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Subject: RAPPIN HELP Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:04 pm

aight aight. for emcees who dont kno
IMA POST TUTORIALS FOR newbs and greenthumb

first post >>>> CYPHER ETIQUETTE
Rapping in ciphers (groups of people) is one of the
most demanding tasks of the beginning emcee (after
all, everyone’s looking at you), but also the most fun.
Spit in ciphers as much as you can, and be sure to follow
these simple rules.
*Don’t Give Excuses
I’ve heard some emcees say, “when you mess up, just
cough a few times and people will think you’ve got
a cold. They won’t know you couldn’t think of any
rhymes.” That’s terrible advice. If you mess up, just ride
it out. After a few times coughing, everyone is going
to know that you’re fronting anyway. Also: if you’re
freestyling over a beat or someone beat-boxing, don’t
blame your mistakes on the beat-box. Nobody likes a
guy who blames everyone else for his own mistakes.
*Help Out Your Friends When They Mess Up
Truly one of the classiest things you can do in a cipher
is to help out a fellow emcee when they slip up. Not
only does it help out the emcee who just messed it, it
helps maintain the good vibe and flow of the cipher
itself. When you sense that an emcee is running out
of rhymes or can’t think of anything (or if he starts
“coughing”), take the rhyme over and finish it for
him. You can then pass it right back, or you can keep
rhyming.
*Don’t Hog the Mic
The whole point of a cipher is to share rhymes, interact,
and listen. If you want to rhyme 90% of the time then
you can go rap in front of the mirror. Listen to other
people, how many bars they’re spitting, and try to do
about the same. In certain ciphers, it’s fine to interrupt
someone to pick up on their lines, but don’t go barging
in all time or they’re going to get pissed off.
*Pass it with Class
Depending on your cipher, emcees might be
interrupting each other, they might be ‘handing off
the mic,’ or both. Passing or handing off the mic
means that you spit a bar or two about who’s coming
next. In a (mostly prewritten) freestyle with Canibus
and Jurassic 5, Canibus goes, “now let me hand it to
my man on the right, so he can spark the mic”. That’s
a good pass. The other kind involves actually calling
out the person’s name, like the Sugarhill Gang does in
“Rapper’s Delight”: “now next on the mic is my man
Hank, now come on Hank sing that song”.
*Listen and Respond
Just because you’re trying to think of some ill rhymes
while your friend is spitting doesn’t mean you should
ignore him or her. Listen to their verse and respond
vocally when they spit something impressive. A good
“ohhh!” or “damn!” works fine. Just don’t leave your
homey hanging.
*Invite Strangers into the Circle
Ciphering is a great way to meet new people and new
emcees. If you’re on a street corner, let people step
in and see what they’ve got. I always like to invite
random people into a cipher (old, young, boys, girls).
To my mind, the more diversity the better.

next post comin soon>>>>>>>RHYME ELEVATION and FREESTYLE GAMES
including: Circle of rhymez
circle of lines
and the group raps

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:12 pm

OH YO AND DONT FUCKIN FORGET,,,

What’s the difference between multies and inrhymes?

In-rhymes:
Don’t be silly cover your milli I’m like Billy
Don’t be dumb cover your gun I ain’t fun
- Dizee Rascal, “Stand Up Tall”

Multies:
Punchlines that kill… my hits’ll bury ya,
I rap to myself on the bus like… schizophrenia

Why should I use multies?
Multies are hallmarks of all the dopest flows, and all
the best rappers use them. They are more complex and
more impressive than normal rhymes and so command
a lot more respect. Multies add variation to your verse
and will help you craft better rhymes.

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Wed Jun 25, 2008 11:09 pm

Good Job Zos, Some Very UseFull Info Here Good Shit. Uppin

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:13 pm

MOOORE RAP HELP/// WITH:
;RAP GAMES;

The Circle of Rhymes
Rules:
This is as simple a game as they come. Gather in a circle
with your friends. Someone starts by saying a word (i.e.
“leather”). The next person has to think of a rhyme for
that word in less than five seconds (i.e. “feather”). This
continues around the circle until someone messes up
(i.e. “leader”). The person who messes up steps out of
the circle, and the game starts again. The last person
standing wins.
Solo Variation:
Think of a word and try to come up with as many
rhymes for it as you can in 1 minute. Then move on to
another word and do the same. Play this game again
a week later and do the same words. See if you can
improve your score.

