Survive a Freestyle Rap Battle

Battling can be a great opportunity for a rapper to showcase their talents. In a rap battle, the rapper with the best delivery, lyrics, and crowd response usually wins. By writing your own rap songs, freestyling as often as possible, staying relaxed, and feeling the energy of your crowds, you'll not only survive these battles, but you'll thrive, rising to the top of the heap.

Steps

Training Your Brain

  1. Study videos online of battles. Check out websites like rapt.fm. Study some freestyle raps done by accomplished artists who are well known for their rap battles. You can learn a lot from rappers like Eyedea, Atmosphere, Tech N9ne, AMB, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, Jin and Biggie. Good battles to look up include the Blaze Battles from HBO, Scribble Jam, among others. There is also a scene in the movie 8 Mile that is a good representation of what a freestyle rap battle is really like. Pay careful attention to the techniques those artists use to battle, and try to mirror them which will help you enhance your own techniques.
    • Look for any upcoming rap battles in your area. Checking out a live performance can give you an idea of the kind of energy and environment freestyle artists must learn to perform in. Rap battles can get pretty intense, especially when you're on the spot.
  2. Write-a-Rap-Song. Write down anything that comes to mind and try to rhyme it. Write rap lyrics and then choose the best rhymes to go with them. Consider getting a rhyming dictionary. The ability to write an effective battle rhyme will aid you when it comes to the battle. (Note: Some rappers don't write everything down, they keep everything in their head so that they can only talk about what's “real.”) Don't try to force rhymes all the time, though. Just let it come naturally and try your best.
  3. Learn to play jazz. Jazz and rap may seem very different, but jazz musicians that improvise in their performances use their brains similar to rappers when they freestyle.[1] Both jazz musicians and rappers learn to shut down parts of their brain that can be distracting.
  4. Play basketball. Sports and rap may be completely unrelated, but a sport like basketball requires a lot of improvised movement that will help to further train your brain and help your performance. Sports can help your brain learn to flip a switch and get "in the zone." This is an important technique to learn to block out distractions and perform under pressure when your moment arrives.[2]
  5. Practice freestyling. Rapping without pre-written lyrics on the spot or impromptu should be done anytime, anywhere, as much as you can. While you’re at it, practice freestyling battle rhymes. Even if it means looking at a photo, thinking about an ex, or imagining a future opponent, do whatever you can to come up with clever new ways to insult. Whenever you think you’ve run out of things to freestyle about, just keep going; the longer you force yourself to rap without giving up, the stronger and more flexible you'll become mentally.

Forming Your Rap Battle Plan

  1. Outline your performance.[3] You won't have time to write it down, but you need to learn to mentally outline your performance while you wait for your turn. In between each round of a rap battle you will have a few minutes while your opponent takes their turn. Make the most of your time by figuring out your ideas and how to organize them in your next verse.
    • Figure out which line is your best. You may choose to lead with this or save it until the end. Learning how to highlight your best disses will make them stand out and be more memorable and help to win over the audience.
  2. Use strategy. Don't come at every opponent or rap battle the same. Figure out the best method to take down your opponent before you go on the stage. By doing your homework and studying the competition, you can find weaknesses to exploit.
    • Read the Art of War by Sun Tzu.[4] For years, businessmen and women have read the Art of War to develop their strategic thinking and be successful. The same methods can help you to battle better, too.
    • You may choose to go after your opponent right away, or just diffuse any attacks you may think they are planning to come at you with. Self-criticism can be very unexpected for the opponent that comes after your flaws. In 8 Mile's final battle, for example, B-Rabbit was put to spit first and decided to insult himself before Papa Doc got a chance (Yes, I'm white, yeah I am a bum, I do live in a trailer wit my mom, my boy future is an "Uncle Tom"...So what?), leaving Papa nothing to retaliate with.
  3. Use humor in your rhymes. If your opponent is dead serious, humor can be especially deadly. Getting the audience to laugh at an opponent is a great way to deflate their intensity – especially if (s)he ends up cracking up too. If you can get your opponent to agree with you during your battle verse, you are making great strides towards a win.
    • Use similes and metaphors. Making comparisons with your opponent to something that insults them. Try to link it with something going on in the world at the moment that everyone is familiar with.
    • You want to diss your opponent whenever possible. You can knock how they dress, speak, spit, look, walk, talk, and act, as well as their personal life as in their past, lifestyle, and other personal weaknesses.
  4. Use props. You can find ways to incorporate ordinary objects to devastate your opponent. For example, if you come up with a line about making your opponent cry, you can offer them a tissue.
    • Observe your surroundings.[5] You may find items that can be of use during performance. Maybe a snack or some popcorn you can offer your opponent. Or, you may notice an article of clothing on your opponent to make a crack about during your next rhyme.

