MAKE BEATS FOR RAP

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that rapping is easy (which it is not). The flow and rhythm involved in rapping can take years to master, and that too if you have the aptitude or the talent for it.

Nevertheless, these are 5 tips every aspiring rapper should keep in mind:

1. Become acquainted with all rap styles: East Coast, West Coast, South. Listen carefully to rappers from with different styles and note their rhythm, flow and lyrical structures. A good ear for different rap styles is probably the number one thing you can have to be a good rapper, and will eventually help you create your own individual style.

2. Invest in a dictionary. While this may not sound very "hip hop", but a strong vocabulary can really set you apart from dozens of other aspiring rappers. If you don't know a word, look it up, and learn to use it in appropriate situations. Cleverly rhymed words that depart from the norm are the best weapons in the arsenal of any rapper.

3. Don't be very strict about your song structure. You don't have to start from verse to chorus to verse and so on. Experiment with different writing styles, and let the tune come to you naturally in whatever order it appears. If you get the chorus before the verse, or the outro before the chorus, don't worry about it; the song structure can always be modified and tweaked later on.

4. Record yourself rapping as often as you can. This is the best form of feedback you can get. How you sound in person may be very different from what you sound like in your records.

5. Practice your timing. Rap is all about rhythm, flow and timing. Note how rappers like Eminem will accentuate the lyric at the end of a beat. Little tricks like this make all the difference and really sets you apart from the crowd. Get a few beats (or make your own) and practice rapping to it using any random words that pop into your mind (it doesn't have to sound good or professional), varying your timing to see what sounds the best.

Here are some scenarios that may help you to see how lifestyle plays a huge role in our health.

1. The proverbial "fat gene"

Here is the internal dialogue for people who blame the fat gene: "Diets and exercise don't work for me because all of the women in my family are overweight. We have the fat gene." People who believe this make a lot of excuses why they just give up on diets. It is not dieting that is the key to losing weight, but rather long-term healthy choices.

Here is a better way of assessing the "fat gene". Certain family's patterns of eating, exercise and lifestyle are learned. For example, you grow up eating the wrong foods or not engaging in much exercise. These lifelong choices hinder the metabolism in later years and lead to insulin resistance. (Insulin resistance is a condition that impedes proper use of insulin. The body tends to hold onto fat cells and uses food to store more fat because it is not getting the right signals about our blood sugar. Over time, eating in a manner that produces insulin resistance stunts our metabolism and causes a host of other problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.)

From a different perspective, often heavy people learn to accept being overweight as the norm because they have come to identify themselves and family as the "chubby one". You may have to reprogram your brain to regain a leaner physique.

What can you do for yourself?

* Don't beat yourself up over your weight. Love yourself and give yourself positive messages. Seek support from helpful friends who have your best interest at heart. Dismiss those friends and family members who offer you tempting junk food when they are aware you are trying to improve your health.
* Eat foods that are low glycemic and lower in fat. For more information on the glycemic index, refer to my book called "Your Drug Free Guide to Healthy Weight Loss"
* Seek the help of your alternative health practitioner or dietitian if you are unsure why you are not achieving your goals. There are ways to reset your metabolism, it is just a matter of assessing whether you are insulin resistant, eating for emotional reasons or have an underlying hormonal or digestive issue.

2. "High cholesterol runs in the family"

There is a type of high cholesterol that is familial, however most people's cholesterol levels have nothing to do with their parents. It is how we eat and live that increases our cholesterol levels. This advice does not displace the help from your own practitioner or medical doctor. Check with your doctor before taking any of the following remedies, especially if you are on other medications or have an underlying condition.

With that in mind, here is what you can do to improve your cholesterol.

* Eat a daily diet rich in fruit and vegetables; eat fish, a handful of nuts, legumes, olive oil and whole grains. Avoid deep fried foods, red meat, white bread, white rice and sugar. Use alcohol sparingly.
* Vitamin C was researched by Linus Pauling. He found that taking higher amounts of vitamin C leads to a reduction of heart disease and cholesterol. I recommend 500 to 1000mgs per day. Eating foods such as fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C is helpful.
* Tri-chol is a supplement from Biotics Research that works very well to bring down bad cholesterol levels over time. It contains a few key ingredients like niacin, chromium, guggul, fo-ti and bitter orange, for example. It is available in the clinic.
* Fish oil is an excellent supplement for anyone to take. It acts to improve cardiovascular health, relieves arthritic pains and is good brain food. Take 1,000 mgs of fish oil per day. Fish oil capsules should contain 300 to 400 mgs of EPA per capsule.
* Exercise daily to reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health.

3. "Cancer runs in families"

Cancer does run in families, but people can do things to help prevent the incidence of this disease. Prevention is much easier than the cure. In particular, vegetarian and high fibre diets are useful in preventing certain types of cancer, such as breast, prostate and colon. If you have a hypothyroid, you may be more susceptible to breast cancer. Seek the help of an alternative practitioner to support your thyroid function. Many women are given medication and assume that nothing else can be done. Some people can actually reverse their hypothyroidism through diet and supplements. I did this for myself 14 years ago and haven't needed medication at all.

Some supplements that are toted for cancer prevention, especially breast, colon and prostate are:

* Ground flaxseed contains lignans that help to bind negative hormones and helps to sweep toxins from the intestinal tract.
* Broccoli Extract in the form of I3C or DIM, has been found to help prevent breast and prostate cancer. The compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage or brussel sprouts, I3C, helps to metabolize harmful estrogens and hormonal compounds.
* Vitamin D 1,000 IU's or more taken daily has been found to prevent breast, prostate and colon cancer, osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.
* Calcium and Magnesium in higher levels have been linked to less incidence of colon cancer.
* Probiotics (acidophilus and bifidus) are good flora that inhabit the intestinal tract. These compounds help us to digest nutrients, displace bad bacteria and improve our immune system. 60 to 80% of our immune system is found in the intestinal tract and is called the GALT, gut associated lymph tissue. Keeping our GI tract humming improves our immune system.
* Fish oil is a supplement that improves immunity, reduces inflammation and is thought to reduce the incidence of cancer.

If you have a susceptibility to cancer, have an assessment done by your alternative health practitioner/Homeopathic Doctor and don't put off your yearly physical.

Hip-hop was initiated as a cultural movement by inner-city youth, mostly Latinos, Hispanics, and African Americans in New York City, in the early seventies. The word "rap" was derived in the sixties, from a slang word that meant conversation.

Hip-hop has two main historical eras, the old school hip-hop era from 1970-1985 and the golden age hip-hop era from 1985-1993. The golden age of hip-hop began only when it entered the mainstream of music and it consolidated the sounds of the West Coast and the East Coast.

The origin of hip-hop music is from African American and West African music. Contributions of griots like The Last Poets, Jalal Mansur Nurriddin, and Gil Scott-Heron were significant in a big way for the advent of hip-hop in the 1960s. Hip-hop had originally begun in the Bronx. Funk and soul music were played a lot in block parties. In the beginning, the DJs at these parties began separating the percussion breaks from hit songs. They started realizing that these breaks were more entertaining and groovy. This technique had become widespread in Jamaica and had spread considerably in the New York community via the Jamaican immigrants.

Kool DJ Herc and Grandmaster Flash were the pioneers in the hip-hop industry and other DJs had extended the short percussion interludes of funk records and created a more danceable sound. As a result, remixes had become popular with the advent of mixing and scratching techniques. Many styles of hip-hop had developed in the golden age of hip-hop.

At present, hip-hop is enjoyed all around the world. In spite, of all the controversies created by hip-hop artists they are still growing in number. Hip-hop music is sold all over the world in stores and even online.