[DeCypher]

Please note that his guide is far from done, but due to the creation of this guide my activity on bboy has been lacking. Thus I'm posting the guide prematurely for your viewing pleasure, and so I can start to drop in on the cyphers and battles like usual. As the days pass I'll be updating the guide as usual so be sure to check the UPDATES section to see if there is some new information you're interested in reading. Feedback will be appreaciated as well. Please don't spam my guide while I'm updating and the guide is in discussion. Until the guide is completed, posts that don't have anything to do with this guide will be removed in order to keep orginization. Thank you for your cooperation


What's up ya'll, this is DeCypher, previously known as FreeLanceRapper, here to give you a little bit of knowledge so you can better your rapping skills. In this guide I'll dive into the concepts of writing, freestyling, audios, battles, and more. I'm also going to address concepts and skills that apply to the newcomers and the veterans.

Before you begin... you may ask if this guide is legit. So I'm going to throw in a little bit about myself. I started rapping casually when I was around the age of 14, when I found a rapping forum called www.bboy.org. I heard about rap battling and wanted to learn more on the internet. When I began I was terrible as most people are, common rhymes sounded like reading a Dr. Seuss story. Now that it's been 5 years since I first flirted with rap things have changed dramatically. I practice writing/freestyling every day. I've been in countless battles, many of which I've won. I've been producing audio/video freestyles as well as making songs. I also keep up to date on the latest news in rap (mainly the battle/underground scene). So if that's good enough for you...

Happy reading!

--Please note that all of the information given is based on my views, experiences, opinions, and knowledge. I can't be blamed for not being able to increase rapping skill using this guide.--

--I intend to quote myself often in this guide. This is only due to the fact that I know what I've said and it's easier for me to stay on task when I can grab a line quickly or make one up myself. I'll later go through and add more outside sources for different perspectives.--

--This guide began on www.bboy.org where I started rapping online. If you would like to use this guide on another site please ask me via e-mail and please give me proper credits. Thank you!--


Table of Contents

If you don't want to scroll down forever to read the section you want simply use the 'FIND' function in your web browser to search for the Section or Sub-Section #

Updates
Section 1.0 - History
Sub-Section 1.1 - Origins/Early Development
Sub-Section 1.2 - "Old School"
Sub-Section 1.3 - Current News
Section 2.0 - Theory/Meaning/Uses
Section 3.0 - How To Begin
Sub-Section 3.1 - Starting State of Mind
Sub-Section 3.2 - Learning Paths
Section 4.0 - Vocabulary/Use Of Words
Sub-Section 4.1 - Building Vocabulary
Sub-Section 4.2 - Diction/Syllable Count
Section 5.0 - Freestyling
Sub-Section 5.1 - Mastering the Freestyle
Section 6.0 - Writing/Audio
Section 7.0 - Battling
Sub-Section 7.1 - Preparation
Sub-Section 7.2 - It's Time to Throw Down
Section 8.0 - Developing A Unique Style
Section 9.0 - Producing Music
Section 10.0 - Performing
Section 11.0 - List Of Artists/Beat Sources
Section 12.0 - Rap Dictionary
Section 13.0 - Closing Thoughts

Updates

Update on 11/01/2007 - DeCypher's Complete Guide on Rap was started.
Update on 11/02/2007 - Completed Sections 1 through 3. Began Section 4. Began compiling outside information/tips in Section 10 (may consider making a new section for outsider knowledge, the more the better)
Update on 11/05/2007 - Completed section 4, began section 5. Started searching for typos, etc.
Update on 11/06/2007 - Complete section 5, fixed a few typos. Completed section 6, began section 7. Decided to launch the incomplete guide on bboy.org. Started compiling vocabulary section, and planning changes to already "complete" sections
Update on 11/12/2007 - Big gap in updates but there's been a lot going on in my daily life and on the forums. Finally have the chance to get at the guide. This is a big overhaul and should keep readers satisfied 'til the next update. Finished most sections left over from before. List of Artists is way far from done, and producing music isn't started as of yet. Lot's of progress today.

