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【HMC独家翻译】【说唱歌手手册】《第四部分 对抗进行时-对抗的指南》（中英文对照）
【HMC独家翻译】《The Rapper＇s Handbook》中文版 第四部分 对抗进行时-对抗的指南【英文原版PDF电子书下载地址】【翻译申明】&&&&&《The Rapper＇s Handbook(说唱歌手手册)》中文版享有中华人民共和国相关著作权与美利坚合众国知识产权法，所有中英文资料仅供个人学习使用，除权利人书面同意外，任何人不得印刷出版，或做任何形式之盗版、寄存及注册，或部分﹑全部中英文资料存放。敬告各位切勿以身试法！【转载申明】&&&&&&&凡在标题注明【HMC独家翻译】字样的图片或文字内容均属于Hip-Hop Music Club专稿，如需转载文字请注明来源【HMC独家翻译】，否则Hip-Hop Music Club将依据《信息网络传播权保护条例》维护网络知识产权。翻译：老路(中国-海南) 审核/校译：A-JING(中国-湖南)【中文翻译】第四部分 对抗进行时对抗的指南1.Freestyle Battle是什么？&&&&&从最基本的意义上来讲，Freestyle Battle就是任意两个人即兴说唱并且尝试着Diss对方。Battle可以是正式带有规则的（比如限定Bar的数量或者限定时间的长短）。也可以是非正式的，仅仅两个人相互随意的Diss。一些Battle会通过投票来决定“赢家”，但大多数非正式的Battle不会有官方判定的赢家，不过，即使在非正式的Battle中，绝大多数观众都会知道谁是更强的。&&&&&不仅仅是Diss别人，不管什么时候Battle，你都要尽量做到最好，让自己的韵脚、歌词的质量尽可能符合自己的水平。任何Battle的目的是双重的：打败你的对手和作为一位Rapper来提高自己的水平。2.在Battle取得胜利的关键是什么？&&&&&在Battle中取得胜利的关键在于: 征服人群。只要这个Rapper能征服人群，这个Rapper就能取得Battle的胜利，就这么简单。这一个说唱歌手可能Rap很牛逼，另外一个说唱歌手可能Rap出更多牛逼的爆点（Punches），但是赢家永远都是那些能让观众们尖叫，也能让他们躁动起来大喊“oh damn!（噢，牛逼！）”的说唱歌手。&&&&&要让观众站在你这边，最好的办法就是说出一些感觉巧妙的Verse和充满攻击性的爆点（Punches），大多数的人群会被那些歌词内容最巧妙的说唱歌手所感染。3.爆点（Punches）是什么？&&&&&爆点（Punches）是在你的Verse里Diss你的对手时的任何短语。Punchlines是说在Lines中包括了很多的Punches。Punches可以通用，具有广泛攻击性（“No skill, lil’boy, you totally wack”），或者针对个人（“read my mind, did your mama cut you hair, or is your barber blind?”)。但是Punches应该总是带有有强烈的攻击性。&&&&&一场Freestyle Battle就像一场拳击比赛，所有奇特的双关语和牛逼的Flow仅仅是你在躲闪和蓄势攻击，这并不是赢得比赛的重点。这些可能听起来很棒，观众也能感受得到，但如果你没有通过一些好的Punches去攻击你的对手，你就永远不能赢得这场Battle。比较这些例子：The tightest flow on the planet to prove I’m the best,I’m the illest king of the land, ruling all the rest(no punch)The tightest flow on the planet to prove I’m the best,Yo flow’s like thick mucus that get caught in yo chest(broad punch)My flow’s tight like your shirt, how can you breathe?Yo shirts got the right idea, I think it wants to leave(personal punch - if your opponent is wearing a tight shirt)4.我有多少的爆点（Punches）可以放在我的Battle？&&&&&在理想的情况下，你会想使一句或者另外一句成为一个Punchline。所以如果这一句没有一个爆点（Punch），那应该构想一个加进来。可以形象地来说，Battle Verse看起来就像波浪，每个波的波峰就是一个Punch，波峰之间的波谷营造了观众的期待，但是你不要因为没有使用另一个的精心打磨的攻击Verse就让过多的时间流逝。&&&&&在“8 Mile（Eminem主演的电影）”里的Battle中，Eminem扮演的“Rabbit”和一个叫“Lickity Split”的说唱歌手Battle。这是一部分“Lickity Split”说唱的的Verse，尽管他最终输给了“Rabbit”，但是他带来了非常厉害的Verse，让我们来分析一下这些Punches。You ain’t Detroit, I’m the D(weak semi-personal punch)You're the New Kid on the Block(leading to...)'Bout to get smacked back to the boondocks(personal punch, but not hard)Lil’ Nazi, this crowd ain’t your type(leading to...)Take some real advice and form a group with Vanilla Ice(semi-personal punch)And what I tell you, you better use it(no punch)This guy’s a hillbilly, this ain’t Willie Nelson music(semi-personal punch)Trailer trash, I’ll choke you to your last breath(broad punch)And have you lookin foolish(leading to...)Like Cheddar Bob when he shot himself(personal punch)Silly Rabbit, I know why they call you that(leading to...)Cuz you follow Future like you got carrots up his ass crack(hard personal punch)And when you actin up that’s when you got jacked up(personal punch)And left stupid like Tina Turner when she got smacked up(broad punch)I crack ya shoulder blade, you’ll get dropped so hard(leading to…)that Elvis will start turning in his grave(weak personal punch)I don’t know why they left you out in the dark(leading to…)Ya need to take your white ass back across 8 Mile to the trailer park(personal punch)&&&&&正如你看到的，每句不是有一个Punch就是引导着一个Punch。总的来说，这是一段挺好的Verse，但犯了一些错误，这就是他为什么失败的原因。首先，他的Punches基本上都在Diss同一件事：Eminem是白人/ 他没有生活在底特律。破纪录的做法不是一个成功的Battle技巧，这就像篮球运动员只有最后一次进攻机会。迈克尔·乔丹和勒布朗·詹姆斯在球场上如此致命的原因是因为他们是多才多艺的，他们是三分线的威胁也是内线的威胁。因为在Battle中来回总坚持一个基本的话题，Lickety Split很快露出了他的马脚，使得Eminem可以轻易反击，而且这反击使得Lickety感觉颜面无存。5.我应该如何使用广泛的爆点（Broad Punches）？&&&&&&&&&&对我而言，广泛的爆点（Broad Punches）已经过度的使用了，但是它们仍然有自己的用武之地。Broad Punches是任何一个开始说唱的MC很容易从一段文字运用到另一段文字的Punches。这些韵脚可以提前准备好，但特定的爆点（Specific Punches）不行。写一些Broad Punches是个不错的主意，这可以让你在任何Battle的时候帮你渡过难关，或者把这些Broad Punches融入进你的个人的爆点（Personal Punches）里用来反击对方。&&&&&如果你的Broad Punches不能和你的Personal Punches一样造成强大的攻击时，你可以使用搞笑的、有趣的或者令人印象深刻的Broad Punches。比较这些：I’m only battling ya to prove the point that you a sell out,so when I come round with the ak and 9 out, yo its lights out&&&&&这种广泛的爆点（Broad Punch）是脆弱的。