Yo, do freestyling really matter to you anymore?

No it dont matter to me, written or freestyled as long as it sounds good to me ill listen

I respect it, but it's not a requirement. I would hope that all the artists I consider good could at least spit something coherent off the top. I'm not expecting everyone to be Charles Hamilton off the top but being down right horrible would definitely change my perception of the artist a little bit.

I remember seeing some video of Jay overseas at some weird talk show. ? kinda put him on the spot and wanted him to spit some lines. He couldn't even come up with nursery rhymes.. just kept telling the crowd to clap smh. I was dying laughing when the host was like RAP!!! and Jay was like hold on ? ... I mean we are talking about a guy that supposedly doesn't write down his rhymes. C'mon Jay, you're better than that.

4 POUND wrote: »

i respect ? that can at least do it...a lot more...me n my bro fresstyle for hours...for no reasons...lots of wasted material...bc we dont always record it...but its dope...and it shows that ur a master of your craft...its just more impressive to me...if ur pen game is nice...it should be second nature anyways...i under stand how its not as improatant in battles anymore..but i still respect a ? who can do it...showing its not all about the money...u know...that to me...makes them more of an elite mc...especially if u kan kome off the dome...and it makes sense...whilst sounding good...plus, its easier to play around with styles,etc...


its very important to me...for arts sake..id rather spit nothin but freestyles...n never have one of them saved or remebered...then spit five different times...using the exact same verse everys single time...tyhats wack to me...u gotta find the middle ground...

plus, once i start a verse...and i get a block...ill jus spit that n try n free a lil bit...and see what happens...


honestly...i prefer fresstyling, off the top...bc it komes from the heart...and not the mind...

I agree with a lot of that. I kinda started backwards, because my rhyme style tends to be beyond something that can be honestly freestyled. Once I realized I could write and what I spit sounded good, I made it a point to polish my freestylin game. Initially it was tough, because my mind couldn't get off the complex patterns and would always cause me to stop. I think I musta smoked enough that those inhibitions got let go of haha.

I've come a long way since I started that. I'm no creative genius off top, but I do say some funny ? from time to time.

It does help develop different rhyme patterns and flows as well. Cuz different beats speak to me differently. Me and my boys make it a point and just get on whatever beat plays at the time, slow, midtempo, fast, whatever.

If you can keep a flow and the cipher enjoyable, to me that's big. And if you do mix your writtens in, do it slickly, and don't overdo it. Personally I keep that to a minimum, because like I said, those parts of me are still separated by a big margin of quality, but if I happen to spew out an end rhyme that goes with somethin I've written and I can slide a slick line in, so be it. Beyond that it's all off top wit us.

Even if you pride yourself on written ability like me, I think at least being able to freestyle a little is commendable if not necessary.

Oddly enough, as much as this Solar guy ain't gettin no love, he did speak on freestyling, and dropped a bit of knowledge. With all the technology available you can chop a dog barking and make em sound on beat. ? you can split a 16 into 16 individual tracks if you want. Freestyling is a testament to that person's ability to think quickly, inherently have that beat-flow. Not to mention breath control. Something a shitload of these rappers lack. And they ain't even sayin enough to need to catch their breath. My verses are some tongue-twisters with the amount of syllables, and I resent having to punch in even once. These mufuckas nowadays...

Oh ? there I go on a hatin ass rant again..
My 2 cents.

agree with all those posts...to some extent..

Thing is I feel like someone of these older dudes are out of practice on the freestyle tip, just cuz they've been out of the environment that long. I remember hearing some Firm-era freestyles that Nas murdered. Jigga can really freestyle too. People clam up sometimes. It happens.

I maintain that I'm competent off top, but have spit some wack ass ? no lie. Then I'll counter it with something that blows that out of the water. *shrug*

i think freestyling is a very important element of hip hop.

the thing is the definition of freestyling has been destroyed in a way by all these freestyle battle dvds where you got cats like jae mills and them reciting verses they wrote.

but really freestyling off the dome is a rare quality that not a lot of rappers posses. i think if you're able to freestyle good enough it makes your shows more exciting because you can throw in some freestyles here and there to get the crowd really into it. But a lot of rappers won't freestyle out of fear of coming off wack in public.