Post by GoldSoulja on Oct 20, 2005 8:23:35 GMT -5
INTRODUCTION…
I’m sure there’s thousands upon thousands of actual ways to construct a battle verse, but this tutorial should enlighten you to using punches, wordplay, metaphors, imagery, fillers, etc EFFECTIVELY. Yes, fillers can be used effectively too, especially in keystyle verses, but that’s complicated right now. We’ll start with a basic guide to actually writing a battle verse.
QUINTESSENTIAL BATTLE VERSE MUST KNOW’S!!!
First off, KNOW YOUR STYLE… if you’re using something you relate to more as an emcee then that gives you emotional power to excel. Know what your good at and work on what you’re not before you go throwing it into important battles.
Secondly, BE CREATIVE… don’t flip the same lines over and over again, it gets bombastic after a while. Also don’t use lines that are, can be, or sound played. That can deduct a lot from how hard lines hit. An OK to mediocre punch can hit 10x harder if it’s on a original topic.
Now… with that behind us, let us address the categories of battling…
PUNCHES…
FAQ
Why do you use punches? To make verses hit hard.
Why do people like punches? Cause they diss like little else can.
How often should I use punches in a verse? Any line that doesn’t have one SHOULD be setting the next line up for one… That is, unless you have some other special use for that line.
How do I come up with punches all the time? Halfway from experience and halfway through knowledge… if you’re taking classes then use what you learn to make punches out of… observe the world and flip it into a punch, it doesn’t matter…. The point is there are millions of ways to diss someone… jus pick one and go with it at least every 4 lines…
WORDPLAY
FAQ
Why do you use wordplay? To make shit more clever, plain and simple.
Why do people like wordplay? It puts a whole new school of thought through their monitor… people love to go damn…. That was ill…. And wordplay is one way to do that.
How often should I use wordplay in a verse? It is by no means necessary to use wordplay at all, but I personally choose to use it at least 3-4 times in one verse (20 lines)… You can use it as often or spontaneous as you like, just don’t go forcing it.
How do I come up with wordplay all the time? There is no way to constantly come up with wordplay without talent at picking words apart, but if you’re really lame there ARE homonym dictionaries out on the internet… I don’t ever use them, but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do right?
METAPHORS
FAQ
Why do you use metaphors? To add deepness and creativity to writing. Metaphors can present a sense of mind process no other quality can.
Why do people like metaphors? It makes them think, but in a good way.
How often should I use metaphors in a verse? Again, not something that is necessary but most certainly a quality that once mastered can come off as very potent line for line. Can be used as often or infrequently as desired though.
How do I come up with metaphors all the time? Aight, you can’t even cheat on metaphors like you can wordplay. Metaphors either come or they don’t… Simile’s are a lot easier to express because “like” is one syllable, but expressing comparisons as metaphors generally takes longer than a one syllable word. That’s what makes them so difficult to master. But VERY effective once time has taken it’s toll.
IMAGERY
FAQ
Why do you use imagery? To exaggerate or express something creatively by using description over raw dope thought.
Why do people like imagery? Instead of ouch that was really creative, imagery paints a picture for the scene then twists it into pure ingenious… a true artist’s choice of expertise.
How often should I use imagery in a verse? Since the past three qualities go hand in hand with punches, again, as often or infrequent as desired. I try to throw in at least 1 imagery line per verse just to display skill, but look at Weapon X, my god the kid’s got some pictures in his head waiting to take over the world.
How do I come up with imagery all the time? Mainly creativity and common knowledge. Get a picture and describe it better than you see it and you’ll know when you’ve mastered it.
PERSONALS…
FAQ
Why do you use personals? For several reasons, #1 especially in keystyled battles, it shows authenticity, #2 it shows thought and personal ridicule, #3 it just hits hard because it’s directly relevant to the person… kind of like sentimental value for a watch or something.
Why do people like personals? For all the reasons above.
How often should I use personals in a verse? As often as you like… if every line was personal you would win a lot of battles.
How do I come up with personals all the time? If you know the person then you can take past events or things of that nature and expose them in a dissing manner… if you don’t then people generally flip avatars, signatures, custom text, etc. into punches.
COMPLEXITY
FAQ
Why do you use complexity? Complexity, first off, is a combination of how you put together your lines, the originality of your lines, the rhyme scheme, etc all bundled into one. A simple verse makes for a simple reaction, and a simple reaction isn’t what most cats want.