这里没有比喻，没有词汇，没有双关语，没有多重押韵，而且他的韵脚只是“out”与“out”与“out”。这里唯一的Punch是一个Gun Punch，而Gun Punch缺少创新，已经被玩厌了，一些实力比较弱的Rapper总喜欢这些。所以，把你想象中的AK and 9放进你的裤子里，讲一些真实的东西吧。看看这个，来自德州的说唱歌手名字叫做Smtxgraffin，他在互联网上写道：Why do you spit corny punches that nobody understands?You ain’t in my league, I’m pitchin’at you underhand&&&&&这是一个Broad Punch（如果他的对手真正用了老掉牙的Punch，这可以算是Specific Punches），但这段文字是有力的，因为他把“league”结合到了一起，创造了这句“pitchin’at you underhand”，还加入了一对精巧的的双押：“understands”和“underhand”。&&&&&一般而言，有节制的使用Broad Punches，当你要使用它们的时候，要确保它们有足够的攻击性。6.我应该如何使用个人的爆点（Personal Punches）？&&&&&Personal Punches对于一个经验丰富的Rapper是非常实用的。它们不仅可以胜过对手，还因为它们基本上不可能提前就写好（除非你在前一天晚上就知道你的对手是谁），它们还可以强烈地展示出你的即兴说唱能力，尽量在你Battle的时候多使用一些Personal Punches。 7.我应该怎么写个人的（Personal）？&&&&&关键之处在于：当你知道你的对手是谁，就要开始分析如何去打倒他。如果你在参加一个现场的Battle，当比赛宣布你所匹配的对手，马上找出那个人并打量他/询问有关于他的一些事情，这样在Battle的时候就可以更方便地使用Personal Punches。如果你在一个派对中想要投入到两个MC正在进行的Battle，你也得找出谁要开始和你Battle。如果你在一个线上论坛Battle，一旦你知道了你的对手是谁，就去找一些关于他以前Battle的老帖子，找一些他写过的歌，或者写过的词，尽可能多挖掘出大量能在你的Battle时能使用到的关于他的信息。在上面《8-Mile》的例子中，Lickety Split使用了这些个人的（Personal）方式来Diss Eminem：*he’s not from Detroit（*他不是来自底特律）*his friend Cheddar Bob shot himself in the foot（*他的朋友Cheddar Bob朝自己的脚开枪）*his friend Future hosts the battle（*他的朋友未来将会是对抗的主人）*he’s white（*他是白种人）*he lives in the trailer park（*他住在停车场）*he got beat up by a bunch of Lickety Split’s friends（*他被一个Lickety Split的朋友的爆点痛打了）&&&&&这些大量的个人信息被Lickety Split用来对付Eminem，即使他的大部分攻击点实在太相似了。通常你能找到对手的个人信息越多就越好。表面的细节是一个开始的好地方：他穿的是什么 / 他的名字 / 他是什么样子。让我们来看看在Battle时戴着两个连帽衫的家伙被Diss的词：Couldn’t decide which shirt to wear so u wore both G?U could wear 6 shirts and u still won’t hold the trophy8.Battle之前的准备&&&&&不是每个Battle都是即兴的（想想2pac与Biggie、Common与Ice Cube之间的Diss 战争）。所有的这些艺术家发布写好的歌词用来Battle他们的对手。另外，即使在即兴说唱比赛，三脚猫们也常常使用准备好的词，他们会把这些词经常调用出来。我想建议大家要反对整场Freestyle Battle都使用准备好的歌词，无论如何每个人都会提前写好一些，观众们会更支持歌词里有来自Freestyle Bar的选手。但是你可以总是使用一些预先写好的元素。&&&&&如果你有看过《8 Mile DVD》的特辑，你会看到有一个场景是Eminem和一个女人在Battle（在电影之外的特辑）。当他正要Freestyle，“so you a dope emcee? Don’t be mad and start taking your period out on me.” 看来Eminem刚才的Personal Punch是非常惊人的，这使观众们都发狂了。&&&&&但是有一些关于这句话的歌词我听起来很熟悉，于是我寻找了好几天，我想我以前听过。然后我意识到这是一个打败Eminem的Rapper的歌词，他把这歌词变成属于他自己的了。“PMS”这个Punchline是和他在1997年的Rap Olympics上用来对付一个女孩时用的一样。所以，他做了什么呢？在Rap Olympics之前他就已经写好这个Line作为一个Punch，以便他对付一个女性对手的时候可以使用。他曾经在Rap Olympics用了这个Punch，五年后他又把这个再次加入到了他的电影特辑里。&&&&&他的诀窍是能使这个Punch用两次听起来都有新鲜的感觉。因为他把这个Punch加进了他的Freestyle，然后他可以用不同的方式就像在现场说唱出来一样。这就是一个真正的天才级MC会做的事：加入一些准备好的就像在Freestyle的歌词。诀窍：不要吐露出太难以理解的歌词，最好在你说出来之前稍微有一些停顿（就好像你真的正在想歌词）。&&&&&Eminem所做的事就是一个好主意，在Battle之前他就写了一些特定的爆点（Specific Punches）并记住它们。然后当你发现你的对手符合这些描述的时候，你就可以使用这些Punch。这里是一个爆点（Punch）的基本分类：*someone who is skinny / fat / short / tall（*某人是瘦的/胖的/矮的/高的）*someone who is spitting a whole pre-written verse（*某人说的都是背好的词）*someone who is old / young（*某人是老牌的/年轻的）*someone who is closed minded / racist / sexist（*某人是思想保守的/种族主义的/性别歧视的）*someone who wears glasses / a hat / a bandana（*某人戴着眼镜/一顶帽子/一块头巾）*someone who has long hair / short hair / dread locks / is going bald（*某人有长头发/短头发/脏辫/秃头）*etc…（*等等...）[练习这个]&&&&&写一些真正牛逼的爆点（Punches）给每种类型的人，然后把爆点加进你的Freestyle里不断练习。那么当你遇到符合描述的对手，你就可以轻松的运用在你的Battle中了。9.第二个说唱歌手应该先响应&&&&&在Battle的时候，一些人总是不幸地被抽到先唱。这个绝对是弱势所在，这就是为什么先唱的位置通常都是交给挑战者的原因。这会有两个先唱的主要缺点：在你唱完之后很难让观众记住你的Punches，还有就是后唱的Rapper可以根据你所唱的来反击你。作为一个在Battle中先唱的Rapper，你可以唱出一些容易让听众记住的东西，尽可能让人们对你所唱的感兴趣，你需要让人群站在你这边来使你的对手害怕。正如传奇说唱歌手Kool Moe Dee所说的，“为你欢呼是你的对手的嘘声。”&&&&&但是第二个唱的说唱歌手也不容易。作为第二个唱的说唱歌手，观众期待着你回应你的对手刚才Diss你的歌词。你必须直接回应你的对手，如果你的对手被称为“a lazy Mexican（一个懒惰的墨西哥人）”，你就应该马上围绕他的脸对他进行反击。&&&&&这是对于每个人来说都是非常正确的做法，特别是如果有人对你的种族、背景、性别等等进行带有特别看不起的抨击时，在这种状况下反击是十分容易的。看看这个来自《BET’s Rap City》的例子，这场Battle的冠军是带有中国血统的Jin（欧阳靖），而他的挑战者是Sean Nicholas。&&&&&Sean Nicholas先唱，他立即进入了与Jin的比赛：Who you supposed to be?Bruce Lee with his pants all saggin’I’ll murder you boy,There’ll be no return of the Dragon&&&&&这是一个挺不错的Punch，但他的整段Verse只有这一段是出彩的。它继续谈到Jin，说Jin穿着橙黄色的衣服，长得就像是Tony the Tiger，但接着他就卡壳了，因为他想不出和“Tony the Tiger”押韵的单词。所以他只能唱一些随机的歌词，中间还有十分尴尬的停顿，而且还是没有完成这个押韵。在那一刻你知道的，他必须说一些攻击性的歌词来掩饰他刚才犯了错误的尴尬，但有趣的是他不得不使用一个看似随意的进攻（用牙买加口音来说唱），直到最后DJ结束了这轮Battle。&&&&&Jin拿起麦克风，并迅速扭转了局势，他回应了对手刚才说的（关于他的穿着如何和他是中国人如何），让他的对手颜面无存。You’re not a record artist, I’m not hating on you,Stop lying, Miss Cleo is more Jamaican than you…My pants are new, my sweater is new,Don’t be mad a Chinese kid dress better than you,&&&&&Jin回应了他的对手，并打乱了对手的节奏。他从对手的Verse中引用了一些特别的事情，让你们知道他在对手唱的时候就准备好了反击的歌词。事实上，Sean Nicholas先唱可以让Jin有时间准备好这些杀手级的Punches。只要Sean Nicholas开始唱，Jin可能就会想“那好，那家伙的说唱有牙买加口音，还有什么关于牙买加的话题是我可以取笑他的呢？Cleo小姐!”接着他非常快地把这个想法用进了这段歌词里。这是所有参与Battle的人都应该使用的非常重要的策略。&&&&&注意：如果你参加了网络在线Battle，一些网站可能不允许你使用你对手的Line来反击他（他们认为这给了第二个唱的说唱歌手太大的优势），首先要确保你知道规则。
