In being a lyricist, two main components must be recognized and embraced. The first component is character. A coloring book is made for coloring, but could you imagine a coloring book completely colored one orange color? The car, the dog, the lady gardening - all orange. Well, it is colored, ain't it? Okay, without the sarcasm, what kind of book are you? Color represents character. Aerosmith has character; Barry White is my legend, but his coloring book pales in comparison to someone like James Brown.
The second component is devotion. You mustn't be solely obsessed with rhyming, or conjuring metaphors in your brain 24/7. When you are tending to your craft, however, you must like it and endure it. I bet that as time proceeds, your devotion will reward you greatly. you will see results as in any fitness program. Your brain will retain more swiftly, and rhymes will bombard you even when you're not thinking of them. This is the subliminal.
The key points I personally feel are a must have in order to be the lyricist you already are, are: LYRICAL TIME, ENVIRONMENT, RELEVANCY, and CREATIVITY. The order of sequence does not really differentiate the recipe, it's like a milk shake - ice, milk, cream...or...cream, ice, milk...it's still a milk shake (or shaken milk!). Practicing the key points and respecting their influence on a lyricist will undoubtedly enhance your ambition as a lyricist.
Lyrical Time:
Lyrical time symbolizes the allotted time one has to write or brain storm lyrics. Lyrical time doesn't necessarily have to be time spent writing lyrics. It cold be ten minutes you set aside to read the dictionary or thesaurus. You could sit in your car during the first five minutes of a fifteen or thirty minute break at work and say a few rhymes. The point is, lyrics are like teeth. Lyrics are our lives put in rhythmic format. We don't have to worry about our teeth growing - that's natural human development for teeth to sprout. It is however, our job to clean them, inspect them, and upkeep maintenance on them to ensure a healthy life. Likewise, lyrics are like puzzles scattered waiting to be put together. The only difference is the puzzle pieces don't fit just one way. Creativity allows you to puzzle any picture imaginable. Example: I was at work (McDonald's) and these customers ate six Mcdoubles and spilled Fanta on the floor. Then, their daughter named LeAndra was being bratty because she wanted a Batman toy vs. the doll toy. Needless to say, I had to clean up the mess. While in the mop closets filling the bucket, I uttered to myself, "Damn customers, they come here give all their cash away/ eat up all the food burp then trash the place/ it's crazy 'cause I just served a couple/ who each by themselves just at three Mcdoubles/ little girl of theirs was grinnin' causing trouble/ spilled her happy meal and made a fudge sundae puddle/ I never seen the kid but lady called her LeAndra/ I remember her from the day she spilled the Fanta/ acted really bratty ungrateful for her toy/ this lil' girl bugged me for Batmobiles like she was a boy." This, I recorded off the top of my head on my iPhone, other wise I would have forgotten it. My case, nevertheless, is the two minutes it took to create these lyrics, whether dumb or genius, is considered lyrical time. It's so pertinent to "tend to your craft." Practice doesn't actually make you perfect, but time allows you to perfect your goals. To "perfect" something means constantly in pursuit to better something to be the best. The best time to write or think is in the morning after at least a seven hour rest. This slumber gives the brain time to relax and recharge like a Blackberry Curve. Once you arise in the morning, or after a decent amount of rest, eating foods containing high glucose is recommended before entering your lyricist gym. Sugar stimulates the body exerting energy and a surge of vim through the mind, providing you with an ideal launch pad for great lyrical thinking.
Grocery store, traffic, police station or in the shower, I recommend you think of what you're doing in the moment and put it into lyrics, and remember it doesn't necessarily have to rhyme to be a rhyme. Roses are red, violets are blue, lilacs are purple, and lilies are white is a better lyric that "roses are red, violets are blue, glass can be broken, I like to smell glue." Both are lyrics but only one holes onto what we'll soon discuss as "relevancy."
In layman terms, you never forget how to ride a bike, but you won't ride as well as those who ride consistently and the same application goes for lyrical time. Give your lyrics their time and stick with it continuously. Without time for your craft, is like gas without a car. You're going to a town called Nowhereville.
How to Be a Lyricist
Introduction
Welcome, loved ones, to what happens to be my first blog page. Primarily, this page will entail and depict the rudimentary steps necessary for one to be a self-proclaimed "lyricist." When initially approached by a publicist of mine, I was asked as to why I titled my blog, "How to be a lyricist," vs., "How to write a rap or rhyme." I mean, besides, everyone would like to blow the crowd away with some super tight metaphors and hear the crowd mega roar, but not every Tom, Dick, or Hector (thought it was Harry-huh!) aspires to be a lyricist. Right? Wrong! To further grasp a hold of what I'm saying, you first must ask yourself, do you even know the definition of a lyricist/lyric? Well, according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, "lyric" is a noun which defines poetry like songs, or verses. It also goes on to state that in its adjective state, it ("lyric") is suitable for singing: Melodic. Expressing direct and usual intense personal emotion. So, if you've ever gotten your old girlfriend back with a "Baby Come Back to Me" speech, then the emotion behind those calculated words could very well be the lyrics for a heart felt song. If this doesn't make any sense, then here's my last shot. Have you or someone you've known listened to a song and felt like someone had spied on you and wrote your life down as a lyrical ballad? I mean, so much is the song on point with you and your personal experience that it evokes emotions or makes you wonder if the song writer even imagined the words or was there some truth inspired into it. If this connects with you, even if a little, then you will understand why I'm tortured with this question: why is it that Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, or any other known musical artist can illustrate what everyone goes through. I mean, I can't sing like Michael, maybe Myers, but not the King. Still, this doesn't negate the innate skill of emotional communication that we all are blessed with from inception. Even the animals produce music and mostly communicate in melodic or lyrical argon. So, MJ may be a better singer, but we're both equally lyrical.
In these upcoming blogs, I will imply methods backed with natural science laws of thinking, retaining mental data, and formulating witty phrases that could rival Nas, The Game, Eminem, or Lil' Wayne. I welcome all and any to submit inquiries or imply comments based on titled subject.
I've been rhyming since 1988 and it has honestly enhanced my vocabulary, my communication skills, helped me to overcome qualms of public speaking, opened my perception, and ultimately made me to be dubbed as, "Oh you're the one who can rap," in a lot of places. But that's just it, we all can and do RAP music, lyrics...they're everywhere every second, just ssshhh...and take a moment to hear the planet rock.
In Harmony,
Entyce
In these upcoming blogs, I will imply methods backed with natural science laws of thinking, retaining mental data, and formulating witty phrases that could rival Nas, The Game, Eminem, or Lil' Wayne. I welcome all and any to submit inquiries or imply comments based on titled subject.
I've been rhyming since 1988 and it has honestly enhanced my vocabulary, my communication skills, helped me to overcome qualms of public speaking, opened my perception, and ultimately made me to be dubbed as, "Oh you're the one who can rap," in a lot of places. But that's just it, we all can and do RAP music, lyrics...they're everywhere every second, just ssshhh...and take a moment to hear the planet rock.
In Harmony,
Entyce