Why do people like complexity? It makes them feel the person put more thought into a verse and keeps your own image looking sharp and on point. No one likes to read boringly simple verses. Complexity take away the average and pushes in the above the rim kinna shit namean…
How often should I use complexity in a verse? ALWAYS at least make an attempt to use a bit of complexity. *NOTE: complexity is NOT long lines, but rather thought put into lines*
How do I come up with complexity all the time? Put your lines together without simple, mediocre formats, elevate vocabulary, and use creative lines as opposed to played out ideas.
FILLERS AND SETUPS
FAQ
Why do you use fillers and setups? For several reasons, #1 being a sacrifice of illness for rhyme scheme, #2 being to elaborate on a punch with a pre-punch, #3 being you just got tired of writing, said fuck it and wrote somn that rhymes.
Why do people like fillers and setups? Generally people frown upon just straight filler, but setups can be very useful when a punch is specific and slightly hidden, you can use setups to manipulate the reader’s mind into thinking in the same area you are, hence a better understanding and harder hit from your ending punch.
How often should I use fillers and setups in a verse? I always like to setup my punches, just for rhyme scheme purposes if nothing else, but 50% of my verse in general is setups. As for the rest, punches of some sort (be it punchplay, imagery, metaphors, etc).
How do I come up with fillers and setups all the time? All you gotta be able to do is rhyme and get a lil relevant, these are by far the easiest lines to write, not much thought involved.
That’s just a general few categories I selected…
HOW TO PUT A VERSE TOGETHER…
Step 1… GET IDEAS… If you have topics then thinking up punches is a breeze. Think up a list of topics before you write and punches will be much less scarce
Step 2… FLIP IDEAS TO PUNCHES… Flip your ideas however you wish, but make it clever and diss your opponent at least 50% of the time. Self-righteous punches may hit sometimes but rarely will they make quotables unless it’s just REALLY clever…
Step 3… RHYME IT… You got punches, take a good rhyme scheme and put a flow to it… sometimes you may have a lack of multies…. If so switch-up the rhyme scheme or re-flip the punch… (there’s always at least two ways for a punch to go)
Step 4… READ AND CORRECT… go over your finished verse and correct spelling mistakes, italicize whatever wordplay or something you want to highlight, whatever…. But mos def check your shit and make sure it ain’t wack… This step has saved my ass I unno how many times… I’ll finish a verse and be like damn that was fuckin wack… then re-flip some shit and it be good to scoot.
I’m sure there’s thousands upon thousands of actual ways to construct a battle verse, but this tutorial should enlighten you to using punches, wordplay, metaphors, imagery, fillers, etc EFFECTIVELY. Yes, fillers can be used effectively too, especially in keystyle verses, but that’s complicated right now. We’ll start with a basic guide to actually writing a battle verse.
QUINTESSENTIAL BATTLE VERSE MUST KNOW’S!!!
First off, KNOW YOUR STYLE… if you’re using something you relate to more as an emcee then that gives you emotional power to excel. Know what your good at and work on what you’re not before you go throwing it into important battles.
Secondly, BE CREATIVE… don’t flip the same lines over and over again, it gets bombastic after a while. Also don’t use lines that are, can be, or sound played. That can deduct a lot from how hard lines hit. An OK to mediocre punch can hit 10x harder if it’s on a original topic.
Now… with that behind us, let us address the categories of battling…
PUNCHES…
FAQ
Why do you use punches? To make verses hit hard.
Why do people like punches? Cause they diss like little else can.
How often should I use punches in a verse? Any line that doesn’t have one SHOULD be setting the next line up for one… That is, unless you have some other special use for that line.
How do I come up with punches all the time? Halfway from experience and halfway through knowledge… if you’re taking classes then use what you learn to make punches out of… observe the world and flip it into a punch, it doesn’t matter…. The point is there are millions of ways to diss someone… jus pick one and go with it at least every 4 lines…
WORDPLAY
FAQ
Why do you use wordplay? To make shit more clever, plain and simple.
Why do people like wordplay? It puts a whole new school of thought through their monitor… people love to go damn…. That was ill…. And wordplay is one way to do that.
How often should I use wordplay in a verse? It is by no means necessary to use wordplay at all, but I personally choose to use it at least 3-4 times in one verse (20 lines)… You can use it as often or spontaneous as you like, just don’t go forcing it.
How do I come up with wordplay all the time? There is no way to constantly come up with wordplay without talent at picking words apart, but if you’re really lame there ARE homonym dictionaries out on the internet… I don’t ever use them, but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do right?
METAPHORS
FAQ
Why do you use metaphors? To add deepness and creativity to writing. Metaphors can present a sense of mind process no other quality can.
