Summary of "How To Write A Rap Song | PART 3: STORYBOARDING"

Storyboarding Your Rap Song: Cole M’s Third Tutorial

In the third installment of his rap songwriting series, Cole M focuses on the crucial step of storyboarding your rap song. He begins by revisiting the previous steps:

Identifying the emotion of the beat
Recording scats for ideas
Jotting down creative sparks

Cole emphasizes the importance of committing to a clear concept before writing lyrics. Instead of letting rhyme schemes randomly dictate the song’s direction—which often results in aimless, freestyle-like outcomes—he advocates for planning the story arc first.

The Role of a Storyboard

A storyboard acts like a game plan, breaking down what each verse and the hook will convey. Using the example of a heartbreak song, Cole demonstrates how:

Verses build context and emotion
The hook remains versatile and impactful, changing meaning with each verse

This approach saves time and boosts creativity by avoiding wasted rewrites and writer’s block.

Common Challenges Rappers Face

Cole lists five common reasons rappers get stuck:

Lack of direction
Poor planning
Overcomplicated rhyme schemes
Overthinking details
Losing excitement after spending too much time on one song

He offers a balanced philosophy: have a goal but stay flexible, planning loosely enough to pivot creatively. To illustrate this, he quotes Andre 3000’s wisdom about planning a picnic but not predicting the weather.

Cole’s Songwriting Process Example

For his current track, Cole chooses to focus on themes of hard work, doubt, and resilience. His storyboard outlines:

Verse 1: Struggle and doubt
Verse 2: Sacrifices and discipline
Verse 3: Overcoming adversity
Hook: An encouraging anthem about grinding toward your dreams

He prefers writing the hook first since it repeats throughout the song and sets a foundation for the verses. This ensures smooth transitions and prevents overlap, as illustrated by a nod to 50 Cent’s precise verse-to-hook timing.

Additional Resources and Next Steps

Cole plugs his other tutorial videos on writing hooks and verses for those needing extra help. He also teases the next video, where he will share his completed hook and verses.