10.使用你的身体语言/表演出来&&&&&在Battle的时候你是一个表演者，表演者如果像一个僵尸一样呆呆站着是不会赢得人们的喜爱的。你必须通过运用身体语言来刺激观战的人群。虽然手势经常伴随着任何现场的Verse，但有技巧的说唱歌手通常会用一些充满力量的手势来帮助他们的Punchline击中对方的要害。&&&&&首先，你需要在舞台上移动让观众们激动起来。不要站在原地就像白痴一样。也不是说整场你都必须在绕着舞台跳来跳去，但是至少要跟着你的节奏动起你的上半身。然后，当你面对你的对手空投歌词导弹的时候，你可以借助手势的帮助强调你说的。你的很多动作取决于你歌词内容的风格，一个好的开始就是当你唱到“你”的时候伸直你的手臂用手指指着你的对手。如果你Diss他们的鞋子，就一直指着他们的鞋子。如果你Diss他们的胡子，你可以指着他们的胡子，或者如果你有胡子就抓一下自己的下巴。这种视觉上的动作可以帮助观众把你的歌词联系起来，加深对你的印象。&&&&&你可以在这个网站，看看一些免费的视频，观察他们是怎么做到的。11.呦，那家伙只是Diss我。这意味着战争，对吗？&&&&&Battle只是一场比赛，而不是一场战争。只是因为一个说唱歌手在Battle的时候说一些关于你的东西，并不意味着你们两个现在就是敌人。NBA球员在赛场上不会讨厌对方，他们总是试图击败他们的对手，但是他们在比赛之后还会握手问候“What’s up”。我喜欢一位对手在比赛结束后不分敌我地称赞对方的Verses牛逼。你永远不会想到，有可能你的对手在未来某天就加入了你的团队，也有可能你加入他的团队。总之，特别是在说唱比赛中，在Battle中认识朋友总比树敌要好。12.我该如何开始和结束我的Verses？&&&&&三个段落的文章就好像任何接力跑，你应该把最强的Punches放在开头和结尾（把重点放在结尾）。你需要在开头用你那带有强大Punch的Battle Verse让人群站在你这边。拿这个来自Masta Ace歌曲“Acknowledge”的例子，这首Diss歌曲针对了一个名叫Boogieman的说唱歌手。Masta Ace在开头就使用了超强的名字Diss，在下一章我们将讨论。[歌曲例子]Yo I heard of the Boogie Manwhen I was a youth… Scary...Then I found out that he was as fake as the tooth-fairy&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&- Masta Ace, “Acknowledge”&&&&&这就是一个强势的开头部分Punch，有针对性而且新颖。强势的结尾部分Punch和强势的开头部分Punch一样重要。理想情况下，你可以总结你的一些Line，或提供一些结束的歌词。比较这些结尾部分：I’m the rap vet, spit lines that most people can’t get,my lyrics destroy yours like the Yankees vs. the Mets&&&&&这是一个非常脆弱的结束。这个Punch相当软弱而且它没什么实际意义，试试这个：So can you write down your lyricsand give me a copy soon?I need ‘em dog,cause they’re out of toilet paper in the bathroom&&&&&&这段歌词可以更好的作为一个结尾部分。这里的“so”就像一个“all in all”或者“in the end”，一个短语让观众知道你就要结束了，然后Punch应该带有攻击性。用一些能让观众可以欣赏的聪明而有趣的结束是非常棒的。13.我该避免什么？&&&&&不要沦为LL Cool J综合症的牺牲品，如果你的整个Battle Verse都在用你的麦克风讲你有多么牛逼、女士们多么喜欢你、你怎么这么有钱、你有多么炫的车，那你得知道这就是LL Cool J综合症的表现。在LL与Kool Moe Dee、Ice-T和Canibus的著名Battle中，爱吹牛的说唱歌手总会花更多的时间在自卖自夸和有的没的上，实际上他没有在Diss他的对手。正如Kool Moe Dee他自己的指导：“专注于你的对手，而不是你自己……找到他们真正的弱点。”
&&&&&你也应该避免你的Punch被耗尽，这时候很多的词汇将会变得很糟糕。很多的三脚猫仍然会说一些无内容的东西，所以你就可以轻而易举地打败他们。我喜欢用一些句子来进行一场Battle，如果我要去迎战任何人，我可以用这些句子来抨击反同性恋行为（homo-phobia）、老是喜欢打手枪（gat-loving）、性别歧视的（sexist）的说唱歌手。思想保守的说唱歌手永远到达不了顶尖的水平。避免：*faking in general -
you’re going to get called out（*通常都是编造的 - 你将要被叫出局）*rapping about sexual exploits - everyone knows you-re lying anyway（*说唱一些关于性别歧视的壮举 - 每个人都知道你在说谎）*using the word “gay” or “faggot”
played out and stupid（*使用“同志”或“同性恋”这个词 - 会被请出比赛和显得自己愚蠢）*dissing on women - idiotic（*对女性Diss - 显得自己白痴）*being racist
- you’re going to get called out（*存在种族歧视 - 你将要被叫出局）*talking about your gat - you don’t really have a gat, dawg（*谈论你的手枪 - 笨狗，你真的没有一台手枪）*dissing yo’mamma - only to be used occasionally
（Diss你妈妈 - 只是偶尔可以使用）14.这里有其他的技巧吗？&&&&&Hip-Hop音乐历史上最有趣的“牛肉事件（beef）”是来自Ice Cube和Common的那个年代。那时候Common推出了他的专辑《Resurrection》 (Relativity, 1994)，这张专辑告诉了大家一些关于Hip-Hop音乐的历史。这首歌，“I Used to Love H.E.R.”赋与Hip-Hop音乐以人性，把Hip-Hop音乐比喻成从游遍东海岸到西海岸又回来的一个美丽但喜欢骂人的女人。显然，前N.W.A.组合成员Ice Cube对Common的歌词很反感，并用麦克录了十段音轨抨击了他，也就是《Westside Slaugherhouse》，这首歌用了一些强有力的Diss Lines，Common接着就用了这首Diss歌曲《B*tch in Yoo》还击了Ice Cube。&&&&&好吧。现在先假装一下你没听过这些歌曲（可能你真的没有听过），然后发动你的想象，挑选一个人，看谁最后会赢得胜利。这是个最强者与另一个最强者之间的比赛，西海岸帮派份子Ice Cube和书呆子似的诗人Common。大多数人会选择Cube赢，不是吗？但相反的是，Common赢了这场Battle，他的Diss歌曲《B*tch in Yoo》表达了他没有像2pac那样喜欢疯狂地生气。他没有像Canibus还击LL Cool J那样使用了下流的词，相反的是，他发挥了自己的优势：像是一个诗人一样，听起来有趣又温文尔雅的攻击，慢慢地把对手一块一块地拆卸下来，他指责Cube是一个伪君子，一个聪明的有钱人却装作帮派份子。Common赢得了这场Battle，因为他没有使用前面相同的风格还击对方，他一直保持着真实的自我。换句话说，如果你是一个唱硬核的，那你就多唱硬核。但是如果你更喜欢写抒情的，那同样的就一直写抒情的。利用你的优势来打败你的竞争对手。&&&&&让你的Battle时的说唱和你其他的说唱一样酷。包括隐喻、双关语、直喻、文化背景、多重押韵和不可思议的押韵，总是尽你所能加进Battle里。你可能有时候会掉拍，但每个人都会有掉拍的时候。失败的时候要学到东西，到下次的时候才能变得更加强大。概括起来*as soon as you find out who you’re battling, learn about him / analyze him（*一旦你找出了谁和你Battle，就要去了解他/分析他）*find some details you can exploit, （*找到一些你可以利用的细节）*write some personal punches using those details, “crystallize their weakness”（*使用这些细节写一些个人的爆点，“明确自己的弱点”）*mix in some pre-written punches（*加入一些预先写好的爆点）*outline your rap with strongest punches frst and last（*概述你说唱的时候第一个和最后一个最强的爆点）*if you go second, respond to your opponent’s verse（*如果你是第二个开始的，要回应你的对手的Verse）*spit fire（*说唱要火力猛）*give your opponent a dap and say ‘good battle’（给你的对手一个尊重并说“很不错的对抗”）*win or lose, you’ll come back harder next time（*无论是赢还是输，当你下次回来的时候会更加厉害）【英语原文】Part Four - BattlingGuide to Battling1.What is a freestyle battle?