If you were on the internet in 2008, you remember the neon. The side-swept bangs that defied gravity. The shutter shades. And, of course, the sound that launched a thousand "is this even music?" debates. Brokencyde didn't just walk into the scene; they crunk-stepped over the corpse of traditional hardcore and built a neon-pink throne. Their track "Teach Me How to Scream" became a sort of anthem for a generation of kids who wanted to mix Lil Jon’s energy with the raw, bleeding-throat aesthetic of screamo.
But here is the thing about trying to learn teach me how to scream brokencyde style: most people do it completely wrong and end up sounding like a dying vacuum cleaner or, worse, coughing up blood after twenty minutes.
Mikl Shea and Seven didn't just yell. There’s a specific, distorted friction happening in those tracks—particularly the high-pitched "fry" screams and the wet, gutteral lows—that requires a weirdly precise amount of breath control. If you just go into your bedroom and start shrieking along to the I’m Not a Fan, But the Kids Like It! album, you’ll be mute by Tuesday. It’s about the physics of the throat, not just the volume of the lungs.
The Myth of the "Real" Scream
Most beginners think screaming is about being loud. It isn’t. In fact, if you’re doing a Brokencyde-style high scream correctly, you’re probably not much louder than a normal speaking voice. The microphone and the compression do the heavy lifting. The band’s signature sound relies heavily on vocal fry and false cord engagement.
Vocal fry is that creaky, "Grudge" girl sound. You know it. It’s that lazy, low-energy vibration at the back of the throat. To get that piercing Brokencyde "skree," you have to take that fry sound and push a consistent, thin stream of air through it. Think of it like a garden hose. If you leave the nozzle wide open, the water just pours out. If you put your thumb over the end, it sprays with intense pressure. Your vocal folds are the thumb.
Honestly, it’s a delicate balance. If you squeeze too hard, you get "vocal nodes," which are basically calluses on your vocal cords that can ruin your speaking voice forever. Real talk: if it hurts, stop. There is no "no pain, no gain" in screaming. Pain means you’re tearing tissue.
👉 See also: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
Finding the Brokencyde "Pop"
Brokencyde’s screams are unique because they aren't "pure." They’re messy. They have this weird, distorted electronic quality because they were often layered with heavy production. To mimic the teach me how to scream brokencyde vibe, you need to master the transition from a rap flow into a sudden, explosive burst of noise.
Start with the "sigh" method.
- Take a deep breath into your belly (diaphragm), not your chest.
- Let out a long, heavy sigh like you’re annoyed. Hhhhhhh. 3. Now, add a little bit of that "creak" to the sigh.
- Slowly increase the air pressure from your stomach—not your throat—until the creak turns into a distorted tone.
This is the foundation. Mikl Shea’s high screams are very "nasal." You want to direct the sound toward your hard palate, right behind your top teeth. It feels buzzy. If you feel the vibration in your Adam's apple, you’re doing it wrong and putting too much stress on the delicate bits. Move that resonance up into your "mask"—your nose and cheeks.
Equipment and the "Studio Secret"
Let’s be real for a second. Part of why those 2009-era Crunkcore tracks sounded so intense was the mixing. They used a ton of compression and distortion. If you’re practicing into a cheap USB mic with no effects, you’re going to be disappointed. To get that specific Brokencyde crunch, you need a plugin that adds saturation.
In the live setting, the guys often cupped the microphone. Now, any sound engineer will tell you that cupping the mic is a sin because it creates feedback and muffle. But in Crunkcore? It’s practically a requirement. By cupping your hands around the grill of the mic, you create a small acoustic chamber that boosts the low-end frequencies and makes your "bree" sounds much beefier.
✨ Don't miss: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
The Physical Toll Nobody Talks About
You can’t just scream for three hours. Even the pros don't do that. When Brokencyde was touring heavily, the strain was immense. You have to treat your throat like an athlete treats a hamstring.
- Hydration is non-negotiable. Water takes hours to actually reach your vocal cords. Drinking a glass of water while screaming does nothing. You need to be hydrated since yesterday.
- Glycerine and Honey. Avoid caffeine and dairy before you try to scream. Dairy creates phlegm, which makes your screams sound "gurgly" in a bad way. Caffeine dries you out.
- Warm-ups. Do lip trills. Hum. Make weird "meow" sounds. It sounds stupid, but it loosens the muscles.
Why Does Anyone Still Care?
It’s easy to dismiss Brokencyde as a relic of a cringey era. But looking back, they were pioneers of a DIY, "genre-less" approach that paved the way for modern "hyperpop" and "scenecore" revivals. They didn't care about the rules of metal or the rules of hip-hop. That "teach me how to scream" energy was about pure, unadulterated release.
The technicality of it is actually more impressive than people give it credit for. To flip from a syncopated rap verse into a high-pitched fry scream without losing your breath requires serious cardio and muscle memory. It’s a rhythmic discipline.
Actionable Steps for Your First Session
If you’re sitting at your desk right now ready to try this, follow this sequence. Don't skip steps.
Step 1: The Diaphragm Check. Place your hand on your stomach. Take a breath. Your hand should move out. If your shoulders go up, you’re breathing wrong. You cannot scream from your chest; you will pass out or pop a blood vessel in your eye.
🔗 Read more: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Step 2: The Silent Scream. Open your mouth wide like you’re screaming, but only let air pass through. No sound. Just the "hiss." Feel how your stomach muscles engage to push that air out. That tension in your core is where the power comes from, not your neck.
Step 3: Add the Fry. Introduce that tiny "creak" we talked about earlier into the hiss. It should sound like a quiet, distorted radio.
Step 4: The Wordplay. Try to say "Get Crunk" using only that fry sound. Notice how your tongue placement changes the tone. To get those high Brokencyde shrieks, lift the back of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth. For the low "gutturals," drop your tongue to the bottom and make an "O" shape with your lips.
Step 5: The Cool Down. After you practice for 10 minutes (and no more than 10 minutes for your first time), hum quietly. If your voice feels scratchy or you can’t hit high notes in your normal singing voice, you pushed too hard.
Mastering the teach me how to scream brokencyde technique is ultimately about controlled chaos. You want to sound like you’re losing your mind, but your body needs to be more composed than ever. Keep your throat relaxed, your core tight, and your water bottle full. If you start tasting copper, you’re done for the day. No exceptions.
The goal is to reach that point where the scream feels like a secondary layer over your breath, a texture rather than a force. Once you find that "sweet spot" where the distortion happens effortlessly, you can start experimenting with the rhythmic delivery that made the band famous. It takes weeks of daily 10-minute sessions to build the calloused muscle memory required for a full song. Be patient. Your vocal cords are tiny, fragile folds of skin—don't treat them like trash.