How to Start a Rap Battle
Select a suitable opponent., Kickoff your battle at the right moment., Initiate the battle., Open with a hook., Rap about your opponent., Use your opponent’s rhymes to your advantage., Involve bystanders to draw them in.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Select a suitable opponent.
Your spontaneous rap battle might fall flat if you challenge an unwilling opponent.
Friends that share your interest in rap are a good choice.
Musicians and poets, having experience with lyrics and rhyme structure, will also likely be a worthy challenge.
Quick-witted individuals or those who are experienced in public speaking, even if they don’t have an interest in rap, music, or poetry, may surprise with their ability to spit a phrase. -
Step 2: Kickoff your battle at the right moment.
Timing is everything.
A spur-of-the-moment rap battle can captivate onlookers, but a battle that interrupts conversations or disrupts activities could earn you contempt.
Wait for a pause in conversations or activities before initiating your battle.
While waiting for the right moment, pay attention to conversations and things around you.
Use these when challenging an opponent to make the transition to a rap battle smooth and natural., Rap battles generally follow a call and response format.
One rapper spits rhymes for a designated period of time, then the other.
In a spontaneous rap battle, you won’t be able to decide on timing in advance, so your first lines will roughly establish the expected length for each battler.
The typical length for a rap verse is 16 bars.
For most songs, this equals about 16 beats of music.
For more on counting rhythms, check out this guide.Spit your opening lines to music playing in the background to help keep your sense of timing.
Alternatively, play a beat on your phone or have a friend beatbox a rhythm for you. , Begin with something that catches the attention of your opponent and anyone else close by.
Make bold statements.
Call out your opponent's ability to spit unrehearsed rhymes.
Try to include your challenge in the hook, as in the following example:"You claim you’re a fan, watch rap battles all the time / The gauntlet’s being thrown, son, so spit your best battle rhyme. / Now’s not the time to defer or to whine, to shrug in a sign you don’t mind the sublime chance to climb to the top. / ’Nuff said.
You go; I’ll stop.” , Sometimes called “diss factor,” slamming your opponent’s rhymes, features, and so on is an important part of rap battling.
Opening lines that taunt your opponent can bait even unwilling participants to join the battlefield.The way you use diss factor will be unique to your style.
Some battle rappers exaggerate features of their opponents, criticize an opponent’s experiences, or remind opponents of previous blunders.The rapper Canibus dissed LL Cool J after being cut from a song by saying, “You walk around showing off your body because it sells / Plus to avoid the fact that you ain’t got skills.”, Listen carefully to your opponent as they rap.
Downplay their claims.
Reinterpret their words to your own advantage.
In the rap world, the technique of turning an opponent’s words back on the opponent is called a “flip.” For example, if an opponent says, “He says he’s a battler, I find him unfit. / This kid can barely spit.” You might respond, “If you think I’ve barely spit in this dual, / I’d rather barely spit than do like you and drool.”, Address the crowd in your lyrics.
Pose rhetorical questions to any onlookers.
This will help you connect with your audience, exciting them and winning you cheers.
Many impromptu battles are decided by popular opinion, so having the crowd on your side is important.As an example, you might involve the crowd by saying, “Did you hear what she said? / She spits cotton balls, not bullets of lead. / She’s only an underfoot thread, not a poisonous copperhead. / Don’t be misled.” -
Step 3: Initiate the battle.
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Step 4: Open with a hook.
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Step 5: Rap about your opponent.
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Step 6: Use your opponent’s rhymes to your advantage.
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Step 7: Involve bystanders to draw them in.
Detailed Guide
Your spontaneous rap battle might fall flat if you challenge an unwilling opponent.
Friends that share your interest in rap are a good choice.
Musicians and poets, having experience with lyrics and rhyme structure, will also likely be a worthy challenge.
Quick-witted individuals or those who are experienced in public speaking, even if they don’t have an interest in rap, music, or poetry, may surprise with their ability to spit a phrase.
Timing is everything.
A spur-of-the-moment rap battle can captivate onlookers, but a battle that interrupts conversations or disrupts activities could earn you contempt.
Wait for a pause in conversations or activities before initiating your battle.
While waiting for the right moment, pay attention to conversations and things around you.
Use these when challenging an opponent to make the transition to a rap battle smooth and natural., Rap battles generally follow a call and response format.
One rapper spits rhymes for a designated period of time, then the other.
In a spontaneous rap battle, you won’t be able to decide on timing in advance, so your first lines will roughly establish the expected length for each battler.
The typical length for a rap verse is 16 bars.
For most songs, this equals about 16 beats of music.
For more on counting rhythms, check out this guide.Spit your opening lines to music playing in the background to help keep your sense of timing.
Alternatively, play a beat on your phone or have a friend beatbox a rhythm for you. , Begin with something that catches the attention of your opponent and anyone else close by.
Make bold statements.
Call out your opponent's ability to spit unrehearsed rhymes.
Try to include your challenge in the hook, as in the following example:"You claim you’re a fan, watch rap battles all the time / The gauntlet’s being thrown, son, so spit your best battle rhyme. / Now’s not the time to defer or to whine, to shrug in a sign you don’t mind the sublime chance to climb to the top. / ’Nuff said.
You go; I’ll stop.” , Sometimes called “diss factor,” slamming your opponent’s rhymes, features, and so on is an important part of rap battling.
Opening lines that taunt your opponent can bait even unwilling participants to join the battlefield.The way you use diss factor will be unique to your style.
Some battle rappers exaggerate features of their opponents, criticize an opponent’s experiences, or remind opponents of previous blunders.The rapper Canibus dissed LL Cool J after being cut from a song by saying, “You walk around showing off your body because it sells / Plus to avoid the fact that you ain’t got skills.”, Listen carefully to your opponent as they rap.
Downplay their claims.
Reinterpret their words to your own advantage.
In the rap world, the technique of turning an opponent’s words back on the opponent is called a “flip.” For example, if an opponent says, “He says he’s a battler, I find him unfit. / This kid can barely spit.” You might respond, “If you think I’ve barely spit in this dual, / I’d rather barely spit than do like you and drool.”, Address the crowd in your lyrics.
Pose rhetorical questions to any onlookers.
This will help you connect with your audience, exciting them and winning you cheers.
Many impromptu battles are decided by popular opinion, so having the crowd on your side is important.As an example, you might involve the crowd by saying, “Did you hear what she said? / She spits cotton balls, not bullets of lead. / She’s only an underfoot thread, not a poisonous copperhead. / Don’t be misled.”
About the Author
Amber Ross
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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