53 Things To Rap About – Fresh Ideas

Want to write a hot 16 or a new song, but aren’t sure what that song should be about? Well in this article we’re going to give you some ideas of things to rap about. Have a look through and use it as a jumping off point to start your bars.

1. Anxiety

Rap, like any word-based art form, is ideal for artists to process their emotions and experiences. Many rappers describe and process their anxiety through their rap music. The fast pace of a lot of rap music can echo the energy of anxiety, making it an ideal genre for the anxious. 

2. Cars

Cars are a popular rap topic, along with other status symbols like money and expensive clothing items. Rappers may describe the type of car they have or wish to have. Sometimes cars are a literal subject in rap music or may function as a metaphor.

3. Change

Change is another topic rappers may process in their music. The song can be about any change the rapper wants to experience. Personal changes, global changes, and career changes are all common choices for rappers. Echoing the change-centric lyrics with changes in the music is a nice touch.

4. Childhood

Childhood can be a treasure trove of rap songs. Whether your childhood was idyllic or chaotic, you can have stories that lend themselves well to rap songs. Some rappers use narratives from their childhoods to discuss broader themes. Others may enjoy telling a poetic childhood story for fun. 

5. Coincidences

There is some romance and wonder when we experience coincidences in our lives. As a result, this topic has all the ingredients for a good rap song. When you write a song on this topic, you can also include themes of destiny, magical realism, and probability.

6. Comfort

While some rap songs explore themes of discomfort or anger, comfort is a fun counterpoint to those topics. These songs can describe what comfort feels like or the desire for comfort. Examples of this topic include descriptions of feeling happy after finding comfort in love or how achieving financial success can lead to comfort.

7. Conflict

Conflict in rap songs can take many forms. You can delve into an interpersonal conflict that you experienced in your life. Larger-scale topics, such as wars or conflicts throughout time are also options you could explore. A common use of conflict in rap is with the description or perpetuation of rap beefs. 

8. Creativity

Like many musicians, rappers enjoy rapping about the creative process. They may talk about what it feels like to develop a rap song or discuss feeling blocked creatively. This topic works very well with metaphor and creative imagery. Ideally, songs about creativity will be musically and lyrically note-worthy.

9. Dancing

Dancing is another art form that pops up in many rap songs. Sometimes these songs discuss how much the rapper loves dancing, or they may describe enjoying the sight of someone else dancing. Whatever the topic, rap songs about dancing often have a beat that listeners can dance to.

10. Depression

As people become more comfortable with discussing depression, it becomes more prevalent in the arts, including in rap music. Rappers may describe their personal experience with depression or an experience with a loved one’s depression. These songs are often heartfelt and emotional, not to mention very personal to the rapper and listeners.

11. Drugs

Drugs, including alcohol, are common subjects of rap songs. While some rappers describe love for drugs, others talk about a complicated relationship with substances. Sometimes these songs may compare drugs to romantic relationships. Some songs are written with the intention that listeners will enjoy them due to their intoxication. 

12. Ego

The complexity of the ego is a popular theme for rappers to explore. The ego is the part of your mind that considers self-esteem. When rappers discuss the ego, they may talk about their view of themselves or how issues may damage their ego. Rappers may also discuss how being a performer affects the ego.  

13. Empowerment

Several rap songs strive to bring power to different groups of people. Some of those songs may dive into discussions of historical injustice or individual traumas. The energy of these songs is often upbeat and exciting to the listener. Empowerment is a theme that weaves beautifully with other rap themes.

14. Fake Friends

Dealing with fake friends is a common theme in several rap songs. These songs may touch on betrayals, loss, and trust issues. Often this theme goes along with discussions of fame and not knowing who to trust as you become successful. 

15. Fame

Fame is a popular topic in rap songs. Some rappers may describe their quest for fame. Others discuss how becoming more famous affects them. The result of fame can be negative, positive, or most likely, a combination of both. If you write this type of rap song, it is an opportunity to compare your career to greats in the rap game. 

16. Family

When you write a rap about family, you can approach it from several different angles, and your approach depends on your relationship with your family. Sometimes rap songs can talk about a happy family, beloved relatives, or tough family dynamics. A good topic is a description of family relationships that evolve.

