

* End Rhymes - rhyming words that come at the end of each line of a couplet on beat 4

* Internal Rhymes - rhyming words that are found within one line and happens on beats 2 & 4

* Slant Rhymes - words that don't exactly rhyme, but when said in a certain way are close enough

- Has verses and a chorus

* Verse is new material

* Chorus is the same and is repeated throughout

- Each verse uses a rhyming couplet format (AABB - 4 lines)

- Each chorus is the same and is something catchy (a hook) that people will remember

 

* Example

Verse

We are 8th graders and we rule the school (A)

Boys and girls who are fly and cool (A)

Got our own style, that’s a fact (B)

Yeah we're crushin' it, lovin' it, it ain't no act (B)

Verse

Sports, clubs, music and drama (A)

One way or 'nother we all performas (A)

We got short ones and tall ones and white ones and brown ones (B)

Yeah we're crushin' it, lovin' it, and having fun (B)

Chorus

Oh, oh, we're crushin' it (yeah, we are)

And we are lovin' it (yeah, we are)

Oh, oh, we're crushin' it (yeah, we are)

Don't you just love it (yeah, yeah)

 

2. Demonstrate Verses and Choruses through listening examples and pdfs of the lyrics (some examples are below).

 

 

Good Feeling - Flo Rida

 

 

 

Jump - Kris Kross

 

 

 

Ice, Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice

 

 

 

3. Hand out the Four Bar Rap Verse Worksheet.  In their groups of 2, ask students to use this worksheet to write

    their first verse.

 

 

 

 

4. Using the same worksheet, ask students to write their chorus.

 

 

 

 

Day 3

 

1. Ask students to continue working on their rap songs to create five more verses.  Once finished, students should

    practice their raps in the following form:

 

Chorus   Verse     Verse     Chorus     Verse     Verse     Chorus     Verse     Verse    Chorus     Chorus

 

 

 

 

Day 4

 

 

1. Demonstrate the drum beat loop feature on GarageBand.

 

2. Ask students to find a 4-8 beat rhythmic ostinato, via a drum beat loop, that can be played throughout their rap

    song.

 

- Students should practice with different drum beat loops to find the right one

- (Optional: Students find 2 complimenting drum loops - one for the verses and one for the chorus)

 

3. Ask students to engage the repeat function and determine the number of repeats they need for their song.

 

4. Ask students to disengage the repeat function.  Then ask them to copy the loop the number of times they will

    need for their song.

 

5. Ask student to practice their rap song with the created drum loop.  Make adjustments if necessary.

 

6. Ask students to save the file as LastName_ClassPeriod_DrumLoop (e.g., VanWeelden_4_DrumLoop)

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5

 

1. Give students 10-15 minutes to practice their rap songs with their partner.

 

2. Perform their songs for the others in the class.

 

3. As homework, ask students to complete the Rap Evaluation Sheet.