Front Cover -- Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword by Kool G Rap -- Introduction -- Part I: Content -- 1 Content Topics -- Real-Life Content -- Fictional Content -- Controversial Content -- Conscious Content -- Club/Party Content -- 2 Content Forms -- Braggadocio/Battling Form -- Conceptual Form -- Story Form -- Abstract Form -- Humorous Form -- 3 Content Tools -- Imagery -- Similes, Metaphors, and Analogies -- Slang -- Vocabulary -- Wordplay -- Punch Lines -- Part II: Flow -- 4 How Flow Works -- The Flow Diagram -- Beats and Bars -- Syllables and Stressed Syllables -- Fitting the Lyrics to the Beat -- Rests -- Overlapping Bars -- How Is the Flow Diagram Useful? -- More Examples -- 5 Rhyme -- Perfect Rhyme -- Assonance (Vowel Sound Rhyme) -- Alliteration and Consonance -- Compound Rhymes (Multisyllable Rhymes) -- Coming Up with Rhymes -- 6 Rhyme Schemes -- Types of Rhyme Scheme -- Extra Rhymes -- Number of Rhymes in a Bar -- Rhyme Placement -- 7 Rhythm -- Coming Up with Rhythms -- The Pattern Diagram -- Patterns of Rhythms -- Rests -- Part III: Writing -- 8 The Writing Process -- Research -- Ways of Writing Lyrics -- Places to Write -- Times to Write -- How Long Does It Take? -- Writing in One Go or in Pieces -- Keeping or Changing the Process -- 9 Beats and Freestyling -- Writing With or Without the Beat -- Picking Beats -- Rapping and Producing -- Freestyling -- 10 Structuring, Editing, and Selecting Lyrics -- Song Structure -- Editing Lyrics -- Selecting Which Lyrics to Use -- Selecting Singles -- 11 Writing with Other People -- Writing in a Group -- Guest Verses and Other Short-Term Collaborations -- Ghostwriting -- Producer Writing Input -- Part IV: Delivery -- 12 Vocal Techniques -- Breath Control -- Enunciation -- Vocal Style -- Taking Care of Your Voice -- 13 In the Studio -- Reading or Memorizing the Lyrics -- Practicing the Vocals.

Deciding Where to Breathe -- Guide Vocals -- Recording over Several Takes or in One Take -- Number of Takes -- Doubling Up and Ad-Libs -- Further Editing the Lyrics -- Producer Vocal Direction -- 14 Performing Live -- Confidence and Showmanship -- Using the Mic and PA System -- Rocking the Crowd -- Being Spontaneous, Improvising, and Freestyling -- Adding Something Extra -- Working with a Hype Man, DJ, or Group -- Learning from Other Artists' Performances -- Rehearsing -- Final Words -- Interviewed Artists -- Index.