17. Fiction

Callbacks to fictional works are a fun and effective rhetorical tool. You can use a favorite fictional work to describe other themes or as an opportunity to retell the story. Choose between novels, podcasts, short stories, and other songs. 

18. First Love

First love is a powerful topic for a rap song. While love, in general, is a popular topic, that initial love can define your future relationships. When you write a song about first love, you can play with themes of naivety, longing, trials, regret, and growth.

19. Forbidden Love

Forbidden love can take many forms, and many versions can make an engaging rap song. If you have experienced forbidden love, start by telling the story. From there, you may connect it to other parts of your life or desire, in general. You can also contrast it with happy love.

20. Friendship

While the family is a popular rap topic, friendship may be an even more popular option. Since friendship is a broad topic, you can discuss anything from the positive elements of friendship to damaging friendships. Another sub-topic includes friendships evolving into familial or romantic relationships. 

21. Greed

With fame and increased funds, greed can also make an appearance. As a result, this topic is worth including in a rap song. You can explore the multi-faceted aspects of greed, including embracing or rejecting the feeling.

22. Happiness

Many people think rap music is about anger and difficulty. However, many rappers use their music to delve into happiness and positivity. Whether that happiness is the result of love, comfort, or success, listeners love to hear about the positive elements of life.

23. Healing

While many songs may sound rough, there is an increasing number of songs with gentle lyrics. Discussing healing is a lovely use of a rap song. You can describe healing from relationships or addiction. More literal healing from an illness is also an effective topic in a rap song about healing. 

24. Heartbreak

Heartbreak is a classic topic for songs and poems of every genre. When you rap about heartbreak, you have the opportunity to process those feelings and explore which feelings can evolve from there. This heartbreak can be from romantic issues or heartbreak on a larger scale. 

25. Historical Events

Many historical events make a fitting topic for a rap song. Ballads about historical events have been popular since before music was written down. You can choose any historic event you want. Explore some events because they impact you directly, and/or because they fit other themes you wish to explore.

26. Home

Home can mean something a little different to each person. For some, home is the house they grew up in, their neighborhood, or the safe people they know. Whatever home is to you, try exploring it in your next rap song. If you do not have anywhere or anyone you call home, that absence is an engaging topic worth exploring.

27. Hope

Hope is yet another positive theme to explore in a rap song. Often to have hope hit as a feeling in a song, you will need to start the song talking about where a need for hope comes from or a negative experience that led you to hope.

28. Lack of Fame

The flip side of talking about fame is discussing what it feels like to not achieve fame or the fear that you will lose fame. Using this topic allows you to delve into topics, such as inadequacy, anxiety, and hope.

29. Learning

Learning and growth are good topics to include in a rap song. You can talk about what you have learned or want to learn, moving forward. If you are an experienced rapper, this topic provides the opportunity to reflect on your career. 

30. Life

Life is another broad topic you can rap about. Even though this topic can feel vague, you can easily break it down into accessible pieces. You can discuss topics, such as what life means to you, what your life experiences are, and what you hope for the future.

31. Life Goals

Rapping about your life goals is a great way to lay out everything you want. Doing so can put you one step closer to achieving the content of your rap. Try engaging with long-term and short-term goals alike.

32. Love

Love is another broad topic for any art form. You can rap about some of the other subtypes on this list. Other subtopics include love lost, romantic love, consummate love, familial love, and a wish for love. Let your love rap song stand out by adding metaphor or other rhetorical elements.

33. Lust

Lust is a popular topic in rap songs. You can include this topic in your songs through innuendo or direct descriptions of activities and feelings. Subtopics include explorations of the distinction between lust and love, longing for lust, or being overcome with lust.  

34. Mental Health

Mental health is an increasingly popular topic of discussion as it becomes more socially acceptable to talk about mental health and mental illness. Many rappers use their craft to process their mental health issues and help listeners feel less alone.

35. Money

At first listen, a lot of rap music is about money. Specific subtopics may be about wanting, accruing, or spending money. Many rappers illustrate financial success with material goods, such as cars, shoes, homes, zip codes, and jewelry. Literal and figurative discussions of wealth are found throughout the genre.

