Practice routine in writing
 

Hi, just joined today here and have some years behind me as a lyricist and this January started learning rapping. I wanted to ask about how to actually practice writing these battle raps? My goal is to raise my technical battle skills, so I can use those skills in my songwriting arsenal.

Of course you have to battle a lot and write and rap a lot, but other than that what are the core skills you need to train isolated to get better at this? What's the routine like?

Punchlines, wordplay, multi-syllable rhyming... But how do you actually practice these things? Do you just have set tasks for yourself like "write 15 lines using long multi's everyday" and "write 10 punchlines everyday" and "think about 5 word plays everyday"? Something like this would seem like a good start routine for me. Of course it's quality over quantity, and after you write those lines you polish them.

Also, how should I read and analyze other better rapper's battles? I can already spot the multi's, word plays, setups and punches, but I think I should dig deeper than that. I'm just not sure what that level is.

Maybe think line by line how I would've continued or something? Maybe I'll add to my routine that I'll analyze 1 all-star battle per day like that, line by line.

Also, how often should you battle? I think if I battle too much I can't be as resourceful and put my best all the time. Maybe 2 battles a week against pponents about my level and other day's just practice?

So my suggested routine would be:
-15 lines training long multi's
-10 lines training punches
-5 lines training wordplay
-analyze 1 top dog battle per day
-2 battles per week, against opponents my size

What do you think about this routine? How did you guys practice at my stage (as a starting battle rapper)? I'm a system oriented guy, so this kind of approach could work for me. I'll start doing this, got a few hours to spare every day for this kind of practice.

The LB-community seems dope and there seems to be relatively a lot of action here compared to other battle rap sites. Hope I'll enjoy myself here and see ya guys around.

Basically what most newbies do first is start by reading other post...Mostly the ones by the Vets IMO for they have the most insight and knowledge of how a written battle is suppose to go down, and just learn on the way man...A L is just an L here...I got a few myself...But usually the good voters will leave feedback on ur battles to let ya know the areas they feel that ya should work on the most...Can't wait to see ya excel my man... GL

---------- Post added at 04:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 PM ----------

Also just go out and do ya thing man...Take open battles as well as drop a few opens or just straight challenge someone...I caught the battle u already in and I think IMO ya gonna make it here for sure bro...

just start keystyling the entire thing and go on a losing streak

Solid routine, i used to do a similar thing. as you said best way to get better is by battling and analyzing others styles. 2 battles a week is good.. posting opens is a cool way to test your general bars, not enough people send bars to others randomly but most (including me) respond to everything that gets sent to them so that's another way of seeing how you match up. And as far as how to analyze others verses try to catch how everyone varies in style, from type of bars, to how the actual verse is structured, grammar punctuation the overall tone etc.. because it def impact how smooth a verse flows together

Best of luck on LB tho

With Punchlines, Wordplay multi-syllable rhyming it all takes practice with your provided idea routine I dont see how this cant improve anybody. With that being said you would have to do your regiment like that of a workout so you looking at *DEPENDING ON DEDICATION TO THE CRAFT* 7 to 4 or 5 days of week of practicing all these fundamentals then hop into the regiment battle you set up such as battling and then grabbing critique and using it in your workouts to tweak them. Also you should atleast be freestyle on the go meaning I would incorporate in your ideal routine to be able to start jogging words through your mind and start even if its senseless or rambles ex "times awfully got me caught pausing mocking lines blotch ink that speak" writing down something you would think is sick or battle worthy jot it down and run it through this way you can cut recycling out and only be generating some new syllables to rhyme with. Either way it helps expand vocab because truly you dont need to read a whole dictionary to embedd words at your disposal.

When it comes to fair voting or analyzing two rap battles alot of things come into play and depends how deep you want to get
LIVE BATTLES have a way different system then LetsBeef and it judge upon many of criterias. Though if you want in depth on that id ask I will be just pertaining everything to LetsBeef.
AUDIO BATTLES The things that come into play here and whats big is noticing if the battle was written with beat or not or a freestyle. If its written then you will be listening to core fundamentals INCLUDING FLOW so the big things are "Was he creative on setting up the punch?" "Did his wordplay come across clever than his opponent?" "Was their personal disses or name flips that the other didnt?" "Whose flow came across more cleaner and smooth?" and all the way down to "Who performance was better whose punches really did their damage" "Who messed up?".
NOW for freestyle audios it narrows down to the same judgement though you need to be crucial on analyzing if someone did a written verse this is huge because its on fair and should not be voted for at all.
TEXT BATTLES- Now this is KEYSTYLING again battling via written context without verbally saying it this is a very unique way of battling and has its own I'd say NEED TO KNOW before you post or vote.
Now *FILLING THE BOX* does not me writting a 32 bar or 8 bar
as
I
Do
In
This
Example
This is an automatic LOSS is the other opponent filled the box properly which I will explain: There is no tabbing used only -> spaces " , / Rhymes usually quotations " " are outlining setp ups punches ARE CAPPED (Including extra syllables) that are rhymes in the next filler, set up or punch. Also if you are reading a text battle with 1 or 2 syllables mainly this is a LOSS if the other person came more multi skilled. the forward slash ends your punch that way your readers dont read two punches as one and think you are having no scheme to them or rhythm. They will take this as if youre rambling with weird punches. Now from all of this you take in fundamentals from the battle "Who had better schemes?" "Which one made those schemes work the punch better/?" "Who had wordplay that was more creative?" You also want to nitpick in a sense "Whose multis where stretched or broken?" "Whose schemes were played out and simple or overuused" "What didnt make sense or who had weaker punches?" Things of this nature. You can never over critique someone in this game even at high levels we are all climbing a mountain with no top just peaks so analyzing this is never having a moment whee your diving to deep but you could be doing less which isnt help to you in your own progress.

Yeah my only suggestion for getting better on wrighting is notebooks and pre wrighting so you have that too look back on;