Just as you'd never want to write a novel without reading one, you need to immerse yourself in the sounds of hip-hop if you want to learn to MC properly. As the MC, you'll be the master of ceremonies, the mic-controller, so you'll need to be the most skilled rapper on the stage. Listen to Dirty South rap, listen to New York boom-bap, listen to old-school rap, listen to West Coast gangsta rap, listen to rap you don't even like, and listen to the classics. Get studying, because it's the best homework you'll ever get.  If you have an interest in story-telling, check out Raekwon, DMX, Nas, and Slick Rick for their ability to spin a compelling yarn out of rhymes. If you like crazy imagery and stream-of-consciousness word play, listen to Ghostface Killah, Aesop Rock, and Lil Wayne for their ability to catch you off guard with strange rhymes and surprises. If you like hip-hop with great hooks and catchy choruses and unforgettable flow, listen to Rakim, Freddie Gibbs, and Eminem. No one wants to hear recycled rhymes or weak stuff bitten from other rappers, no matter how cool you look or how much swag you've got. The place to start if you want to be a proper MC is working on writing the most creative, unexpected, and catchy rhymes that you possibly can.  Get a rhyming dictionary and revise the rhymes you do write to make them more surprising and exciting. Avoid using clichéd or obvious rhymes to pad out your verses. Try to write ten new rhymes a day, even if you're not actively working on writing a song. The lines might develop into their own song, or you'll have something to start with when you get a beat you really like and want to jump on. Even if you're writing straight-up publishable poetry, if you can't rhyme it to a beat, it won't play. Rappers who can stick to the flow are more likely to succeed than great writers of rhymes. Get on YouTube and check out other rappers freestyles over beats that you like. On any given hit rap song, there'll be dozens of other rappers doing a freestyle over the beat. It's a good way to study up on the differences in style. Spend lots of time with the beats you Try to rap to, letting them seep into your mind before you Try to force awkward rhymes into them. Play with different rhyme schemes and flows in each beat. There's any number of different ways to jump on a beat and you might not jive with every beat you listen to. Seek out producers who make beats you like and use their rhythms whenever you can. Who knows, it might blossom into a good working relationship. The best MCs are adept freestylers, who have the ability to make up unforgettable rhymes straight off the dome. But freestyling isn't a skill that comes from nowhere, you're not born with it. You can learn to develop a cache of rhyme words from which you can deviate, learning to fit in spur-of-the-moment variations on the set patterns that you've developed.  Have a store of one-liners that you work toward. If you've got a good end-line, you can come up with good lines to lead up to it, rather than using your good line as a jumping off point. Just spit. Stop thinking about what you're doing and start rhyming when you're by yourself. If there's no one around to hear, don't worry about how stupid you sound, or that it doesn't make sense. If you freestyle for five straight minutes without losing the beat, chances are you'll stumble onto at least a couple of great lines you can use later.

Summary: Listen to as much hip-hop as you possibly can. Write lots of rhymes. Practice your flow. Listen to lots of beats. Freestyle.


Just tap on the shortcut icon on your home screen, or go to your app drawer and tap the icon there. You can either take a new picture using your phone’s camera or choose one saved locally on your phone’s memory. On the editing screen, this is on the upper-right corner (right beside the Shuffle button). This will open the Store section. Inside the store, tap on the Filter, Overlay, and Border buttons on the upper part of the screen to switch between tabs. Just tap on Download to get the effects you chose for your phone. You can only download photo effects by batch. If you only want a specific effect from a group, you’ll have to download the entire group. This will lead you back to the editing screen. The location of the Back button varies depending on your phone manufacturer. If you downloaded a border effect, then go to the Border tab to view your download. Just swipe to the right. Your most recent downloaded effects will be at the end of the list.

Summary: Launch Pixlr-o-matic. Select a photo you’d like to edit. Tap on the Film icon. Choose the photo effects you like. Download the effects you want. Press your phone’s Back button. Select the tab of the effect you downloaded. Browse your effects.


Write a short description of the piece you're trying to sell, mentioning any special features, such as elaborate handmade trim and the type of wood you used. Make sure to include your contact information as well. Write a concise headline. Online classifieds tend to do better when they’re short, so grab the reader’s attention right away. Try a headline like “Handmade Oak Headboard for Sale” or something similar. You will need good pictures of your furniture to display online, as well as to bring with you to craft shows. Natural lighting looks best, so if your furniture is in a shop, try opening the doors and windows to get as much sunlight as possible. Try taking a few photos from straight on, as well as some from side angles and a few close-ups of details. Online classifieds are a great way to generate customers for free, but they may only reach a limited audience. Post new ads about once a week so they don't get buried beneath pages of newer listings.  Try using sites like Craigslist. You can also post your classified ad in local newspapers by calling the number listed in the classified section. Selling your furniture through one of these sites can help you reach customers who might never have otherwise seen your work. Read customer reviews to find out the pros and cons of different sites, and choose the ones which seem most reputable.  Many of these sites charge a commission, although the buyer is usually responsible for shipping. Popular sites for selling online include eBay and Etsy. or blog for more independence selling online. If you want to build an online following, you can build your own merchant website or start a blog. Posting the progress of different pieces can be a powerful selling tool. Find a web host, design the appearance of your site, and list the furniture you're trying to sell.  Even if you don’t know much about technology, there are companies that provide easy-to-use templates to build a website with plugins that allow customers to shop right from your site. Check your site regularly on both a computer and a mobile device, like your phone, to make sure the site is optimized for different sized screens. Create accounts on various social media channels to reach out to new customers while engaging with existing ones. Ask your friends and followers to repost your ads in order to reach a wider audience.  Some sites allow you to pay to sponsor your ads so more people will see them. You can use sites like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Summary: Create a listing for each piece. Take photographs of your work in natural lighting from different angles. Advertise in online classifieds to reach a local audience. List your furniture on a vendor or auction site to gain new customers. Make your own website Post furniture ads on social media to build a following.