How to Come up With a Rap Name
Keep your name short., Find a name that is memorable and melodic., Play with your actual name., Brainstorm nicknames from your life., Pay tribute to your influences., Find influence from your everyday life., Use acronyms to pack hidden meaning into...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep your name short.
Your name has got to be memorable and easy to say in a song or an interview.
Longer names are difficult to remember, so shoot instead for one or two syllables.
Even rappers with longer names usually have shortened versions (Notorious B.I.G → "Biggie," Lupe Fiasco → "Lupe," etc.) Ex.
Nas, Snoop Dogg, Big Boi, Common -
Step 2: Find a name that is memorable and melodic.
Names that roll off the tongue are easier to remember.
Thinking of the best raps names, from Rakim to Del the Funkee Homosapien, and note how they sound out-loud.
The are memorable, musical, and easily rhymed.
The easiest way to do this is with matching sounds, such as in Eminem and KidD Cudi. , Many rappers use monikers that are slight variations on their actual name or initials.
Some rappers, like Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, even use their names outright.
Eminem is a play on Marshall Mathers real initials (M&M).
Lupe Fiasco's name, in part, comes from his given first name Wasalu.
Lil' Wayne was born Dwayne Carter. , Oftentimes the most effective rap names come from real life.
A good rap name is not only catchy but personal, capturing your style in a word or two, so nicknames are the perfect place for inspiration.
Snoop Dogg's mother called him "Snoopy" as a child Waka Flocka Flame was nicknamed "Waka" by his younger cousin while watching Fozzy Bear from The Muppets.
Rapper, The Game was called "Game" as a kid because he loved playing sports. , Hip-hop has always been a genre that takes old trends and influences and remixes them in the present, so it should be no surprise that Jay-Z, known as "Jazzy" as a kid, changed his name to Jay-Z as a salute to his hero, producer Jay-O. 50 Cent chose his name as a reference to friend and fellow hustler Kelvin "50 Cent" Darnell Martin. , Sometimes the best names come from the mundane, commenting on who and what you are everyday.
Think of your passions, goals, and rap style and use them for inspiration.
Ghostface Killah got his name from his favorite kung-fu villain. 2 Chainz chose his name because "In my 8th grade yearbook picture I had on two chains," and it stuck.French Montana, who hails from the ex-French colony of Morocco, moved to America and picked up the last name of fictional drug dealer Tony Montana from Scarface. , Acronyms have a long history in hip-hop, from Common's classic song "I Used to Love H.E.R." to Kendrick's masterpiece album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D.
City." If you use an acronym, choose something that is easy to say and think hard about what each letter should mean.
Big K.R.I.T. stands for "King Remembered in Time." A$AP Rocky, and all the A$AP crew, have said that the name stands for "Always Strive and Prosper." M.I.A. stands for "Missing in Action." Not only is this a tribute to her cousin who went missing, but a reference to the London neighborhood, Action, where she grew up. , A name with some sort of deeper meaning implies that the rapper's songs have deeper meaning.
Kendrick Lamar is on record saying that he chose to use his real name because he "raps about real things," for example.
His name is symbolic of his style.Rapsody is a play on both "rap" and the word "rhapsody," which means "an epic poem." Wix Khalifa got his name from his Arabic uncle, whose name means knowledge, and the Arabic word "khalifa." which means successor.Raekwon the Chef chose his name because he sees writing as a form of cooking, mixing up metaphors like ingredients. , There are additions to rap names that have been common for years and are used by many rappers for nicknames.
Some potential additions to your name include:
MC Lil' Big The DJ, Rap collectives like N.W.A, Black Hippy, or Mobb Deep still need to come up with a name that is unique, short, and symbolic.
Wu-Tang Clan takes it's name from the group's shared love of old kung-fu movies.
The Roots references a book and television series exploring the history of slavery in America, which fits their social conscious songs and message.
The Pro Era name comes from a popular line of clothing and the idea that the rappers are ushering in a new age of professionalism. -
Step 3: Play with your actual name.