&&&&&In the most basic sense, a freestyle battle is any two people rapping live and trying to diss each other. A battle can be formal and have rules (a certain number of bars, or a certain time length), or it can be informal,just two people dissin’ back and forth. Some battleswill have a ‘winner,’ decided upon by votes, but most informal battles won’t have an official winner. Still,even in an informal battle, most people will know who came stronger.&&&&&Beyond just dissing someone else, though, whenever you battle rap you should push yourself to make your rhymes as quality as possible for your own sake. The purpose of any battle is really twofold: to beat your opponent and to improve as a rapper.2.What’s the key to winning a battle?&&&&&The key to winning a freestyle battle is this: win the crowd. The rapper who wins the crowd over, wins the battle itself. Simple as that. One rapper might come harder, and the other might spit more clever punches,but the winner will always be the one who connected with the people, the rapper who gets them oohing and ahhing and screaming “oh damn!”.&&&&&The best way to get the crowd on your side is to spit a verse that is full of clever, hard-hitting punches.Those are the lines that most crowds will respond to the most.3.What are punches?&&&&&Punches are any phrases in your verse that diss your opponent. Punchlines are lines that contain punches.Punches can be general, broad attacks (“No skill, lil’boy, you totally wack,”) or personal (“read my mind,did your mama cut your hair, or is your barber blind?”).But they should always hit hard.&&&&&Think of a freestyle battle like a boxing match. All the fancy wordplay and sick flow is just you bobbing and weaving. It’s important. You might sound good, and people will feel it, but you can’t ever win the battle and knock out your opponent if you don’t throw a few good punches.Compare these examples:The tightest flow on the planet to prove I’m the best,I’m the illest king of the land, ruling all the rest(no punch)The tightest flow on the planet to prove I’m the best,Yo flow’s like thick mucus that get caught in yo chest(broad punch)My flow’s tight like your shirt, how can you breathe?Yo shirts got the right idea, I think it wants to leave(personal punch - if your opponent is wearing a tight shirt)4.How many punches should I put in my battle?&&&&&Ideally you want every or every other line to be a punchline. So if one line isn’t a punch, it should be building to one, setting one up. If you were to map a battle verse visually, it would look like waves, where the crest of each wave is the punch. The lull in between the waves builds the audience’s anticipation, but you never want to let too much time go by without delivering another carefully-honed attacked.&&&&&Take the battle in 8 Mile. Eminem’s character Rabbit is battling a dude named Lickity Split. This is part of Lickity Split’s verse. Though he ends up loseing to “Rabbit”, he comes with a pretty hard verse. Let’s analyze the punches.You ain’t Detroit, I’m the D(weak semi-personal punch)You're the New Kid on the Block(leading to...)'Bout to get smacked back to the boondocks(personal punch, but not hard)Lil’ Nazi, this crowd ain’t your type(leading to...)Take some real advice and form a group with Vanilla Ice(semi-personal punch)And what I tell you, you better use it(no punch)This guy’s a hillbilly, this ain’t Willie Nelson music(semi-personal punch)Trailer trash, I’ll choke you to your last breath(broad punch)And have you lookin foolish(leading to...)Like Cheddar Bob when he shot himself(personal punch)Silly Rabbit, I know why they call you that(leading to...)Cuz you follow Future like you got carrots up his ass crack(hard personal punch)And when you actin up that’s when you got jacked up(personal punch)And left stupid like Tina Turner when she got smacked up(broad punch)I crack ya shoulder blade, you’ll get dropped so