The Circle of Lines
Rules:
Similar to “The Circle of Rhymes,” only this time each
person has to actually spit a line that rhymes. The first
person starts with a line (“The police are too racist in
this town”). Then it passes to the right. The lines don’t
have to be the same length, or relate to each other (“I’m
scared of clowns”), but you get more respect if they do
relate (i.e. “the police beating brothers, handing out
beat downs”). Each person has roughly five seconds to
spit their line. Last person standing wins.
Solo Variation:
Spit as many lines as you can that all have the same
rhyme.

Group Raps
Rules:
Similar to “The Circle of Lines,” only not every single
line has to rhyme. What you’re doing is creating a
rap verse. The first person spits one line on anything
they want (“People don’t give a damn about politics”).
The second person has five seconds to respond with a
rhyme that makes sense (“because politicians sell out
like they turning tricks”). Now the third person can
spit anything they want as long as it’s on topic. They
don’t have to rhyme (“the only time people vote is for
American Idol”). The fourth person has to rhyme with
that (“speak for yourself, I know you don’t vote like I
do”), etc… This game works best with an odd number
of people. The person who messes up steps out, or you
can play non-competitively.

Google “I’m Feeling Lucky” Freestyle
Madness
Requirements:
High-speed internet access
Rules:
This is a favorite of mine. Get on your computer and
put on a beat. (You can listen to one of the hip-hop
instrumentals on Flocabulary.com, if you want). One
person (the ‘operator’) gets on the computer and google
searches for anything they want. They click the “I’m
Feeling Lucky” button, so that a webpage immediately
comes up. The other people have to freestyle about
whatever is on that webpage. The operator can switch
the page at anytime by searching for something else.
The more random the searches are the better (try stray
dogs, lasagna, rollerskates, India, etc…). You can also
do this with image searches and freestyle about the
images.
Solo Variation:
Do this yourself. You’re the operator and the rapper.
Other Variations:
You can easily play this kind of game without a
computer. Just have one kid throw out random topics
that you (and your friends) have to rhyme about. Or
you can play this with the TV or radio on. Rhyme about
whatever you see or hear.

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:21 pm

What is Wordplay?
An instance of wordplay in rap is when words signify
two or more different things that make sense in the
context of the line. Wordplay is literally just playing
with the meanings of words.
This is made possible by the fact that words in the
English language (and most languages) can have
multiple meanings. Words can have multiple dictionary
definitions, scientific definitions, colloquial definitions
and slang definitions. The skilled rapper can bounce
between these meanings to create a line that knocks
a crowd off their feet. This is another way in which
having a big vocabulary is a real benefit to your rhymewriting.
Rapper Punchline
plays on the two definitions of the word “march”
(meaning ‘to walk’) and “March” (‘the month after
February’). In doing so, he creates a line that stops
you in your tracks, because it’s so damn clever. You’ll
notice that most instances of wordplay in rap involve
metaphors as well. Here’s another example from
the same song. This is Wordsworth playing with the
meaning of “stereotype”:
Revive or ruin, my theories of mics,
Sony or Aiwa, black or white, I fit in all stereotypes

Creating Wordplay
How are you supposed to write lines like that? Follow
these steps and don’t do too many drugs.

Step 1. Pay Attention to New Words
Pay attention to words and their meanings in your life.
When you read or hear words that you don’t know,
write them down and then look up their definition.

Step 2. Look for Multiple Definitions
When you do look up a word, don’t just read the first
definition in the dictionary, read all the definitions.
This is crucial because wordplay is based on messing
around with multiple definitions.

Step 3. Think About Words You Already Know
Do this exercise: look around you wherever you are
and make a list of the things you see. You could write
it down, or do it in your head. Now go through each
object and try to think if there are alternate meanings
for that word. If there are, take note of them.
For example, say I’m on the bus. This is my list, with
possible wordplay listed after each one:
Bus – a bus is a big vehicle for moving people. It’s
also the nickname of Jerome Bettis, the former
running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A
busboy busses tables; he clears them. Bus’ (short
for bust) can mean a lot of things: bust off, shoot,
rhyme, break out.
Driver – a driver is a person who is steering a car
or bus. A driver is also the club you use in golf
to hit the ball off the tee. Driver also sound like
“drive her.”
Seat – a place where you sit. [Now I couldn’t think
of any for ‘seat,’ so I went to the dictionary, and
this is what I got:] A seat can be your “buttocks”
(that’s what the dictionary says). A seat can also
be a position on a board of trustees or committee.
A member of congress also runs for a seat.
I could keep going, but I’ll stop there. In general, the
more you train yourself to think this way, the more
easily these double-meanings will come to you.