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Step 4: Brainstorm nicknames from your life.
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Step 5: Pay tribute to your influences.
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Step 6: Find influence from your everyday life.
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Step 7: Use acronyms to pack hidden meaning into your name.
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Step 8: Make your name symbolic.
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Step 9: Add common rap handles to your name.
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Step 10: Remember that the same rules apply for rap groups.
Detailed Guide
Your name has got to be memorable and easy to say in a song or an interview.
Longer names are difficult to remember, so shoot instead for one or two syllables.
Even rappers with longer names usually have shortened versions (Notorious B.I.G → "Biggie," Lupe Fiasco → "Lupe," etc.) Ex.
Nas, Snoop Dogg, Big Boi, Common
Names that roll off the tongue are easier to remember.
Thinking of the best raps names, from Rakim to Del the Funkee Homosapien, and note how they sound out-loud.
The are memorable, musical, and easily rhymed.
The easiest way to do this is with matching sounds, such as in Eminem and KidD Cudi. , Many rappers use monikers that are slight variations on their actual name or initials.
Some rappers, like Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, even use their names outright.
Eminem is a play on Marshall Mathers real initials (M&M).
Lupe Fiasco's name, in part, comes from his given first name Wasalu.
Lil' Wayne was born Dwayne Carter. , Oftentimes the most effective rap names come from real life.
A good rap name is not only catchy but personal, capturing your style in a word or two, so nicknames are the perfect place for inspiration.
Snoop Dogg's mother called him "Snoopy" as a child Waka Flocka Flame was nicknamed "Waka" by his younger cousin while watching Fozzy Bear from The Muppets.
Rapper, The Game was called "Game" as a kid because he loved playing sports. , Hip-hop has always been a genre that takes old trends and influences and remixes them in the present, so it should be no surprise that Jay-Z, known as "Jazzy" as a kid, changed his name to Jay-Z as a salute to his hero, producer Jay-O. 50 Cent chose his name as a reference to friend and fellow hustler Kelvin "50 Cent" Darnell Martin. , Sometimes the best names come from the mundane, commenting on who and what you are everyday.
Think of your passions, goals, and rap style and use them for inspiration.
Ghostface Killah got his name from his favorite kung-fu villain. 2 Chainz chose his name because "In my 8th grade yearbook picture I had on two chains," and it stuck.French Montana, who hails from the ex-French colony of Morocco, moved to America and picked up the last name of fictional drug dealer Tony Montana from Scarface. , Acronyms have a long history in hip-hop, from Common's classic song "I Used to Love H.E.R." to Kendrick's masterpiece album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D.
City." If you use an acronym, choose something that is easy to say and think hard about what each letter should mean.
Big K.R.I.T. stands for "King Remembered in Time." A$AP Rocky, and all the A$AP crew, have said that the name stands for "Always Strive and Prosper." M.I.A. stands for "Missing in Action." Not only is this a tribute to her cousin who went missing, but a reference to the London neighborhood, Action, where she grew up. , A name with some sort of deeper meaning implies that the rapper's songs have deeper meaning.
Kendrick Lamar is on record saying that he chose to use his real name because he "raps about real things," for example.
His name is symbolic of his style.Rapsody is a play on both "rap" and the word "rhapsody," which means "an epic poem." Wix Khalifa got his name from his Arabic uncle, whose name means knowledge, and the Arabic word "khalifa." which means successor.Raekwon the Chef chose his name because he sees writing as a form of cooking, mixing up metaphors like ingredients. , There are additions to rap names that have been common for years and are used by many rappers for nicknames.
Some potential additions to your name include:
MC Lil' Big The DJ, Rap collectives like N.W.A, Black Hippy, or Mobb Deep still need to come up with a name that is unique, short, and symbolic.
Wu-Tang Clan takes it's name from the group's shared love of old kung-fu movies.
The Roots references a book and television series exploring the history of slavery in America, which fits their social conscious songs and message.
The Pro Era name comes from a popular line of clothing and the idea that the rappers are ushering in a new age of professionalism.
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Edward White
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