hard(leading to…)that Elvis will start turning in his grave(weak personal punch)I don’t know why they left you out in the dark(leading to…)Ya need to take your white ass back across 8 Mile to the trailer park(personal punch)&&&&&As you can see, every line was either a punch or leading to one. Overall, it was a solid battle verse, though he did make some mistakes, which is why he ultimately lost. First of all, his punches were all basically dissing the same thing: Eminem is white / he doesn’t live in Detroit. The broken record approach is not a successful battle technique, like a basketball player with only one shot. The reason that Michael Jordan or Lebron James are so lethal on the court is because of how versatile they are. They’re threats from 3-point range,and they’re threats with an inside lane. By sticking to basically one topic, Lickety Split opens himself up to Eminem, who can now easily flip the one-dimensional disses back in Lickety’s face.5.How should I use broad punches?&&&&&To my mind, broad punches are over-used, but they do have their place. Broad punches are anything that you could spit to one emcee just as easily as you could spit it to another. These rhymes are easy to write beforehand,unlike specific punches. It’s a good idea to write some broad punches that you can pull out whenever you get stuck, or weave into your battle rap between personal punches.&&&&&Since broad punches don’t hit as hard as personal attacks do, make sure that your broad punches are funny, intelligent, or lyrically impressive. Compare these:I’m only battling yato prove the point that you a sell out,so when I come round with the ak and 9 out,yo its lights out&&&&&This broad punch is weak. There’s no metaphor, no vocabulary, no wordplay, no multies, and it rhymes“out” with “out” with “out.” The only punch in there is a gun punch, and gun punches are played out. They’re rarely creative, and weak rappers love ‘em. So put your imaginary AK and 9 back in your pants and spit something real. Check this out, from a Texas rapper named smtxgraffin, writing on the internet:Why do you spit corny punches that nobody understands?You ain’t in my league, I’m pitchin’ at you underhand&&&&&This is a broad punch (it could be specific if his opponent is spitting truly corny punches), but it works because of the play on “league” and the creativity of the line“pitchin’ at you underhand.” Plus “understands” and“underhand” is a dope rhyme.&&&&&In general, use broad punches sparingly, and when you use one, make sure it’s tight.6.How should I use personal punches?&&&&&Personals are the bread and butter of the veteran battle rapper. Not only do they cut down your opponent,but because they are basically impossible to write beforehand (unless you know who you’re battling the night before) they show off your freestyle prowess. Use personals as much as you can in your battle raps.7.How do I write personals?&&&&&Here’s the trick: as soon as you know who your opponent is going to be, start analyzing him and breaking him down. If you’re at a contest, as soon as they announce your match-up, find out which guy is going against you and take a look at him / ask about him. If two emcees are battling at a party and you want to jump in, figure out who you’ll be battling. If you’re battling in an online forum, as soon as you know who you’re up against, go and read a bunch of his old battles and old posts. You want to dig up as much info as you can that you can use in your raps. In the example from 8-Mile above, Lickety Split disses Eminem in these personal ways:*he’s not from Detroit*his friend Cheddar Bob shot himself in the foot*his friend Future hosts the battle*he’s white*he lives in the trailer park*he got beat up by a bunch of Lickety Split’s friends&&&&&That’s a lot of personal information that Lickety Split used against him, even if most of his attacks were too similar. In general the more you can find out the better. A good place to start is superficial details: what he’s wearing / his name / what he looks like. Let’s say the guy you’re battling is wearing two hoodies on top of one another:Couldn’t decide which shirt to wear so u wore both G?U could wear 6 shirts and u still won’t hold the trophy8.Preparing for the battle beforehand&&&&&Not every battle is a freestyle (think of the diss wars between Tupac and Biggie or Common and Ice Cube).All those artists released written diss raps to battle their opponent. Plus, even at a lot of freestyles, cats spit pre-written raps, though they often get called out.I would advise against spitting an entire pre-written verse at a freestyle battle. Everyone’s gonna tell it’s pre-written anyway, and they’re more likely to give props to someone who put in at least a few freestyle bars.But you can always use some pre-written elements.