Section 1.0 - History

If you know a lot about graffiti, then you know about TAKI183. If you know a lot about anything that's of high importance to you, then you should learn at least a little bit about the history. I'm not going to copy and paste an encyclopedia post on rapping for you, remember this guide is my knowledge, so instead I'm going to share with you what I think is important.

Sub-Section 1.1 - Origins/Early Development

Rap can be described as poetry, or spoken word with a rhyme scheme and a rythmic pattern, shared over a beat or melody. Many believe that this concepts began during early civilization in which bards/poets would speak over musical instruments. Many others also believe rap derives from songs created by slaves in time periods before segregation. Eventually these early forms were dubbed blues, and later disco, jazz, funk, soul, and reggae styles of music.

Sub-Section 1.2 - "Old School"

Today many artists from the 70's and 80's are considered "old school." Although the term insinuates that these artists are out of date many still look up to artists that are now just a memory. Common names in rap/hiphop that still come up today are 2pac, Run DMC, Notorious B.I.G. and more. Some rappers in the early 90's are sometimes described as old school. This shows the rapid change in raps delivery over the years and the trend may very well continue. However, no matter how much rap changes anyone who gives respect to this style of music should respect the founders of the many styles used today.

Sub-Section 1.3 - Current News

Currently rap is one of the most played genres of music. Due to it's versatility rap is often used in mixed genre music. Bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, and Cypress Hill have used rapping lyrics over rock music. Artists such as Nelly, and Ja Rule have used rap to inspire more club music and pop music. New styles of rap referred to as 'Krunk Rap' have become popular due to artists like Lil' John. The list continues through many mixed genres and variations.

The current mainstream rap consists of krunk, pop, club, and gangster rap. There is, however, an increasing amount of 'underground' as well. Underground rappers consist of rap artists that implement rap through philosophy and deep meanings, exteme metaphors and wordplay, using variations of oldschool rap, death rap/hardcore rap, and more. Some popular underground artists go by the names of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Inspectah Deck, Atmosphere, Chino XL, Aesop Rock, and Necro. Each artist using rap in their own unique way.

Battling has also become very popular with rap culture recently. TV channels like MTV and BET have hosted their very own rap battle tournaments featuring artists like Loaded Lux, Posta Boy, Q-Tip, Jin, Swann, and Wrekonize. An online TV series entitled JumpOff.tv has been hosting it's own worldwide tournament known as the World Rap Championship. There are also some underground rap tournaments, some known as Underground Sessions and Fight Klub.

Considering all the vast changes and current popularity with rap culture/music it's certain the genre will have a huge place in the future.

Section 2.0 - Theory/Meaning/Uses

I wanted to include this section, because no matter how much you may be interested in rap there is still that question of why? If I don't make money why do it? If I listen to punk rock why learn to freestyle? What's the meaning of all this rapping? Etc.

To be honest you can let rap be whatever you want it be. If you just enjoy the knowledge/history and listening to the music then use it to be entertained and to make you happy. If you're interested with becoming a rapper then use it how you feel you should.

I use rap to express my emotions, thoughts, beliefs, problems, loves, and my story. I believe in rap as the music I can contort to the point in which I'm in control. I use rap to satisfy my love of words. It's my self-esteem booster, my ego checker, my creative outlet, and my open canvas. I use rap to become a better person. I use rap to make expanding my vocabulary more fun. I just love it. I love techno, punk, emo, metal, thrash, indie, ambient, and rock music too. However this guide isn't about those things. This is about rap, and if you cherish it, make sure you know why you do.

Section 3.0 - How to Begin

Sub-Section 3.1 - Starting State of Mind

This is probably the hardest part. Starting is difficult because you'll think you're terrible. Well the truth is that you are terrible! Understand that you're at the bottom of the charts when you start, everyone started down there. Practice and determination is what will make you better. Breaking through the early stages will help you create a better foundation in the end. Making it in the beginning will give you that power to overcome writers block down the road, or getting bad reviews, or losing a battle. It's all about keeping your head up soldier, always see a better tomorrow.

