It’s safe to say that the Freestyle Boards changes with the seasons. This past winter and spring the boards was inundated with poetry (vets like paperdollpoet and the perfect mistake to the new / middle schoolers like Soulchild and hunuh). As we move into the summer, we’ve seen the return of not only the MC but the battle as well. I’ll be honest this wasn’t my first plan of action for this month, but seeing how this new blood started coming out of the woodwork. Them wanting to test their mettle against the veterans, I felt this would be a good way to officially document the very latest generation of MCs. Some are still aspiring while others are more aware of their abilities as wordsmiths. I pulled these cats together for a roundtable discussion of sorts to get their takes on battling and what if any steps are being taken to perfect their craft away from boards. I introduce hdub, The Lemon Kid, FrontLine, southernboy 423 and Whateva. Let’s check out what they have to say.


YM: What does it mean to you to battle?

Hdub: Battling started out as my natural introduction to Freestyle, and it has become my bread and butter on this board. I was drawn to OKP through a combination of my lifelong loves for discussion/argument and for music. Once I had started getting involved in the creative aspect of hip hop rather than just being a fan I became eager to check out the freestyle board. Based on what I had heard of Freestyle in other posts around OKP, and from what I saw around in the archives and in the tourney it seemed like battling was a main component of the rhyme scene in here. I was surprised by how little rhyming there was going on in here at the time, and it seemed to me like there was a core of a few folks who had kind of gotten to be big fishes in a small pond. I wanted to shake things up a bit and to see what I could do in terms of rhyming; battling seemed to be the obvious way to accomplish these goals. Eventually, once I got started with it the rewards from battling became the major sustenance for my creative endeavors making music.

The Lemon Kid: to go one on one with another emcee.

FrontLine: To be a good Emcee and to try and entertain the reader at the same time...

Southernboy 423: In one word Challenge. That’s all it is. Not a challenge from another emcee, but a challenge from yourself to see how far you have took your talent of putting words together to express yourself. The emcee you are battling is only a subject, there only there to make every challenge different. When you get to a challenge and it defeats you, step your game up and reach another level.

Whateva: Battling is an ceremony. You clashin’ with other Titans. Hopefully, you walk away with a W.


YM: What do you gain from these verbal clashes?

Hdub: As I was saying before battling is my bread and butter on the board. Even though I just sort of fell into it, battling has been a major source of motivation for me. Besides an extremely short period in high school where I tried writing some verses for a few days my interest in trying to write or spit lyrics was confined to drunken freestyling. Although the interest was limited it was there, on this site I took that casual curiosity to the next level. Since I wanted so shake shit up and since battling seemed to be a big part of the site I felt like coming out in a battle was the natural way for me to engage and experiment with this board. It also seemed like it would be easier to write a battle verse than a verse on another subject because the context of the other battle and the things that your opponent says and does provide a wealth of subject matter to draw from. Being forced to establish my rep with so much battling forced me to spend a lot more energy on rhyming than I had ever thought I would. Initially my interest in all of this was just casual but that crazy period of battling just pulled me in. Now I’m getting involved with making music on a more serious level.
The Lemon Kid: don't know, never entered one…

FrontLine: I learn from losing and winning, just starting this could really help sharpen ma skillz...

Southernboy 423: Sometimes u gain nothing, it all depends on the challenge (or other emcee so to speak). If he or she pushes your talent to a point that you haven’t reached, them u gained an opportunity to see where you talent is and take it further gaining experience and better skills. Some cats do it to gain respect and a name for themselves, me personally I don’t care if you know my name or not. As for respect, a man gains that because of who he is, so I don’t do it for that either. Some people give it easier and some give it harder, if you waist time battling for respect you will end up rapping for others and not yourself.

Whateva: For me, The win isn't as important as the battle. It's the cerebral competition that you walk away with.


YM: Does the battle define what it means to be an emcee?

Hdub: I take the phrase “master of ceremonies” very literally. To me, an MC is someone who has the ability to master a ceremony- they express themselves creatively through lyrics and use that talent to rock a crowd. Based on that definition the online battling we’re doing on here has very little connection to being an actual real world MC. If you have hot lyrics, but you can’t flow live or on audio then you’re not an MC, you’re a ghostwriter. It takes a lot less skill to throw disconnected punchlines at someone than it does to come up with an ill verse on one single subject. To me someone who rocks the stage hard in battle can be an MC, but they’re showing more chops if they can flow in a track that’s about something more than dissing somebody.

The Lemon Kid: guess its part of the job...have to be able to see of the competition.

FrontLine: Not to me mainly because that’s personally my weakest point, but I still battle to become better...

Southernboy 423: An emcee has know how to spit on paper, off his head, at someone, and for himself, I call it a four corner emcee. Those are just a couple of things that define an emcee. So to me it does unless your just a hype man there to keep the crowd pumped up, you know the "wave your hands in the air" type. A emcee should always know how to freestyle battle, that shows people that he has his shit tight and that it is a natural talent and not something he did after doing his homework. An emcee who can’t freestyle battle is not a emcee in my opinion; he or she is a paperboy or papergul.

Whateva: Partially. Battling doesn't help if you're trying to tell a story. It builds up grass roots fame though. It strengthens your basic skills.


YM: Are you this driven offline as well or is this just something to past the time while in school or work?

Hdub: As I’ve said though in coming on here I’ve found myself getting more and more caught up in making music. I am a pretty driven and focused person in most of my endeavors, when I go into something I throw myself at it 100% and that’s manifested itself over the past few months as I’ve fallen into this hip hop thing. Making music probably will never be more than a hobby for me, but right now I’m loving it. I see those people on OKP who make really pro-quality music and they talk about having been involved flowing and/or making beats for ten years. I hope that I will one day be one of those dudes like 9 years and six months from now.