&&&&&If you watch the special features on the 8 Mile DVD,there’s one scene where Eminem battles this woman(an extra in the movie). He appears to be freestyling when he spits, “so you a dope emcee? Don’t be mad and start taking your period out on me.” The audience goes wild. It seems that Eminem just freestyled an amazing,personal punch.&&&&&But there was something about that line that sounded familiar to me. I walked around for a few days, trying to think of where I had heard it before. And then I realized that Eminem wasn’t biting another rapper’ he was recycling his own. The “PMS” punchline was the same line he used against a girl in the Rap Olympics in 1997. So what had he done? Sometime before the Rap Olympics he had written that line as a punch in case he went up against a woman. He used it in the Olympics and then, five years later he pulled it out again to beat an extra in his movie.&&&&&The trick was that he made it sound fresh both times.He spit it mixed in with his freestyle, and he spit it in such a way that it seemed like he made it up on the spot. That’s something that a truly talented emcee can do: rock a pre-written line like freestyling. The trick:don’t spit too complex a line, and pause a tiny bit (like you’re trying to think of the line) before you bust it out.&&&&&It’s a good idea to do what Eminem did. Write out a bunch of specific punches before a battle and memorize them. Then you can use those rhymes if you ever find yourself up against someone who fits that description.Here are a bunch of basic categories:*someone who is skinny / fat / short / tall*someone who is spitting a whole pre-written verse*someone who is old / young*someone who is closed minded / racist / sexist*someone who wears glasses / a hat / a bandana*someone who has long hair / short hair / dread locks / is going bald*etc…[Practice This]&&&&&Write a few really dope punches for each of these types of people. Practice sneaking them into your rhymes while you’re freestyling. Then you’ll easily be able to drop them into your battle verse if you come up against an opponent who matches the description.9.The second rapper should respond to the first&&&&&Someone always has the unfortunate job of going first in a battle. This is defintately the weak spot to be in,which is why it’s usually reserved for challengers. There are two major drawbacks to going first: it’s harder for the audience to remember your punches at the end of the battle, and the other rapper can use your punches against you. As the first emcee in a battle, it’s up to you to spit something hot enough that the audience will remember it. Try to get the crowd as involved as possible. You want to get the crowd on your side to intimidate your opponent. As legendary rapper Kool Moe Dee says, “cheers for you are boos for your opponent.”&&&&&But it’s difficult for the second rapper too. As the second rapper, the audience expects you to respond to the lines and punches that your opponent has just leveled at you. You’ve got to answer him directly. So if you’re opponent called you a lazy Mexican, it’s up to you to flip that around in his face.&&&&&This is true for everyone, but it is especially true if someone took a cheap swipe at your race, background,gender, etc… It’s easy to expose them on the flip side.Check out this example from BET’s Rap City. This battle features Jin, the battle champion, who is of Chinese descent, versus a challenger, Sean Nicholas.