sixteen bars
Standard verse length
Sixteen bars is a standard unit in hip-hop for a verse or freestyle—sixteen measures of music, typically enough for one rapper's complete turn.
The phrase appears in rap battles, cyphers, and studio sessions: Give me sixteen bars over that beat.
Aspiring rappers practice writing sixteens to develop their craft.
- verseMetered poetic passage
- rapQuick sharp blow
- rap battleImprovised rhyming competition
- hip-hopRhythmic spoken-word music
- rhymesMatching word endings
flow · cypher · open mic · spit · lyrics · beat · mic · booth · studio session · punchlines · wordplay · emcee · dropping · rhythm · measure · music · stanza · melody
- Hip-Hoprapper, rappers, rhymes, beat, lyrics
- song partsverse, intro, chorus, verse-chorus, outro
- audition repertoiremonologue, cold read, comedic monologue, dramatic monologue, sight reading