Sub-Section 3.2 - Learning Paths

Try to not do this...

I don't suggest beginning using the 'kamikaze' technique. This is diving head first into the scene, rapping about anything and everything whenever the hell you feel like it. Taking in knowledge when you pass it by, or when it seeks you out. This road is rash and unsteady, but for the impatient it may be the only means that'll work for you. I can't describe what to do, I can only say go crazy and hope that you soak up enough to better yourself and your prolific amount of practicing works out in the end.

Try this instead...

The approach I would suggest is taking it slow. You want to learn by doing, and by observing. Take whatever time out of your life that you'd like to take to do your own research as well. I'll be giving many examples of good and bad rapping here, but I'm they'll be examples only. You need to explore to find both examples when people were trying their best. Watch videos, listen to audios, read forums, and even wikipedia.

At first just take in the idea of rap. There's a lot to it without a doubt. Be sure to become comfortable with terms and phrases especially (you want to know what people are talking about don't you?).

Once you get a feel for rap try writing down a rhyme or verbally saying a rhyme. (Note: It's fun to save early attempts to review later and determine how you're progressing.)

After you get out your first verse analyize what you've just done and compare it to some other things you've heard, or seen. This is the best way to start and it'll only get better from here on out. Use your knowledge you've gathered and any additional tips people give you to increase your skill. Other kats are usually easy to get along with, or at least will lend a helping hand (like me) to set you in the right direction when you're a little lost.

Now that you've taken the time to learn a little bit, and you've made your first verse it's time to delve deeper.

Section 4.0 - Vocabulary/Use of Words

I don't know if I can stress this section enough. Words are your mediums in rap, words are your weapons, words are your everything. You need to master syllables, stresses, diction, vocabulary, eloquence, slang, slurrs, and meanings. That's a lot of stuff to do with words! Even if you hated english class it's really not hard expanding on this part of rapping.

This section is here to keep you from rapping like this all the time:

"I'll sting like a bee if you try to strike me, So don't fight G
'Cause I might be the doctor that sets up your I.V." - Just something quick I made

And help you rap more like this:

"My soul deviated from the common path 'til the brain mediated
Between the body and soul so that the connection was re-created
The agreement was tacit, but the meaning was bigger than Polyphemus
So that the unity set them back on the right path like followin' Jesus" - Another something quick

See the difference in the words used there? Even used a reference to a cyclops from mythology.

Having a large vocabulary will help you expand on topics in ways you never could've before.

Sub-Section 4.1 - Building Vocabulary

There are a lot of ways to go about building your vocabulary. I'm just going to list you a few possible ways to increase your word bank and help you remember meanings.

Rhyme Strings/Trees

When I do this game I either think of a random word, or flip to a random website or page in a book or whatever. No matter what the first word you decide on either write it down or remember it. Once it's set say, write, or think of another word that rhymes with the first word. Continue this pattern until you can no long think of a word. CAUTION: Don't get into half rhymes because eventually they won't rhyme with the original word. Always make sure the original word rhymes with the rest that are thought up.

Scenery Freestyle

When walking around, working, at school, or even when watching TV say the word of something you see and then rhyme either about that word, rhyme with that word as your subject, make a metaphor for that word, make a simile for that word, or make a rhyme string for that word. Doing all those things will help you better understand the meaning of the word and give you things to rhyme about and more words to rhyme together.

Topic Jumper

This game is best played with a friend. Have someone who is cool with helping you learn say a noun or verb to you. Once the word is said freestyle about that word, but then without pattern have the friend say a new topic and then you begin rhyming about that. This is a great way to pick up on the spot and run with anything. This is one of my favorite freestyle exercises.

