Unlike some other musical genres, the lyrics in hip hop are particularly important. If you want to become a star... have something new and powerful to say... and if you can do it to a cool new beat, you may well be on your way to the Grammys!

In fact, let me reveal some of my top tips for how to write hip hop lyrics...

1. Say something different

It bears repeating - say something different. So much hip hop sounds the same - and talks about the same thing! Therefore, by saying something original, you stand out. And standing out is the first step to becoming a star. Of course, that doesn't mean rapping about something that's different... but boring. Topical subjects that are likely to resonate with hip hop fans - your "target market" - are what will do well.

2. Be creative

Legendary hip hop not only packs a powerful punch in terms of message, but it also does so with flair. Great lyrics are clever - so don't settle for any old words that come into your head. Be creative.

3. Write to the beat

Also, note the conventions that apply in hip hop. In most cases, good hip hop lyrics rhyme every two to four syllables, with at least one rhyme every two bars (when the snare in the beat or instrumental hits twice). Keep this in mind when thinking of lyrics to make sure the words and beat flow.

4. Revise and improve your hip hop lyrics

Unless you're a genius (and I'm not saying you're not!) your first stab at the lyrics for your song probably won't be your best. As with writing anything, I suggest you practise these lyrics to the beat you've chosen, and keep revising them until you're happy.

5. Practise with friends

Finally, practice your lyrics in front of friends (assuming they are hip hop fans) to see what they think. You don't need to add instrumentation, etc to your song at this stage. Just try rapping to the beat, and find out what the feedback is. Based on what you hear - and the extent to which you agree with it - you can modify your lyrics accordingly.

And that's it! Now, don't get me wrong. Writing hip hop lyrics is a simple enough process. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Be patient with yourself and prepared for your first few attempts to be less than your best. But if you keep on writing and practising you're bound to improve.

I love the Internet! Where else do can you source so much music, rap beats, etc so cheaply? But for all the benefits of having access to so many rap beats, there are also some traps for the unwary buyer. Here are some of the main issues to be on the look-out for - and the pitfalls to avoid - when buying rap online.

1. How good / unique are the beats

This may be an obvious question, but it's worth emphasising. In general, you want to buy rap from a website that not only offers the sound you want, but offers a sound that isn't readily available elsewhere.

2. What is the licence?

Here's where you might get yourself into trouble. Some beats come with limited licenses, which means you're limited to how you use them. Others are not limited enough - which means that others can use the same beats for their music.

For example, while non-exclusive licences are generally cheaper... you're not the only one who can use them. So unless you can significantly differentiate your sound from someone else's by other means, I'd suggest going for an exclusive licence. It costs more (e.g. $100 - $1,000 compared with only $15 to $50 for a typical non-exclusive licence), but you'll end up having the unique sound you want.

3. Can you trust the seller?

Unfortunately, the web is full of "fly-by-the-night" operators who are happy to take your money... without delivering what you paid for. Rap beat sellers are no different. While there are plenty of legitimate sellers, there are dubious ones.

At a minium, when buying from a website that sells rap beats, make sure they offer full contact details and information about the seller (company name, the name(s) of the individuals involved, phone number, fax number, email address, postal address, etc). Do a search on their website, company and individuals to gather more information about them. Have they been in business long? Do they have a good reputation? Do they have plenty of happy customers? You might also look for "trust" symbols like Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trust-e or Hackersafe certification which indicate that a third party has verified their that the site is trustworthy and follows secure practices.

4. What is the customer service like?

What happens if the beats you downloaded are in a corrupt file? Or you've discovered someone else with the same beats? Or you have some questions for the seller? This is where you want to make sure that the site you've bought the rap beats from offers good customer service. One way to test how responsive they are is to send them an email - or even telephone them - with some questions before you buy. Just because they bend over backwards to sell you... doesn't mean they'll offer great customer service once you've bought from them, of course, but it's still a better indication than if they don't respond at all!

These are four main pitfalls to avoid when buying rap beats online. If you can avoid these, you'll probably have few problems getting the beats you want, and be on your way to creating some cool rap tunes.

If you want to make hip hop beats on your computer, the basic steps are to choose a tool to make the beats, experiment with various sounds to find and create the beats you like, and (if applicable) integrate one or more of these hip hop beats into a song.

