Producing, performing, and recording rap/hip-hop music, or music in related genres such as ragga, requires the melding of multiple skills. There’s producing the beat (usually done electronically), sampling, scratching on the turntables, hyping the crowd, and so on. And one important aspect of the hip-hop product is what is known in the industry as flow. One key aspect of the rap/hip hop performance, according to Smart Rapper, is flow. Put simply, flow is the delivery of the lyrics in time with the beat, such as a vocalist in any other genre would do. “Flowing is following the beat with your voice at the perfect pace. Just the right rhythm,” writes Rob Revel.
The thing with flow is that some rappers, such as Eminem, Twista, and of course, Busta Rhymes, have been known to push it to the limit when it comes to squeezing in as many syllables as possible into a short amount of time. When it’s done correctly, such as in the Eminem song “Rap God,” it can push the boundaries of what can be accomplished with the human voice. And Busta Rhymes is one of the fastest there is.