Watch the News

I know that sounds queer at first but think about it. News reporters usually use proper english and usually use and expanded, college level, vocabulary. If they say a word you don't know stop and look it up during the commercial break. Also, using current events in a rhyme is popular and will often draw a crowd reaction when used in a crafty way. Recently many rappers have used lines about The Fires in Cali or Micheal Vick and the Dog Fights to relate to current events. This will help expand your vocabulary as well by bringing in even more foreign words and even names of people and places.

Sub-Section 4.2 - Diction/Syllable Count

Diction is defined as the use/style of language when written/spoken. Syllable count is the amount of syllables in a word, line, or bar. I've decided to combine these two sub-sections due to how they can relate to each other and because they're just... small.

Bad Diction

"I'm way better than you, you know you suck
So quit rapping and shut the fuck up!" - Quick something I made

Good Diction

"When I spit fresher it's proof that my rhymes are mega obtuse
I'm PS3, you're PS2, basically kid I'm way better than you
I'm superb and I'm fine, every day I'm murderin' lines
You'd sell more copies rapping if you were a mime..." - Another Quickie

It's hard to explain diction so I that example will have to do. Basically both times I said (A) I'm better than you (B) You should shut up when it comes to rapping. Although the second time I said it with swag, with wordplay. It just sounds better to someone to hear something crafty rather than something simple. Get it?

Good Syllable Count

"My baseball cleats, and your face'll meet
Unless you bow down and place your knees
Where the pavement be, graciously" - Illmaculate

Bad Syllable Count

"I speak words better than any person I know
I can spit with eloquence so when I go out I can definately pick up any version of hoe" - Quick one I made

Ok with Illmaculate's lines the syllables count 9,9,8. With the one I made up they go 12,26. Whoa that second bar is way too long to sound good.

So instead... if I said it like this...

"I speak words better than any person I know
So when I'm out and the verses explode
I can definately pick up any version of hoe" - Quick changed a little

Now it goes 12,10,14. That scheme worked out pretty well. The last two lines are a little far apart, but if I took two syllables out of the last line and put them in the second line they'd all be even. This 3 Line setup works much better than what I listed before!

When saying a rap out loud, or making a song you can often get away with making bars not even up because you can speed up and slow down to your liking to make it sound better. Remember when people are reading your raps they don't know what is in your mind so it's usually a safe bet to keep those syllables as even as possible.

Section 5.0 - Freestyling

In general terms a person freestyling will rap impromtu. All the rythm patterns and rhyme schemes will be generated spontaneously by the emcee.

The ability to freestyle is a staple technique of being able to rap. Some people find the ability to freestyle controversial, saying that it's not vital to be able to rap good. I personally believe that being to to 'flow off the top' is important. If you're performing to a group or at a show and you forget a small portion of your written verse, quickly spit some freestyle then continue with the written. It's often unnoticeable.

Many emcees will also hold higher respect for you if you display a well performed freestyle. It shows that you've taken the time to practice your art, and that you know all the in's and out's.

Freestyling is most commonly done verbally, but due to forums like Bboy.org text freestyles are also becoming popular.

Sub-Section 5.1 - Mastering The Freestyle

To be completely honest, there is no possible format to follow or even a guide to show you how to become good at freestyling.

......What? There just isn't.

I'm just going to lay down some generic ideas to help you out when things look grim.

Remember the Vocabulary section?

Make sure to always practice your games, and word association techniques!

St-st-st-st-st-uttering/Fumbling

If you're practicing your freestyle and you verbally stutter/fumble your words it's ok. Even the best of the best stutter occasionally. It's hard to work your brain so hard in the beginning. When dealing with this problem just keep on freestyling and you'll forget all about it. Another approach is to stop and collect yourself while taking a five minute break. When you're prepared to have another go, then proceed when you feel like it. However, if you stop to relax and shake things off, don't get all mad at yourself. This is not a big deal, it's one screw up... and there will be many more. So the more you learn to accept a couple mistakes here and there the easier it is to push forward.