Why do people like metaphors? It makes them think, but in a good way.
How often should I use metaphors in a verse? Again, not something that is necessary but most certainly a quality that once mastered can come off as very potent line for line. Can be used as often or infrequently as desired though.
How do I come up with metaphors all the time? Aight, you can’t even cheat on metaphors like you can wordplay. Metaphors either come or they don’t… Simile’s are a lot easier to express because “like” is one syllable, but expressing comparisons as metaphors generally takes longer than a one syllable word. That’s what makes them so difficult to master. But VERY effective once time has taken it’s toll.
IMAGERY
FAQ
Why do you use imagery? To exaggerate or express something creatively by using description over raw dope thought.
Why do people like imagery? Instead of ouch that was really creative, imagery paints a picture for the scene then twists it into pure ingenious… a true artist’s choice of expertise.
How often should I use imagery in a verse? Since the past three qualities go hand in hand with punches, again, as often or infrequent as desired. I try to throw in at least 1 imagery line per verse just to display skill, but look at Weapon X, my god the kid’s got some pictures in his head waiting to take over the world.
How do I come up with imagery all the time? Mainly creativity and common knowledge. Get a picture and describe it better than you see it and you’ll know when you’ve mastered it.
PERSONALS…
FAQ
Why do you use personals? For several reasons, #1 especially in keystyled battles, it shows authenticity, #2 it shows thought and personal ridicule, #3 it just hits hard because it’s directly relevant to the person… kind of like sentimental value for a watch or something.
Why do people like personals? For all the reasons above.
How often should I use personals in a verse? As often as you like… if every line was personal you would win a lot of battles.
How do I come up with personals all the time? If you know the person then you can take past events or things of that nature and expose them in a dissing manner… if you don’t then people generally flip avatars, signatures, custom text, etc. into punches.
COMPLEXITY
FAQ
Why do you use complexity? Complexity, first off, is a combination of how you put together your lines, the originality of your lines, the rhyme scheme, etc all bundled into one. A simple verse makes for a simple reaction, and a simple reaction isn’t what most cats want.
Why do people like complexity? It makes them feel the person put more thought into a verse and keeps your own image looking sharp and on point. No one likes to read boringly simple verses. Complexity take away the average and pushes in the above the rim kinna shit namean…
How often should I use complexity in a verse? ALWAYS at least make an attempt to use a bit of complexity. *NOTE: complexity is NOT long lines, but rather thought put into lines*
How do I come up with complexity all the time? Put your lines together without simple, mediocre formats, elevate vocabulary, and use creative lines as opposed to played out ideas.
FILLERS AND SETUPS
FAQ
Why do you use fillers and setups? For several reasons, #1 being a sacrifice of illness for rhyme scheme, #2 being to elaborate on a punch with a pre-punch, #3 being you just got tired of writing, said fuck it and wrote somn that rhymes.
Why do people like fillers and setups? Generally people frown upon just straight filler, but setups can be very useful when a punch is specific and slightly hidden, you can use setups to manipulate the reader’s mind into thinking in the same area you are, hence a better understanding and harder hit from your ending punch.
How often should I use fillers and setups in a verse? I always like to setup my punches, just for rhyme scheme purposes if nothing else, but 50% of my verse in general is setups. As for the rest, punches of some sort (be it punchplay, imagery, metaphors, etc).
How do I come up with fillers and setups all the time? All you gotta be able to do is rhyme and get a lil relevant, these are by far the easiest lines to write, not much thought involved.
That’s just a general few categories I selected…
HOW TO PUT A VERSE TOGETHER…
Step 1… GET IDEAS… If you have topics then thinking up punches is a breeze. Think up a list of topics before you write and punches will be much less scarce
Step 2… FLIP IDEAS TO PUNCHES… Flip your ideas however you wish, but make it clever and diss your opponent at least 50% of the time. Self-righteous punches may hit sometimes but rarely will they make quotables unless it’s just REALLY clever…
Step 3… RHYME IT… You got punches, take a good rhyme scheme and put a flow to it… sometimes you may have a lack of multies…. If so switch-up the rhyme scheme or re-flip the punch… (there’s always at least two ways for a punch to go)
Step 4… READ AND CORRECT… go over your finished verse and correct spelling mistakes, italicize whatever wordplay or something you want to highlight, whatever…. But mos def check your shit and make sure it ain’t wack… This step has saved my ass I unno how many times… I’ll finish a verse and be like damn that was fuckin wack… then re-flip some shit and it be good to scoot.
