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Da Joka 08-05-03 04:33 PM

The One That Helped Me
 
i didnt write this.....i got this off another site an it helped me a lot so i thought i'd share it:

writen by Rara Avis....you may know him from other sites


Quote:
1.Introduction
Battling has many elements(punches, wordplay, disses, flow, multis, complexity, metaphors, disses, personals, and rhyme scheme). Of course, the two most important elements are punches and flow. Flow is important cus thats what makes it rap, and if the flow is bad, then thats just bad rap. Punches are important becuase thats what battles are all about, which is making fun of your opponent. I will explain each element in detail, give examples of each, and tips to help you with each element.

2.Flow
If you want good flow theres several things you're going to need to do. The most important thing to do is make sure your lines have similiar length.

ex:
you've gotta know that im the illest kid one mic//12
cus im spittin these rhymes that i know you'll like//12

Notice the numbers after each line. These are the number of syllables each line has in it. You don’t have to count syllables to make your flow good, but if you make your all your lines 12-15 syllables, then your flow should be good. Here are somethings that have bad flow and I’ll explain why they have bad flow.

Ex1:
I’m gonna kill all and murder you especially//14
I’ll do it easily cus your not better than me//13

This one isn’t too bad, but I wouldn’t advise doing this. If you don’t see whats wrong with this, then I’ll tell you. In the first line, the syllable that rhymes, “ly” is not accented, but in the second line the word that rhymes, “me” is accented. This is bad because when it’s spit, it sounds forced and sloppy.

Ex2
Damn man you are seriously wack as anything I’ve seen//15
With your immaturity its obvious that you’re a teen//15
The flaw in this is something I’ve always hated. Both of these lines should only be half a line, but theyre stretched out to make a bar.

One last thing that can improve your flow is multis. I will go over these further down in the tutorial.

3.Punches
This is the most important part of a battle. It’s what makes a battle verse good. A good punch is creative and will humiliate the opponent. A punch is a line that often incorporates metaphors or wordplay to make fun of an opponent. There are several different types of punches. One is the kind that Chino XL uses often. This is taking things with current events and using them to make a punch. For example, here is a punch I used against South Skillz in a battle.

for showin to a battle against me you must be quite the darin-bitch//
but its too bad your pitiful ass was ‘doomed from the start’ like Jlo’s marriages//

The first line isn’t a punch, but it isnt a filler. It sets up the punch. These lines ARE better than fillers, but it’s always better to just have another punch. Another type of punch is the oh so popular “you couldn’t blah blah if you blah blah”. I’ll give an example of this.

You couldnt blaze tracks packing lighters in your cross trainers

This example is quoted from logiXskillatory. It was used in a battle against memoir. In this type of punch the first part is usually a metaphor, which I’ll go over later on in the tutorial. Many punches incorporate wordplay and punches. Multis can also improve the effect of a punch. A good technique for making punches is just getting a notebook and jotting down ideas whenever you think of them. The best way to write them is probally this “The Price Is Right/1 dollar”, but if you do this, make sure you scratch out the ideas after using them to avoid recycling the punches. That technique is a good way to stay away from writer’s block. Another type of punch is taking a well known catch phrase and flipping it to diss you’re opponent. For example, I could take a quote from the Cheers theme song, “Sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name”(not exactly that…but its close enough). Then, I could flip to a good punch, “you wont get your cheers cus nobody knows your name”. This can be a very effective type of punch when done right.

4.Wordplay
There are different types of wordplay. One of the easiest is a similie. A similie is when you compare 2 or more things by using “like” or “as”. This is a good thing to use to make a just plain insult a punch. For example, I could just say, “You’ve got no chance”, but a better way to put it is, “You’ve got no chance like missing monopoly pieces”(this was a punch from someone..i forget who though..sorry). Another type of wordplay is less commonly used..but when done right it can be very effective. Its is breaking up words to have a double meaning between a word and a phrase, for example “leavin me no choice but to empty a mag-n-‘em(magnum)”. This can be more difficult to use but when used right it can make a punch a lot better(the example I gave was not a punch, just an example of this type of word play). The third and least commonly used type of word play is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a word. Here’s an example of alliteration “passionate past-times positively portray potential perpetual pestilence”(example written by neeko). Although alliteration isn’t as good as the other types of wordplay for punches, it can improve a punch, but do not force the alliteration.