Text Freestyles

Yeah it's not as difficult given the fact that you have as much time as you would like between lines. There are still some important factors you have to remember when writing a text freestyle. First of all dun be talkin' all like ya might wen ya be speakin' wit ya bois, ya dig? No one want's to have a hard time reading because you think the way you type/talk is fresh. No one wants to understand slang that you say in your relative area alone. No one cares about that stuff. So please write like a normal person when it comes to making a text freestyle. Also if you have a strong accent be careful, or at least mention it so people understand why you have a bar that doesn't rhyme to them, but it does to you. Finally, you have all the time in the word to write a text freestyle. I like to write mine fast as an added challenge, but it's up to you on how fast you type it. Don't have really sloppy lines though, and don't have a bunch of spelling mistakes. After you're done re-read your verse before showing it to the world. At least make it look like you've made an effort. Also don't spend 15 minutes on a five bar verse. That should show yourself that you're not so great at freestyling, and you should be doing more practicing, and trying different approaches.

Section 6.0 - Writing/Audio

These are just some general guidelines for written raps, and audio tracks.

- Make your flow as close to perfect as possible.

- Put in some lines that are fire, make people say those "Oohs" & "Aahs"

- If you have a beat with a sampling in it, make the song relate to the sampling, or use it in your verse to make the entire song sound completely intertwined.

- If you write about a specific subject don't stray too far from the subject, unless it relates to your story somehow

- If you're recording have you verse partially memorized and know how you want to flow, don't freeze up and waste recording time. If you're memorizing for performance, do the same but make sure you're perfectly adjusted to the writtens you have prepared.

- When writing to your beat the flow you make could be amazing but it has to match the beat too. Otherwise the song will have two different tempos and the listener will easily become disappointed and quickly.

Section 7.0 - Battling

At first, a rap battle was a competition between two emcees in which they would see who could get the crowd more pumped up at a show. Although soon after an incident in which an emcee made fun, or talked trash, about one of the competitors rap battling changed since then.

Now battling is about cutting your opponent down to size with words. You want to hurt their feelings in any way possible. Make fun of their clothes, their heritage, their friends, their voice, make look-a-likes, and everything else you can think of. It's about all out war, so lay waste to anyone that steps to you.

Sub-Section 7.1 - Preparation

If you know battling will come up in your rap lifestyle then you need to prepare. Battling is freestyling, but it's so different than just doing a simple little verse about whatever you want.

To prepare in general sit down some day and start writing bars than make fun of stereotypes. Make bars about white people, black people, indians, muslims, albinos, midgets, fat people, deformed people, people with strange voices, people that dress bad, people with bad posture, and etc. You don't have to memorize these punchlines, but better yet just have them in the back of your mind just so your mind is trained to think in that way. Then if you ever face a fat person in a battle, boom... you've already learned to disgrace them.

If you know you'll be battling a specific person or duo then, if you can, do some research. I always do research when I can because if you can say a personal punchline against your opponent it's that much more destructive.

Sub-Section 7.2 - It's Time to Throw Down

Ok so you've prepared yourself huh? You think you've learned to freestyle well and you got some written back-up? You think you're ready to throw punches over the mic? Well... let's just make sure.

These are the main parts to battling:

Swagger/Cadence

This is quite an important factor. If you're writing a text battle this isn't applied as much. Basically you want to keep your flow as clean as possible and your voice needs emotion behind it. You don't need to have the dopest flow anyone has ever heard, just make it nice and simple. Do what's most comfortable for you to keep spitting with a nice sound. Switch up your flow a little bit as well to show your versatility. With the emotion in your voice you won't sound monotone. If you say something dark and rugged get mean and gloomy when you say it. If you crack a funny ass joke then put some emphasis on the punchline and raise your voice a little bit. If you want to make something stand out spit some build-up filler, pause, and then release the fire with some heart. It's somewhat hard to explain, but I've heard the most generic punchlines sound dope as hell because of how it was delievered. Online the only difference is the tone of your writing. If you say something dark and rugged in a text battle use vocabulary that has a condecending tone to it. If you want to clown on your opponent use silly, out of the ordinary, vocabulary.