Performing Your Best

  1. Start freestyle battling. The best way to start battling is to find opponents just for fun. Have Rap Battles With Your Friends that don't care if you insult them – or mess up, for that matter. Battle as often as you can, especially if you can find a friend who is actually good at it and can help you improve. Once you’re confident that you’re good at it, try your skills at house parties and rap concerts, which are also good places to practice your techniques before actually entering a stage battle.
  2. Relax. Staying calm will not only help you keep your cool while your opponent disses you, but also allow you to focus on coming up with a good response. Not only that, but keeping calm will improve your delivery, which can make or break an insult: since the hallmark of good delivery is timing, allowing your mind (and mouth) to race in panic can cripple the best diss.
    • Breathe deeply. Deep breathing stimulates the Vagus nerve, which has a calming effect on the body and mind.[6] In fact, some researchers believe that making a habit of relaxing and breathing deeply can change the way that your genes express themselves, making you calmer person all around.[6]
  3. Perform with a lot of energy. Don't just stand there and talk. Move around. Gesture with your hands to emphasize your lyrics.
    • Aggression is a must.[4] Performing with intensity will engage the crowd and win them over. Many times rap battles are determined by which performer is stronger at commanding the stage.
  4. Have key words that you can return to. These words will help you out if you’re drawing blanks. Know what words rhyme with your key words, allowing you to use them more often because you know what flows with them.
    • Write down lists of rhyming words that can be easily used to knock your opponent in someway. For example, joke rhymes with broke, choke, etc. Keep the lists in a notebook and practice using them in some of your rhymes. Just knowing a few such words can give you dozens of verses to throw out there if you're struggling to come up with other ideas.
  5. Don't worry if you lose your first few real battles. The point is to constantly practice freestyling and performing better. Just like with athletes and musicians, you need to put the work in during practice to reach your full potential when the moment comes. The longer you do it the better you'll become, so keep it up till you've got it down.

Tips

  • If you made pre-writtens, don’t let them hold you back. You’ll often find your best material in the moment. Feel free to go with something better in the moment.
  • Don't look down. When you look down, you look defeated.
  • You should prefer facts and actualities in your freestyle rap battle, they will reduce your opponent's self-confidence.
  • Be careful not to tune your opponent out during their turn. You may be focusing on your next verse, but you want to be aware of any comments your competition is making so you can respond.
  • Create an "arsenal" of comebacks/disses you can use in any situation.
  • Make sure that the lyrics match the beat, because the beat is an important factor in the final process in a rap battle.
  • Be sure to drink water and hydrate before and after the battle.
  • Never say something on stage that's going to turn the crowd against you.
  • Try not to use your strongest rap battle phrases. Use them when you don't have any other rap phases left, or if you're losing.

Warnings

  • Rap battles can get heated. Be aware that rap battle events have been known to turn into physical altercations.
  • Make sure to never copy someone else's lyrics.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.medicaldaily.com/neuroscience-freestyle-rap-how-creativity-pathways-give-us-gift-improv-322732
  2. ↑ http://www.livescience.com/24817-freestyle-rapping-brain-activity.html
  3. ↑ http://www.thestateofhiphop.com/freestyle-rap-2.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://rvamag.com/articles/full/16595/the-art-of-war-battle-rapping-in-rva
  5. ↑ http://www.thestateofhiphop.com/freestyle-rap.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131734718/just-breathe-body-has-a-built-in-stress-reliever
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