36. Mourning

Since rap music is a useful genre for processing a bevy of emotions, it is unsurprising that rap is useful for the mourning process. If you are in mourning, writing a rap song can help you move through the stages of grief. Songs about mourning are often powerful and relatable. 

37. Nature

Nature has been inspiring poets and musicians since the beginning of humanity. If you feel connected to the natural world, this topic is enjoyable to talk about and can be a useful rhetorical tool. You can discuss nature alone or contrast it with urban environments.

38. Pets

While relationships with other humans are popular choices for rap songs, that does not mean loving relationships with pets can be ignored. Consider writing a rap song about your loyal pet or write one from their perspective for fun.

39. Politics

Politics are an increasingly popular topic for rap songs. Many rappers describe political happenings that affect them or those they love. The politics you discuss can be contemporary or historical. You can be as deep or shallow with this topic as you like.

40. Pop Culture

As part of pop culture, rap music plays a big role in cultural conversations. So, it makes sense that rap music can discuss wider pop culture. Some rappers offer commentary on the actions of other cultural figures or the overall shape of the pop culture landscape.

41. Questions

Structuring your rap song with questions or answers is a fantastic way to provide a unique shape to your song. You can ask questions about anything, including the other topics on this list. Use this topic as an opportunity to delve deep into whatever questions you ponder or have pondered in the past.

42. Racism

Many rappers use their songs to describe their personal experiences with racism, both in the music industry and in life in general. Consider this topic if you or your family experienced racism. This topic fits well with historical events and similar topics. 

43. Rapping

If you want to be a little meta, consider rapping about rapping itself. You can describe your experience in the industry or with writing songs. When listening to rap music, look for examples of this self-referential style. 

44. Regret

Regret is one of the toughest emotions humans experience. Despite the negative nature of this feeling, it can be useful ammunition for your writing. Consider any life experiences you regret or anything you fear you may regret in the future.

45. School

Whether you are still in school or long removed, this time in your life can impact your life greatly. Rapping about school is relatable to listeners. Discussing school in your rap songs is a good way to flesh out your identity within your songs. If you want, you can even discuss your dislike of school.

46. Sexism

Difficult life experiences are a generally solid topic when it comes to rap songs. Sexism is a popular topic among female rappers since the industry can be a bit of a boys club. If you want to contribute to this space in the genre, discuss your experiences with sexism.

47. Sobriety

Sobriety is another tough life experience that listeners may be able to relate to. Whether you or a loved one struggles with sobriety, this topic can make a big impact in a rap song. Besides being relevant to those who listen, writing about sobriety is a great way to process your issues for yourself.

48. Spirituality

Whether you are religious, spiritual, agnostic, or atheist, songs about spiritual opinions can be powerful. Write a rap song about your own spiritual experiences and how those experiences affect you. This topic is another one that lends itself nicely to metaphor and other rhetorical elements. 

49. Struggles

This list describes specific struggles, such as sobriety, death, and racism. You may also want to write about a series of struggles or difficulties in general rather than focusing on a specific topic. If there are any particular issues you want to delve into, this is a great topic to do that with.

50. Travel

Whether you travel via plane, train, bus, automobile, or by foot, moving from one place to the other is a source of inspiration. Travel is an ideal topic for rap songs. It can also be a useful metaphorical tool if you want to mirror physical travel with your journey to success or other types of journeys. 

51. Vacation

Vacation or rest may seem like an odd topic choice for frenetic rap music. However, this topic can be a lot of fun for artists and listeners. Start writing by considering your favorite elements of vacation and how those can play into your songs. A beachy rap song can be a lot of fun. 

52. Weather

Like other elements of nature, the weather is a popular source of creative inspiration. The power of a storm or the life-giving nature of rain are beautiful motifs that work well in a rap song. Weather does not need to be the central theme since it works so well with many other themes.

53. Work

Given that we spend so much time doing work, it makes sense to dedicate some rap lyrics to doing work. You can include this topic whether you enjoy work or not. Work can also be a more general topic for your rap songs.

Things To Rap About, Final Thoughts

Getting the idea for and writing a rap song can be overwhelming. However, if you know which topics you want to focus on, you can have a jump start on your creativity. No matter what subgenre of rap you work in, you can include countless types of content in your songs. We hope this list will help you craft the rap songs of your dreams.