Content

The content of your verse needs to be tight. You need to come up with lines that are the best people have ever heard, because frankly almost everything has been done before. Battling has changed so much, it's to the point now where it's becoming a little difficult to impress a crowd with every line. Don't spit all writtens, this is a huge mistake to waste some good material. Written rhymes are like the Alamo, basically your last stand if you need it. Vary punchlines as much as you can, use generic punches, personal punches, look-a-like punches, and violent punches. If you find a subject the crowd reacts to well it's usually kosher to spit a second punch in a different way about the same thing. When it comes to filler don't repeat the same filler line while you're thinking. Switch up your filler line and practice saying different ones because, as humans, we're conditioned to do the same thing over and over.

Section 8.0 - Developing a Unique Style

I wanted to include this section to mainly make a point, but to also help point people in the right direction. Basically, don't be generic, and don't stray away from yourself. This is going to be highly opinionated but hey... it's my guide. When you start getting into the thick of rappin' make sure you do it your way. It may seem stupid to have to say this, but it's amazing to see how fast people stray away from themselves and pursue things that seem to be better than what they were already doing. In a gangster way of saying it, 'do you.' Plain and simple, just be yourself. Every rapper that has a distinct style has it 'cause that's what they've adapted to and it's what makes them comfortable. Always make sure you're enjoying what you're doing. Don't change to make a dollar or impress a specific person.

Section 9.0 - Producing Music

Coming soon!

Section 10.0 - Performing

I haven't done too much performing, so I reached out to some people to give me their thoughts. These will be direct quotes from some of the kats on the bboy.org forums

Originally Posted by Bboy Jroc quick 2 cents to get you started.. i remember the first time i jumped into a cypher.. i was so nervous that my mouth dried up 'n i fumbled through most of my words. another bad thing was i didn't really freestyle, coz i thought about it prior to spittin, causin a memory lapse in between. lesson learned. so yeah, nowadays i just spit whatever.. unless i go ahead 'n tell 'em "aiight, this is something i wrote". punchlines are harder to come up with while freein, but peeps get impressed too when you can go for extended periods.. given that ya makin sense though, lol. longest i've gone is 4-5 minutes i think. just straight killin the beat. what i'm tryna say is when you free, don't think too much.. 'n if you have a talent to quickly set up punches on the spot, take advantage of it. make sure you drop it hard. delivery counts for so much. lines can either come off strong/weak dependin on how you say it.. 'n that's speakin from experience. i had clever lines before that didn't really hit much coz my delivery was wack. got NO reaction whatsoever. it's like machine-gun-rappin in a battle.. no one would really care bout what you said coz it came too fast. punches go unnoticed, na'mean? as far as writtens go, memorize 'em well. sucks forgetting words, it really does. a problem i often face though is lyrical content. i personally like my songs to be knowledgeable, but it's hard when these days the majority only favors "snappin" joints and all of 'em "superman that hoe" BS. come to think of it, no biggie. either they like it or they don't. i just do my thing in hopes of reachin out to cats smart enough to grasp my thoughts. more later i guess..

Originally Posted by Anghellic Cyphers- Cyphers are fun, I am in one atleast once a day... whether i just see cats on the block spittin or just with the homies. The biggest tip i can tell you when doing this, is be in your zone where your able to think clearly...so for example me.. I like to smoke weed and kick it in the cut so most of time when we free.. thats exactly where we at and what we doing so the energy is good and your mind is able to process a lot more quickly. I listen to words used and try to play off of whatever i hear and i take note how people deliver stuff and how they say what they say. as for knowing what to say... honestly the more you try and think of stuff while your freestyling.. you are going to screw it all up. just do waht you do.. Battles - Countless battles have proven time and time again... energy and confidence will pull it out. take everything you see of that person and just rip into anything you can relate or compare it to. just be absolultly disrepectful. pay attention to the crowd around you and learn how to build them. You can tell from the look of people if you are getting them excited or if they are wondering if you are going to shut the fuck up. Stage Performance - Remember your lines, remember your lines...REMEMEBER your lines. the energy given from people will send you through the roof or sink your feet in wet concrete. working the stage and getting the people involved is key, people came to feel apart of something. Just pretend your performing in the mirror and just have fun. the people already made there mind up about you before you walked onto the stage, it's you job to make them think what YOU the performer wants them to think.