Step 4. Create a Line Using Double-Meanings
Take a double meaning that you’ve observed and try to
craft some lines out of it. Here’s what I can do with the
three above. These lines don’t rhyme together, they
would be used apart:

I’m a driver like what Tiger Woods holding,
I used to be a busboy like Jerome Bettis’ son,
Missed the bus, like a senator I’m running for a seat.

None of those are the kind of wordplay that would
make you stop in your tracks. If I was writing a song I
probably wouldn’t use any of those. But I did that with
three random words. As with everything, you’re going
to create a lot of bad, unusable lines before you find the
rhymes you like.

Step 5. Study Slang
You can also start with a slang word and look at the
different meanings. A lot of slang terms have dictionary
definitions along with their street definitions:

Word – slang def / dictionary def
Ice – diamonds / frozen water
Cheddar – money / cheese
Sick– good / physically ill
Dope – good / somebody stupid / drugs
Then take these and write lines playing on the different
meanings:

I’ve got more cheddar than a Wisconsin farmer
Rhymes sicker than lyme disease and gangrene
- Pharoah Monch, “Right Here”

I’m diarrhea nigga, you ain’t ready for this shit
- Little Brother, “Flash and Flare”

Step 6. Use Idioms
You can also create wordplay by studying idioms.
Idioms are phrases in a language that have a meaning
other than what they say literally. For example,
“piece of cake” means both literally a piece of cake
and something that’s easy. Idioms are a great place to
start for wordplay because they inherently have double
meaning. The rapper Legacy from Little Brother uses
the idiom “hold my own” (meaning to be as strong as
anyone else on a team) and raps: “I hold my own like
masturbation.” Get the idea?

Step 7. Put It All Together
Then just put it all together to write some lines:

This is off the top like the foamy head on your beer,
my metaphors are over your head like your wack
ass hair,
stand clear like Casper the ghost waiting in line,
like Geoffrey Rush or shoe polish, dawg, I’m ready to
Shine

In the above lines, I play with the meanings of words
in each line, creating four different metaphors with
wordplay. Here’s another example from the underground
rapper Session, on Tonedeff’s “Quotables.” He plays
with the double meanings of “bug” and “spotted.” You
can usually count on the best underground rappers to
drop some high quality wordplay and metaphors, and
Session is no exception.

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Sat Jun 28, 2008 10:21 pm

Good Job Mayne. Nice Work.

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Sat Jul 05, 2008 2:14 pm

Metaphors
Time for metaphors: one of the most important
elements for all the best rappers. Metaphors are also
one of the most basic things you can use to elevate
your rhymes. There are whole rappers (Punchline,
Wordsworth, and others) who made a name for
themselves almost exclusively on the strength of their
metaphors. In other words, pay attention to this one.

What is a metaphor?
Here’s how the American Heritage Dictionary defines
it:
Metaphor (noun) - A figure of speech in which
a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one
thing is used to designate another, thus making
an implicit comparison, as in “a sea of troubles” or
“All the world’s a stage” (Shakespeare).
That’s a good definition. In hip-hop, that definition
gets even broader. A metaphor is basically a creative
comparison between two things. For example: “I’m
going up faster than the price of gas” is considered a
metaphor. “The price of chicken is going up faster than
the price of beef” is not a metaphor (because it isn’t
creative; it’s obvious). Take a look at these much more
impressive examples.

Aren’t Those Really Similes?
Some people differentiate between similes and
metaphors. You’re English teacher probably told you
that a simile is a comparison that uses the word “like”
or “as” and a metaphor is a comparison that doesn’t.
So those pro examples are actually similes? Well,
technically they are. But we’re going to use the term
‘metaphor’ to mean a larger category that includes
metaphors, similies and other creative comparisons.
Not only are they very similar techniques, but the way
that you write them is almost exactly the same. Like
Common says on that one song “1-9-9-9”:
Hold the mic like a memory
Ni**as say I’m nice with metaphors
but these are similes
Common’s right. They are similes. But like most people
in the rap world, we’re going to call them metaphors to
keep it simple.
Two Kinds of Metaphors
We’re going to divide metaphors in two categories
and tackle each one separately. First there are simple
metaphors. And then there are metaphors that involve
wordplay. The latter are much more impressive. In
fact the most impressive lines in the history of hiphop
belong to rappers who created metaphors with
wordplay. But let’s start with the basics.

