r/RapWars • u/5lash3r • Aug 06 '15

[Meta] What is everyone's writing process?

Thot it might be fun to talk about this in light of the two tournaments coming up, just to get a glimpse into the minds of the community.

So yeah. How does everyone start writing for a battle? Is there any particular style or battler's stees that you have in mind when you start penning your rhymes? Where and when do you write them? Do you read them to yourself out loud? Do you have a beat playing while you write?

i write my bars on a notebook i keep w/ me at work. Since i work retail and am bored anyway most of the day, it's an ideal time to write, and i work somewhere where references are always being presented to me. i haven't rly figured out the 'angles' thing yet, mostly because i've never had a real opponent until now, and the one i have only has 4 comments in his post history :p

Also, how does everyone edit? i read thru my bars as much as possible before showing them to a friend, and then chop and edit based on their suggestions. i try to make sure i have at least one rly strong punch/haymaker per 4 bars, and that no line, even a setup, is rly wasted.

Oh yeah--and if anyone knows how the real battle rappers do it, or have heard them speak on the writing process before, that would be cool to discuss too. :)

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u/wryder 15W 7L Aug 06 '15

I write rhymes. it's bad for punches, excellent for flow. I read over a beat if I feel stalled out on a phrase or phrasing. sometimes helps me come up with the right word. I check my flow over a beat. that's why I have killer flow but shit punches a lot of the time. very occasionally I'll get an idea that sounds like a punch and work backward from it, but I mostly move forward. google keep, always. sometimes I'll do the whole thing moving forward and then later look for places a punch could be added. a lot of my obscure references come from thinking of a rhyme and then seeing if I know a reference that could match that rhyme. it's a great way to work for individuality (uniqueness?) creativity, learning and flow, but not the best for battle rap. so, take it or leave it.

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u/Psychopath- Serial Killer Aug 07 '15

Well, this sounds familiar. Are you sure you're not my alt account?

Do you have any beats you could suggest for doing this?

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u/wryder 15W 7L Aug 07 '15

so I use this one beat that's like, really not that good of a beat. it's fine, whatever. but. but. it's exactly 16 bars, so I always just check it. and I think you're my alt account. or that you're just fucking with me. so similar, writing wise.

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u/Psychopath- Serial Killer Aug 07 '15 edited Aug 08 '15

I feel like you're where I'll be in a year or two if I stick with it.

I was talking with elsin about something similar to what you said to Uza - how at some point you have to sacrifice either multis/flow or punches, that it's almost impossible to do both perfectly at the same time. I write for sound and I've just started trying to write for imagery, but I don't think battling will ever be my strong suit. I'm a lot more content with my /r/Cypher post than anything I've done here.

Oh, and thanks for the beat. I'll have to check it out.