Originally Posted by Enkore my only advice is to work your surroundings but dont over think. honestly if imma freestyle imma mention my homies names, my block, wherever we at during the time, any colors and shades around, random objects, etc. but i dont force my mind to get those in. when u force ur mind like that u end up cluttering ur thoughts and therefore slipping when ur reciting them. and a couple cups of E&J always help clear your mind lol...

Section 11.0 - List of Artists/Beat Sources

Beat Sources

SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more. <--- preferred source
TightBeatz.com - :
Rap Beats RnB Instrumentals hip hop beats Rapbeats.net
Rap Beats | Free Beat | Beats for Sale

Search Myspace for 'Rice the Beat Chef' for beats from our very own Poppin' Rice

List of Artists

A

A Tribe Called Qwest
Adeem aka ADM
Aesop Rock
Animal Planet
Apathy
Atmosphere

B

Beanie Seagel
Big Pun
Blueprint
Bo-Rat
Busta Rhymes

C

Canibus
Cannibal Ox
Celph Titled
Chino XL
Cunning Lynguistics

D

Dan the Automator
Dead Prez
Deltron 3030
Dilated Peoples

E

Element
Eminem

F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Section 12.0 - Rap Dictionary

For now I'm going to reference Reflexion's Beginner Guide and his Advanced Guide which are both featured on bboy.org as well.

Section 13.0 - Closing Thoughts

I'd like to thank www.bboy.org for being the kick ass community it is! I'd also like to thank most specifically all the kats in the Freestyle Rhyme Session who've helped me become as good as I am today. Without their knowledge being passed on to me this guide wouldn't exist.

I'd also like to personally thank:

- Diamond for the blues/bluegrass typo
- Angel for tips on live performance
- Enkore for tips on live performance
- Jroc for tips on live performance
- Reflexion for two awesome guides referenced here

[DeCypher]

If you've found an error in my guide whether it be a typo, misused word, wrong punctuation, or whatever else please send me a reply here for now. List what section/sub-section the mistake is in and how it should be fixed. I'll put in fixes with my next update and give credit accordingly.

Thank you
-DeCypher

[DeCypher]

Upon completion of this guide I'm possibly going to close this thread. PM's will be appreciated of course but I'm not sure what I plan on yet.

Anyway, there is a lot of information in this guide and it's easy to leave something out, or word something the wrong way.

If you have any input that would be useful please post it here or in a PM and I'll put it into the guide and give credit accordingly.

Currently I'd really love quoted examples to support some of the knowledge here. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
- DeCypher

[Insayne]

Dude Im sorry but as song writing/poetry, "rap" is very difficult to teach.... you can babble on about punch lines, rapping to the beats, how to use rhyme, schemes and shit like that but basically to be a good rapper u must be quite intellectually prepared and fast thinking.... Its like teaching someone how to ride the bike though YOU ARE NOT PEDALING! lol but I've looked through ur guide and Im sure it weel help noobs in some way.... Especially opening their eyes to different rap artists and their styles...

PEACE

[Elbee]

who un-stickied this?

[Anaktix]

not sure but shit we got like 2342352356234 stickied threads so makes sense, man makes me think, i'd like ta unsticky a buncha those up there haha.......whatever happened to decypher anyways? dude was here alll day erry day then disappeared 'n hasn't even been back once that i've seen lately......

one.

[istolicee]

i unstickied it.

like zak said, dude aint come around for months and shit is 1/2 finished... when he comes back he can re-sticky it himself.

[SpellBound]

That, and we've got Flex's rap guides up there if anyone needs to reference something

[PoppinRice]

Damn, I was impressed he gave a shoutout to me, lol