In the UK its all about freestyle man, some people write but if people find out then they lose alot of respect. Im not saying its easy to freestyle, but its what ive always regarded battle's to be about. Here's a battle where Verb T (Who's a UK Ledgend) writes for the battle, and gets destroyed by an unknown....
before i really got into the rap game i thought like this, but then i realized that almost no one freestyles for a battle or even a radio or television cypher. i know because i hang with underground heads like Percee P and i have been on underground hip hop radio shows. every now and then you will hear some true freestyle shit, but most of it -- and always the dopest shit -- is written. also, i've been freestyling long enough now (and i'm actually pretty good at it, i just don't showcase it because i'd rather write rhymes) that i can tell the difference between a freestyle and some written shit most of the time.
as for the battle you posted, do you really think that Press One freestyled all or even most of that? if he did that would have been amazing. both artists freestyled a few lines here and there but the majority of it was written, just like every good battle. the emcees who bitch about emcees writing lyrics for a battle are usually the ones who get ripped. that's how Iron Solomon destroyed Jin, that's how Craig G destroyed Supernatural, etc. the reason Verb T lost, as the judges pointed out, was because he tripped up. he forgot the lyrics he wrote and to make matters worse he pulled his phone out to try to remember his lyrics and Press used that against him. it wasn't the fact that Verb wasn't freestyling and Press was that cost Verb the battle, it was the fact that Press came more well prepared and didn't forget the shit he wrote down.
Tre Hardson AKA Slim Kid Tre of The Pharcyde and their manager break it down and explains how it really is in this hip hop business when it comes to freestyles, then Fatlip kicks a REAL freestyle. check it:
In the UK its all about freestyle man, some people write but if people find out then they lose alot of respect. Im not saying its easy to freestyle, but its what ive always regarded battle's to be about.
Here's a battle where Verb T (Who's a UK Ledgend) writes for the battle, and gets destroyed by an unknown....
....that battle was written...like nearly all of it, i even saw the host from that battle battling on Grindtime last week which is a written format as well but the best battlers in any format are those who can mix freestyles in
man that dude ripped Dizaster, Dizaster obviously didn't have much time to prepare and obviously freestyled half his 2nd verse and nearly all his 3rd verse i guess he forgot his verses again. but that english guy was still fucking dope he ripped Dizaster harder than i've seen anyone else do, that Flashback line was fucking sick too
its a shame they didn't have time for judging coz the english dude would have taken it
LOL chill eboyd, im just kidding. obviously he cant freeze time. why cant we disagree on something without you name calling? in the end of the day we still love real hip hop.
@emseed, ya sensa is fire, i remember the last dontflop event he didnt stand out at all like he did here. i seen him and definition in the 2 x 2 battles and it was nothing special. he even did good against soul khan. what was bugin me is when that guys phone/walkie talkie went off and diz rhymed about it. and when the lights went off and sensa rhymed about it. was it planned?
Why do you guys think the battle with Press1 and Verb T was written then? Most of the battles that ive been to have been purely freestyle man, but I guess with some MC's you cant really tell because their freestyle and written stuff are both just as sick. I fuckin hate Sensa man, he comes out with some funny shit but his flow is really really annoying. He shouts most of his shit.lol You guys should check out Stig Of The Dump and Flex Digits http://www.youtube.com/user/EverGlazed?feature=mhum
I've been watching freestyles a lot, and i have a feeling when its written and not. Most kotd and Grindtime battles are written, imo.
Obviously G. Sizzle shit is written, but pay attention at how Solomon throws lines back at him, especially at 1:36 to 1:42, so i'd take a guess and say he (iron solomon) is freestyling.
I think the flow tells you if their really freestyling of their head or written shit, imo.
^ I believe Unseen's shit is written, i think even someone on the crowd says "take that written shit back home" when Unseen was freestyling. Check at 1:15 someone yells out "take your notebook back home".
I honestly believe freestyling is the hardest "element" to master into being an mc/rapper.
=D
Message edited by Abstract - Saturday, 01/Jan/11, 1:05 PM
Why do you guys think the battle with Press1 and Verb T was written then?
it's hard to explain. it's something you will understand more when you become an emcee yourself and start freestyling and going to radio shows to cypher and shit like that. like i said, i'm an emcee. i have an album coming out and i go to radio shows, i rock crowds, and i'm actually a pretty decent freestyle emcee myself. from this experience i can tell when an emcee is freestyling or spitting writtens. with some emcees it is harder to tell but you can often still tell. for example, Supernatural is probably the most gifted freestyle emcee there is. he does write some of his stuff when he battles, but i've never seen anyone freestyle as well as him. however, you can still tell a bit when he's freestyling and when his shit is written:
Quote (EverGlazed)
Most of the battles that ive been to have been purely freestyle man, but I guess with some MC's you cant really tell because their freestyle and written stuff are both just as sick.
i can't speak on them because i haven't seen them, but i will say that i personally doubt it. even the battles at Scribble Jam, such as the legendary Juice vs. Eminem battle, were mostly written. like i said, most battles contain mixed writtens with freestyles interspersed in between them and there are some emcees who can do much more freestyling than others in a battle. i believe Supernat is one of the few emcees who could probably pull off battling without anything written and still win, but even he would get beaten by some of the more talented battle emcees who write most of their rhymes unless he wrote some stuff down before hand himself, hence his loss to Craig G back in 1994.
please dont attack me for posting my opinion. i dont exactly have to be MChiphopspot to know freestyles are not what they use to be. i think back in the day people would freestyle a lot until people started writing using multis and crazy word play and metaphors that you cant think of off the top. when hip hop started advancing in the early 90's. when i started listening to hip hop i remember listening to "freestyles" by my favorite artists. like big l and eminems "freestyles". this is what happens when eminem really freestyles, terrible
Added (02/Jan/11, 5:39 PM) --------------------------------------------- supernat is a freestyle god lol ive seen him freestyle plenty of times at rock the bells. i handed him my hat and he put it on and when he handed it back after rhyming about it, it was all wet and greasy lol heres okwerdz doing his supernat impression. pretty impressive.
i dont exactly have to be MChiphopspot to know freestyles are not what they use to be. i think back in the day people would freestyle a lot until people started writing using multis and crazy word play and metaphors that you cant think of off the top. when hip hop started advancing in the early 90's. when i started listening to hip hop i remember listening to "freestyles" by my favorite artists. like big l and eminems "freestyles". this is what happens when eminem really freestyles, terrible
i agree. i will say that Em freestyle wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near as good as Supernat and that beat was fucking wack lol.
Quote (TheHipHopSpot)
supernat is a freestyle god lol ive seen him freestyle plenty of times at rock the bells. i handed him my hat and he put it on and when he handed it back after rhyming about it, it was all wet and greasy lol heres okwerdz doing his supernat impression. pretty impressive.
yeah, Supernat is ridiculous. that Owkwerdz shit was pretty dope btw.
Quote (EmSeeD)
Eminem was alright off the top in this one, the interviewer would throw out random words and Eminem had to rhyme to the random words
haha, me and my boys do that shit just to practice.
is it true that mf grimm had a battle with supernat back in the day? i wanna hear that shit "We took pride in intellect and skill Now you gotta have some sex appeal to get a record deal" - K-RINO
Message edited by Treach - Monday, 03/Jan/11, 7:16 AM