Can You Forget How To Rap? (Tips + Examples)

Today, we answer a question that might bring fear to the hearts of many rappers who’ve taken a break for a period of time: “Can you forget how to rap?”

Usually the people who ask this fall into two categories:

1. People who have decided to start rapping but are afraid
2. People who have taken a break from rapping and are impatient to “get good again”

We’ll break down these concerns fully in this article and answer if you can truly forget how to rap!

OVERVIEW

Let’s look over what we’re going to discuss today:

Use, Don’t Lose

We’ll explain in this article that anything you don’t use… you lose.

So, if you don’t take action on maintaining your rap skills, you can expect them to decrease. 

Now, that doesn’t quite mean that you FORGET them… but you certainly get WORSE as opposed to better.

Different Skills Are Forgotten Faster

We’ll discuss how skills that require a lot of brain (or physical) power like punchlines, rhyme schemes, and flow are often forgotten the fastest… and why.

We’ll also throw you a couple things you probably WON’T lose.

We’ll finish the article with a few resources to help you guarantee you won’t forget how to rap ever again… 

…IF you take action consistently!

IF YOU DON’T — USE IT, YOU LOSE IT

There’s an old book called The Kybalion (1908) that talks about the different rules of success.

This book is like a mythological text of different ideas on how to become a “great man”. 

It’s organized into seven separate ‘principles’ meant to guide you on your journey through life.

At the risk of getting too intellectual with you, I’ll give you a straight summary of one of the best rules: 

“The Law of Use”: If you do not take action on something (if you do not “use” it), you will suffer and run into conflict.

In the hood we say, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”.

If you’re wondering if you can forget how to rap… the same case is true.

In other words, if you’d like to continue being “good” at rap… you definitely have to — USE the skills necessary again and again to keep the ability in tact.

Think of a bike. Even though at a certain speed, the bike can essentially pedal itself for the most part…

…Especially when going downhill… 

…At the end of the day, you’ll have to push the pedals occasionally to keep intertia working for you. 

Being a skilled rapper is no different.

Different Skills Make You Forget Rap Faster

Now, in my case, I have taken considerably long breaks from rapping due to circumstances you might relate to:

• I’ve gone to college and had to focus on my studies
• I’ve had to work and make money
• I’ve gone on vacation or traveled for long periods of time
• I’ve hit writer’s block and couldn’t finish songs

…and so much more. 

Pretty much any stereotype of something that forces you to stop rapping, I’ve done.

What I’ve noticed in those times that I’ve “taken a break” is…

…You forget CERTAIN aspects of rap faster than others.

Punchlines and Lyricism

The first thing you will lose pretty quickly is being very WITTY.

Unless you are taking other actions in your life to keep up your nimble mind… 

Like being in an improv class, socializing A LOT so that you are thinking quick on your feet, or actively writing humorous content…

…Your ability to construct a FIRE punchline or a witty set of bars will disappear first…

I think this has to do with the fact that making “witty” and original bars take the MOST amount of thought in any sort of training.

It’s the most mentally taxing aspect of being a rapper, and so if you don’t — USE your mental abilities and keep them sharp… you LOSE them.

If you want to learn how to create better punchlines faster and “remember” how to rap, check out this free “How To Create A Punchline That Doesn’t Suck” YouTube video we made by clicking here. 

Can You Forget How To Rap Rhyme Schemes?

The second most common thing you will experience if you forget how to rap  is the best rhyme choices.

If you’d been rapping for any serious amount of time (2+ years), you obviously “know your way around a rhyme scheme”.

You’re aware of the difference between an elementary/predictable rhyme (“track”, “snack”) and a more complex multisyllable rhyme choice (“song pennin’ / John Lennon”), etc.

But much like the mentally taxing nature of coming up with punchlines… 

Creating original rhyme schemes comes at a price in your ability to think.

If you don’t practice it, you can expect to lose it. 

If you’re trying to brush up on your rhyme schemes quickly, we have an in-depth playlist on YouTube chock full of ideas to get your mind going.

You can watch the rhyme scheme playlist by clicking here. 

Flow / Enunciation / Voice

While you never quite use the ability to “flow” once you’ve mastered staying on beat (click here to watch a free training on this)… 

…You will lose the ability to rap FASTER due to not practicing the enunciation rap requires. 

Unlike the mentally taxing aspects of learning how to write punchlines or rhymes, enunciation abilities are a physically intensive process that require constant practice.

If you’re not taking action on building up that physical skill of saying words quickly in rhythm, you’re going to lose it.

The same is true of your voice. Your voice won’t CHANGE, but it will become harder to recreate the sounds in your head on an actual track if you “forget how to rap” if you want to call it that.

As far as your flow, you won’t start sliding off beat PER SE… 

BUT you will find it harder and harder to find the most original rhythm to place your lyrics to. 

Skills That You Probably Won’t Lose 

Things revolving around song structure are hard to forget… 

…Partially because they are more about being able to IDENTIFY aspects of a song, or count them out…

…Then actually using much brain power.

Similarly, beat selection and an ear for what “good rap” sounds like are hard to forget as well.

We go more in-depth into all of these topics in the “How Long Does It Take To Get Good At Rapping?” article which can be found here. 

How To Start Rapping (After A Long Break)

To end this article, I want to put you on to a couple key free resources we’ve developed for you to fix this very problem.

The first is a free YouTube training literally titled, “How To Start Rapping (After A Long Break)”. (Click HERE to watch it)

In it, you’ll learn how long it will take it to get “good” again, what skills are most important to re-learn in what order…

…and much more so that you can cut the time it takes “remember” How To Rap FAST and you can start releasing records again…

…And as far as releasing music is concerned, the best place to start is our free audiobook “Self-Made Classic: How To Drop A Great Project on a Tight Budget”.

It will explain exactly how to make an album right from home on the cheap that will help you gain a full-time rap career so you never EVER have to work a normal job (or go to school ever again): 

Click HERE to learn how to make an album from home that can help you quit your job or school. 

CONCLUSION 

At the end of the day…

If You Don’t Use It, You Lose It

Since the olden days people have noted that your skills diminish in anything you don’t consistently practice.

Skills You Won’t Forget

However, there are certain skills such as song structure and beat selection that would be hard to lose once you get them locked down. 

Resources:

Song Structure and Beat Selection Tutorial (after you enter in email)

Skills That You Forget

Some abilities that require more brain power such as punchlines and rhyme schemes… and flow… will be somewhat forgotten if you don’t work on them:

Resources:

Punchline Tutorial

Rhyme Scheme Tutorials

Flow Tutorials

How To Start Rapping (After A Long Break)

We have developed an in-depth free breakdown on how to organize your life to start rapping again even if you’re busy so that you can get your skills back and create a great career.

Resources:

How To Start Rapping (After A Long Break)

How To Drop A Great Project on a Tight Budget

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COMMENT BELOW: 

What skills have you felt you lost after a break from rapping? 

– Drew Morisey, @drewmorisey on Instagram and Twitter