How do you record a hook for a rap song?

You record a better hook by singing it quieter and closer than the verse, then stacking the same melody twice. Shouting louder does not make it bigger.

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The short answer

• One melody, eight bars, the words locked before you hit record
• Closer to the mic than in the verse, gain so peaks stay around -6 dB
• Two takes of the same melody, the second a little quieter – that is the hook, not a third effect

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Before you record

Sing the hook once with no beat, once with only the 808. If you hit the melody without the lead, the beat has enough space. If not, the beat is too full – not your voice too small.

Room: carpet, not a bathroom. Pop filter or slightly off-axis, or the P hits the mic.

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How it starts to sound like a chorus

1. Verse as usual. Hook one step closer, not louder on the interface.
2. Take 1: the melody, clean, no ad-libs.
3. Take 2: the same melody, a bit quieter, slightly different timing. That is the width.
4. Ad-libs after that, quieter, on the line endings. Not across the whole hook.

Play both takes on a phone with the beat low underneath. If you catch the start of every word, the recording is done. The mix comes after: How to mix rap vocals over a beat.

→ A beat for the hook