5.Metaphors
A metaphor is a lot like a similie, but with a metaphor, you’re comparing things WITHOUT using “like” or “as”. A metaphor is a great way to make a punch better. In rap, a metaphor is also considered a word with a double meaning. Many people mark the metaphors by quotes. A good way to brainstorm ideas for metaphors is to write down double meaning words and write both definitions. For example, if I were doing this, I would write this:

Slug
1.fired bullet
2.insect

Doing this can make it easier to write lines, but try not to use the played double meanings. Try to find the double meanings that you’ve never even seen before.

6.Disses
I know you think that this is that same thing as punches, but theres a difference. A diss is just a straight out insult. Disses are normally pretty weak, but when delivered right they can be very effective(and even more effective when used with personals). Although I said they can be effective, it’s rare so unless you know how to deliver them right, I wouldn’t suggest using just plain Disses.

(i will finish this in another post b/c its too big to post it all in one post)

Da Joka 08-05-03 04:34 PM

Quote:
7.Personals
Personals are when you use something that has to do with the person you’re battling, whether its their AIM s/n, emcee name, something they did, their avatar, their crew, their sig, ect. Personals are a very important aspect of a battle, because they prove that you didn’t prewrite your verse. Also, they are a great source for punch ideas and are very hard hitting when used right. Personals are even better when mixed with metaphors and wordplay. Here are several good examples of personals.

"and an icepick.. and then Palm will get read with out the help of a psychic!" - iLL Chris to Napalm

"im too much for my enemy.. and how you gonna be a doctor when you suck at delivery!" - ex-kaliber to dr. deluxe

Each of those use something about their opponent to diss them(in those it’s their opponents name). Try to use personals at least a couple times in your battles, and if it’s hard for you at first, don’t worry..you’ll get good at it soon.

8.Mulits
I wont spend too much time on this, since there’s already a couple tutorials for this. The first thing that you have to know about multis is that it DOES NOT stand for multiple word rhyming, and it stands for multiple syllable rhyming. A multi is when you rhyme 2 or more syllables. Try to avoid forced multis as much as you can. The way to know if a multi is forced is to compare every syllable of the multi and if even one doesn’t rhyme its not a multi..just inners. Multis can improve your flow a lot, but don’t base your verses around them. If you can slip some multis in without changing the effect of the punch, then by all means..use it, but if it will change the meaning of the punch and sounds akward, then I suggest not using it. You will get better at multis if you keep using them. For instance, I have used them for a long time and now can place several in a bar without using a filler or decreasing the effect of a punch.[/size]

9.Complexity
Complexity is definitely one of the more difficult things to have. Complexity just..not having simple rhymes. For example something like this, “IM the shit..muthafukas on my block hear me spit..they all know Im the man because I am it//” is not at all complex. That is extremely basic. There are many different ways to add complexity to your spits, but there is no specific way to do it. Try using elements on this list and vocab, but I can’t tell you what to do with this because this also has to do a lot with your style which is different from MY style.[/size]

10.Rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme can be a good thing to have, but a set rhyme scheme isn’t necessarily needed. Here is an example of a rhyme scheme:

Rhyme1 blah blah blah blah rhyme2//
Rhyme1 blah blah blah blah rhyme2//

Personally, I don’t usually use a rhyme scheme but they can seriously increase your flow. If you’re going to use a rhyme scheme, make up your own. Don’t take someone else’s rhyme scheme.

11.What NOT To Do
Here is what you should not do in a battle:
-NEVER bite
-NEVER recycle a line/punch
-Really try not to use any fillers(any line that isnt a punch or a set-up for a punch)
-DO NOT talk about how ill you are/how good you are/or anything that’s complimenting yourself, it’s a battle..the purpose is to ridicule your opponent
-NEVER make up things about your opponent just so you’ll have personals
-DO NOT structure your lines around multis, use them if you can but don’t force them in your verse
-DO NOT use big words just to make yourself look smart, especially if you don’t know what they mean
-DO NOT make your lines 25 syllables long
-DO NOT use played concepts for punches

Also, heres a list of DON’Ts for multis. These things are bad because they just don’t flow well.
-Using four-syllable multies three times in one line and having other words in between them, or using four-syllable multies more than three times at all, in one line.
-Using multies over five-syllables, and using five-syllable multies more than twice in one line.
-Using three-syllable multies more than four times. Five times can occasionally be used depending on the specific multies, if there are words in between the multies or if it is a straight rhyme, and the rhythm/beat you are using with the line.
-Accenting heavily, or more than occasionally. This takes away from the legitamateness of your rhymes.

*sighs*

THE END

and remember..if you dont battle..you wont get better so keep battling!


thnx out to rara


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