&&&&&Sean Nicholas spits first, and immediately goes after Jin’s race:Who you supposed to be?Bruce Lee with his pants all saggin’I’ll murder you boy,There’ll be no return of the Dragon&&&&&It’s a clever punch, but it’s the only one he has in his whole verse. He goes on to say that Jin, dressed in orange, looks like Tony the Tiger, but then he blanks. He just can’t think of a rhyme for “Tony the Tiger.” Instead of just saying something random, he pauses awkwardly, and doesn’t finish the rhyme. At that moment you know that he’s got to come back with something hard to make up for his embarrassing mistake, but instead he resorts to a seemingly random bout of toasting (rapping in a Jamaican accent), until the DJ cuts him off.&&&&&Jin picks up the mic and is quick to turn the tide,shoving the guys comments (about how he dresses and how he’s Chinese) back in his face.You’re not a record artist, I’m not hating on you,Stop lying, Miss Cleo is more Jamaican than you…My pants are new, my sweater is new,Don’t be mad a Chinese kid dress better than you,&&&&&Jin responds to his opponent and tears him apart. He references specific things from his opponent’s verse,letting you know that he wrote the lines right then.The fact that Sean Nicholas went first allowed Jin the time to write out those killer punches. As soon as Sean Nicholas started toasting, Jin probably thought,“ok, he’s rapping in a Jamaican accent. What else is Jamaican that I can make fun of him with? Miss Cleo!”And then he worked that idea very quickly into a line.This is an important strategy that all battlers should use.&&&&&Note: if you’re battling someone online, some websites don’t allow you to use your opponents lines against them (they think it gives the second rapper too big an advantage). Make sure you know the rules first.10.Use your body / Act it Out&&&&&At a battle you are a performer, and a performer doesn’t win the crowd by standing there like a stiff with his hands in his pockets. You’ve got to energize the crowd through movement. While hand gestures usually accompany any live verse, skilled battle rappers will bust out some extra-powerful gestures that help their punchlines hit home.&&&&&First of all, you want to move around enough to get the crowd pysched. Don’t stand there like a poindexter.You don’t have to be jumping around the stage, but at least move your upper body as you’re rhyming. Then,as you’re dropping you’re lyrical missiles on your opponent, you want to emphasize them with motion. A lot of this will depend on your style and on the verse you drop, but a good starting place is to point to your opponent with your full arm extended every time you say “you” in your verse. If you diss their shoes,always point at their shoes. If you diss their beard,either point at their beard, or scratch your own chin like you’ve got a beard. These visual clues will help the audience connect with your verse.&&&&&You can check out some free videos at
to see how the pros do it.11.Yo, that dude just dissed me. That means war,right?&&&&&A battle is a competition, not a war. Just ‘cause a rapper says something about you in a battle doesn’t mean you two are now enemies. NBA players on the court don’t hate each other. They always try to beat their opponent,but then they shake hands and say ‘what’s up’ after the game. I like an opponent who says, “good battle” after we spit verses. You never know, you might want that guy to join your crew someday, or you might join his.In anything, but especially in the rap game, it’s always better making friends than making enemies.12.How should I start and end my verses?&&&&&Like any relay-race or three paragraph essay, you want your strongest punches to come first and last (with emphasis on the last). You want your battle verse to open with a strong punch to get the crowd on your side.Take this example from Masta Ace on “Acknowledge,” a diss track against a rapper named Boogieman. Masta Ace opens with a strong name diss, which we’ll cover in the next chapter.