Simple Metaphors
First things first: you want to create a metaphor,
you’ve got to have something to say. You can’t make
a metaphor out of thin air. So first think of the basic
idea that you want to get across: what’s the simplest
thing you want to say? It could be almost anything:
I spit rhymes
He’s not smart
She looks fly
We’re hungry
All of these work, but we’ll take just one for an example.
Let’s say we start with “I spit rhymes.” Now think of
some other things in the world that spit rhymes. It
could be really simple:
A rapper at a show
A slam poet
A nursery rhyme
A limerick
Now we just put the first together with something
from the second. We get:
I spit rhymes like a rapper at a show
That’s a metaphor, but it’s a pretty bad metaphor. It’s
simple and boring. The next step is to make it more
specific and interesting. Think of a specific example of
the “rapper at a show.” For example:
Big Boi at Stankonia (the name of his studio)
Jay-Z at the Garden (Madison Square Garden)
T.I. at the Apollo
Let’s take the last one:
I spit rhymes like T.I. at the Apollo
That’s a much more solid line. It’s not “oh damn,
that was amazing,” but it’s solid. It’s a good, simple
metaphor.
Another Example:
We could complete the rhyme without using another
metaphor. But why not put in one more just to keep
the crowd on their feet? To complete the rhyme and
write the next line, we’ll work backwards. We’ll think
of all the words that rhyme with “Apollo”:
Follow
Hollow
Swallow
Wallow
Kahlo *
*Freda Kahlo was a painter
I’m going to use Kahlo, because it’s very specific, so we
can make a dope line with an unlikely reference that
will catch people off guard. Now Freda Kahlo was a
famous Mexican painter who was a lesbian. So I can
play around with those facts:
I paint a picture of a Mexican like Freda Kahlo,
or
I like kissing women like… Freda Kahlo
Both of those are metaphors and they work, but I
want something even better.
And I remember that Freda Kahlo had a huge unibrow
(her eyebrows were connected in the middle of her
face), so I can play off that fact.
You’ve got a bigger unibrow than Freda Kahlo
I’m going to choose that one because it’s smart, clever
and I’ve never heard a rapper reference a unibrow
before, so I know it’s going to make the crowd go wild.
Now we put them together:

I spit rhymes like T.I. at the Apollo,
you’ve got a bigger unibrow than… Freda Kahlo

There’s no wordplay there, but it’s some solid use of
metaphors. I can file that rhyme away in the back of
my mind in case I ever have to battle someone with a
unibrow.
PRO EXAMPLES.. YAY zos u are amazing

My style of rhyming is ancient like Aztecs and
Mayans, because I recognize it’s all about timing
-Canibus, “100 Bars”

Cause, hey I stay flagrant with lyrics nastier than
Tammy Faye bathing,
keep comp shook like charter planes when it’s
raining
-Tonedeff, “Heavyweights”

I take one of your chicks straight from
under your armpit,
the black Brad Pitt, I mack ‘til six in the AM
-Jay-Z, Punjabi MC “Beware of the Boys”

In all three of the pro examples, the rappers combine
metaphors with other things: in-rhyme, multies and
some nasty flow. But the metaphors on their own are
strong.
Canibus goes way old school with a dope reference to
Aztecs and Mayans, but also explains what he means
by ‘ancient’: he is keeping it simple like the old school
rappers, ‘cause it’s all about timing.
Tonedeff, a sick underground emcee who spits as fast
as Twista, puts two metaphors in his bar, one after the
other. The word ‘comp’ is just short for ‘competition.’
Jay-Z’s metaphor is the simplest (he’s the “black Brad
Pitt”), but that keeps with his easy-going style where
nothing is over-written. In one sense, his metaphor
might be the strongest because the image of Brad Pitt
as a black man stops every listener in his tracks.

gonna do Vocab sooooon

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:36 am

Lol Damn How Do You Find All Of This

Subject: Re: RAPPIN HELP Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:15 pm

ZOS for MOD
im now on a campaign
chyeeee vocab... comin soon like i said homies

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