most advice you get online or even in stores about recording equip is for bands. bands where there's more than one vocalist, multiple instruments, and so on. now you're a rapper and all you record is your own voice, do you need multiple mic inputs? nope. instrument inputs? nope. soundcards and preamps? hell nah

keep it simple.

btw, i'd reccomend mogami gold's ideally, but if you can't spring for em, aim for monster.

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