[Pro Example]Yo I heard of the Boogie Manwhen I was a youth… Scary...Then I found out that he was as fake as the tooth-fairy&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&- Masta Ace, “Acknowledge”&&&&&That’s a strong opening punch, personal and clever.Start strong like that and then try to end your verses with a strong punch as well. Ideally it’s one that sums up some of your lines, or provides pare these endings:I’m the rap vet, spit lines that most people can’t get,my lyrics destroy yours like the Yankees vs. the Mets&&&&&This is a pretty weak ending. The punch is fairly weak and it doesn’t really sum anything up. Try this one:So can you write down your lyricsand give me a copy soon?I need ‘em dog,cause they’re out of toilet paper in the bathroom&&&&&This works much better as an ending. The “so” works like an “all in all” or “in the end,” a phrase that let’s people know you’re about to end, and the punch hits hard. It’s good to end with something clever and funny that the audience can appreciate.13.What should I avoid?&&&&&Don’t fall victim to what I like to call LL Cool J Syndrome.You know you’ve got it if your whole battle verse is all about how ill you are on the microphone, how ladies love you, how you’re so rich, or how chromed out your car is. In LL’s famous battles with Kool Moe Dee, Ice-T and Canibus, the buff rapper spent more time self-aggrandizing and band-standing then actually dissinghis opponents. As Kool Moe Dee himself instructs:“focus on you opponent, not on yourself…crystallize their weakness.”&&&&&You should also avoid any punch that’s been played out, and there is a lot of battle material that’s been played out bad. A lot of cats still spit stuff like this, so it should be pretty easy to beat them. I like to come to a battle with a few lines that take a swipe at homo-phobia,gat-loving, sexist rappers in case I go up against one. Closed-minded rappers will never get to the top.Avoid:*faking in general – you’re going to get called out*rapping about sexual exploits – everyone knows you’re lying anyway*using the word “gay” or “faggot” – played out and stupid*dissing on women – idiotic*being racist – you’re going to get called out*talking about your gat – you don’t really have a gat, dawg.*dissing yo’ mamma – only to be used occasionally14.Are there any other tricks?&&&&&One of hip-hop’s most interesting beefs was between Ice Cube and Common back in the nineties. Common came out with a track on his album Resurrection (Relativity, 1994) that told the history of hip-hop music. The song, “I Used to Love H.E.R.” personifies hip-hop as a beautiful but abused woman who has traveled from the East Coast to the west and back again. Apparently, former N.W.A. member Ice Cube took exception to Common’s lyrics and blasted at him with a few potent diss lines on a Mack 10 track,“Westside Slaugherhouse.” Common then fired back with the diss track “B*tch in Yoo.”&&&&&Ok. Now pretend for a minute you haven’t heard any of these songs (maybe you haven’t), and just pick a winner based on who you imagine would win a battle. The contest is between hard-as-nails, west coast gangsta Ice Cube and nerdy poet Common. Most people pick Cube, right? Well that’s exactly why Common won the battle. His diss track “B*tch in Yoo” wasn’t insanely angry like one of Tupac’s endemics. It wasn’t lyrically nasty like Canibus dissing LL Cool J. Instead, it played to all of Common’s strengths: it was a poetic, interesting,soft-spoken attack that dismantled his enemy piece by piece, accusing Cube of being a hypocrite, a smart rich man fronting like a gangsta. Common won the battle because he didn’t front. He kept the track true to himself. In other words, if you’re a screamer then by all means, scream. But if you’re more of a lyrical poet,then bring that same focus to your battles. Use your strengths to defeat your competitor.&&&&&Make your battle raps as dope as the rest of your raps. Include metaphors, word play, similes, cultural references, multies, and weird rhymes. Always push yourself to battle as best you can. You’re going to lose at some point, everybody loses. Learn from your losses and come back stronger next time.In Summary*as soon as you find out who you’re battling, learn about him / analyze him*find some details you can exploit,*write some personal punches using those details,“crystallize their weakness”*mix in some pre-written punches*outline your rap with strongest punches first and last*if you go second, respond to your opponent’s verse*spit fire*give your opponent a dap and say ‘good battle’*win or lose, you’ll come back harder next time}