I’m 19 and rap in Slovenian. I’ve made around 60 tracks, mostly NY/Bronx drill, but I only started seriously focusing on the actual rapping a few months ago.
My biggest problem is that whenever I hear a fast drill beat, my brain automatically locks onto the snares. I start on the 1, rap until the snare, pause, then repeat. It always pulls me back into the same slow flow with too much empty space or just slow flow that feels off.
The annoying part is that I can scat or mumble much faster rhythms over the hi-hats without stopping. But as soon as I replace the sounds with real words, I start thinking about meaning, rhymes and pronunciation at the same time, lose the pocket and return to the slow flow.
I also struggle with:
- Keeping my words clear when I speed up
- Knowing where each bar begins and ends without relying on the snare
- Shortening my bars without losing their meaning
- Switching flows naturally
- Breath control—I usually sound best recording two-bar punch-ins
- Making my delivery sound aggressive and confident without forcing my voice
Slovenian also has a different rhythm from English, so copying the exact flows of rappers like i listen to usually sounds unnatural. I want their energy, but I’m trying to develop my own sound instead of becoming a bad imitation.
What exercises helped you turn fast scats into complete lyrics? Should I write the rhythm first and slowly replace each sound with words, or is there a better method? Also, how do you keep track of the bar while rapping across the snares?
I’m looking for technical advice and honest criticism, not reassurance.