In terms of finding a beat maker to create your hip hop beats, you have plenty of tools to choose from. The main thing is to find the right program to suit your needs and budget. If you're just starting out as a hip hop artist, you may not need (let alone be able to afford) the more expensive, professional level systems... but you may not want a low-end solution that you'll quickly outgrow either.

A few factors to consider when purchasing a hip hop beats program are the fundamentals like:

-- Does it have all the features you want?
-- How user-friendly is it?
-- Can you afford it?

When it comes to features, consider whether the beats program you're evaluating comes with a range of stock sounds to get you started. These might include drum beats, bass tones, strings, synths and various percussion sounds. Also, check whether it is relatively easy to sample sounds... and what sound modules can be used with the tool. While your main aim may be to create hip hop beats, having a lot of sounds to play with will help you create some unique beats. If you're looking to create songs with a range of instrumentation and special effects, you'll want these added features.

Okay, so assuming you've chosen a software tool, the next step is to start creating some hip hop beats and, if applicable, songs.

If your main focus is creating hip hop beats to sell, then you may only really be interested in making lots of different beats. In this case, to ensure you create top quality, distinctive beats, consider playing around with the stock sounds in your program, download other sounds from other sources (e.g. the web), and experiment with sampling.

If you're only (or also) interested in creating actual hip hop music, there are lots more things to think about! When it comes to creating a song, you'll want to consider such things as the lyrics, rhyme, melody and any other percussion, instrumentation you want in the song.

There are many hip hop artists out there, so if you want to stand out, I would urge you to be original... but not too original. Have something different to say in your song and try to use some interesting melodies and beats to stand out. But be aware that hip hop - like other musical genres - also follows certain conventions, and that hip hop fans have certain expectations. For example, hip hop songs generally have a rhyme every 2-4 syllables and one rhyme every two bars.

Finally, don't overlook your "image". Strictly speaking, your image has nothing to do with making hip hop beats on your computer... But it does have a major influence on your success as a hip hop artist. So, while you creating your own unique sound, consider how you wish to project your music - and yourself - as a hip hop artist.

Here is a quick guide to buying and downloading rap beats online. By following these suggestions you are likely to avoid some of the problems that sometimes arise for the unwary... whilst being able to more easily find the beats you want.

To begin with, you want to find a website that has the distinct sounding rap beats you want. Let's face it, there are numerous sites out there selling beats. And many of them just sound the same! So take your time and don't settle for anything less than the uniquely sounding rap beats you want. After all, this is your music we're talking about!

It almost follows that the best - most distinctive - rap beats online are the most expensive. However, this is not always the case. If you can find an up-and-coming artist who hasn't got a big following yet, it could be your chance to get some great beats relatively cheaply. On the other hand, if you pay a fair price, you might be able to develop an ongoing relationship with the seller where they will save their best sounds for you. You may even be able to hire them to create specific rap beats just for you.

Another thing to consider is what kind of licence to buy. In general, when it comes to downloading rap beats online, if you want a sound all to yourself, you'll need to buy an exclusive licence. This gives you the exclusive rights to the rap beats, which means no one else can use them. Yes, you're likely to pay more - much more - but you'll also end up with a unique sound that no-one else has the right to have. As a guide, exclusive rights generally cost around $100-$1,000, while non-exclusive rights are often in the $15-50 range.

You also want to only do business with someone you can trust. Now you may be either dealing with a site that sells beats on behalf of other artists or with an artist directly. By their very nature, large sites that sell beats are likely to be somewhat more professional and reputable. However, for the reasons given above, you don't want to rule out any individuals who make and sell their own rap beats just because they're not a major company.

In this case, you just want to know that you can contact them and obtain their help if anything goes wrong (e.g. you have trouble downloading the beats you want, or have a question, etc). So look for contact information, personal details (a bit of background about the seller) and testimonials and feedback from other customers. If you are dealing one-on-one with someone I would also suggest getting in touch before you buy to get a feel for how responsive and helpful they are.

All in all, the Internet is great for buying and downloading rap beats. There are plenty of sites to choose from, and more are popping up all the time. It's just important to be prudent, so you don't end up buying the same thing as everyone else (when you think you're getting unique rap beats to yourself!) or losing your hard earned cash.