The Lemon Kid: at the moment? What i'm doing on these boards is my work.

FrontLine: I'm actually in a group with some people from the board and we're really driven, and about to record a serious album to get us derr.... Me and the people on the board started by freestylin and battlin' on the street plus we put some songs together and have been playing live shows fo' a minute...

Southernboy 423: Yeah offline, I’m a animal, on the boards it’s harder because i’m from the south. I think the dialects take away from my verses. Right now I’m in Iraq fighting bushes bullshit war, but when I’m at home, I live in the studio or club writing or freestyling. This isn't just a hobby, it’s me. It comes just as natural as turning your head after you thought you heard someone call your name. The Unknown put me up on the site and every since I've been straight, dig! Right now i’m just feeling the whole online thing out, it’s alright but it's not like being right in a emcees face while you bite his fucking head off. Some cats online fake it because you not there to see his face after he has read two jabs and a punchline that knock the wind out of him, instead he says the shit was "whack". It’s not a past time for me, its helping my survival, keeping my head level, until I get home.

Whateva: I write rhymes that I don't post on OKplayer, so I guess I'm somewhat driven offline.


YM: Last words.

Hdub: Props to blak & peace to everybody…

The Lemon Kid: Hip Hop will be here forever, so let’s love it...

Southernboy 423: I know none of the poets never see me leave a response to their stuff, they prolly don’t care, but I read alot of them shits especially Photo, The Best Part, and The Lemon Kid and a couple others. Big up to the poets, they hold they shit down. All the battle cats or just verse writers I hope that we can get some of the people who don’t dig battling to get a taste for it enough to become entertained. Whoever thought this damn site up is a muthafucker genius. Everyone on OKPlayer, keep doing what yall doing, I’m feeling this shit!

Whateva: HIP-HOP!!!!

***Update coming soon, along with some other goodies***



<<----GOOSE & CHICKEN NIGHT!!!-----


http://ryanavery.com/musick/

<<----GOOSE & CHICKEN NIGHT!!!-----


http://ryanavery.com/musick/

as always great ass read. i'm interested to hear these cats on audios too.

(((Burned My Fingers/Eyeballs))) -- :P

You flipped da script on us, huh Blak? -- *smiles*

Thas' what I like about you -- Always cummin' ^UP^ with summthin' different & new! -- ;)


This interview was off da chain with diversity and variety! -- *No Doubt*


Hdub is mah boi! -- *wink~wink* -- (Nice verbage from everyone) -- (((Forreal Tho)))

>
>Hdub is mah boi!

me and pho go way back!

definitely enjoyed the special, this is the first im seeing it myself, really liked what other folks had to say specifically whateva and southernboy

look forward to seeing you folks out on the circuit

once again props blak

Im diggin that shit like a shovel, very interesting shit

big up to black, and whateva madd props to u i know i owe u a verse i got u!

my audio will be posted soon, i promise
im coming at u muthafuckas like a scary movie, dig!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
....and so it goes, im at it again. Fix ur fucking face, Im in the building!

Keep writin SouthernBoy. Blak, nice interview/article.

yea blak that was tight man. thanks for writing on my mans southernboy 423. he next up. and as for me well i'm just here. stay up blak and keep writing on the real.

> he next up. and as for me well i'm just here.

from where im sitting looks like you coming up strong too

i threw it back on the coffee table to put my pimp cup on ....

....tsk tsk tsk

remember all the best rappers have pimp cups- Okaaaaay!!

shut up !!!

...*trademark dub evil laughter

lif is too short, appreciate dont hate

n/m

I'll just be standin' around wit the water bottles, massage oil, bandages, smelling salts, oxygen tanks, and my trusty camera (takin' pictures) -- :P :9


*PhotoGenic*

I neva thought I'de be interviwed in Black's legendary magazine but in came the questions...Cool to see its up, people will finally know whats up with me Mcee and Triq...We're tryin to get a demo out(sigh)hopefully all the hatin on here by NFO on ma crew will come to a halt...wish us luck...keep rappin yall

...dont think it doesnt mean you still suck

furthermore just cause lemon is in there dont think hes anything more than a useless whacko

Dub, Why the fuck do u always gotta hate dawg seriously its getting old...U Can't just say some 1 sux from 1 verse which wasn't even REALLY part of the battle...
EDIT:Hopefully I face u in the tourney I'm gettin tired of your little cracks dawg...That little battle wasn't shit and i'll prove it in the tourney good luck...

....see ...it just an opinion

...you've paid to that little comment only proves how much truth there was in it

by the way- looks like you're doing a great job of not reading this thread

lol

as far as what i said goes, i said frontline mcee and triqueno are whack- you can only say thats hating if you think that inactuality theyre ill, you wanna go on record saying you think those three are nice with theirs?

the same can be said for my comment on you....lol amazinly now you get it!!!!!!!!

...you aint trying to say those dudes are nice

theyre not and everybody knows it

you hate on me as if im on that level but many folks on this site whether they like me or not respect what i bring to the table

its only hate if you call someone whack and they dont suck--- find me calling someone nice on here terrible and THEN call me a hater

for now you the only one caught hating....

i dont agree, at least not to the same degree as before b/c imo u have upped ur game, but he dont agree, and even when i thought u were wack u still cats that were praising you, lol, so my thing is, let it hate, u aint gonna please everyone, just like how i think my new steez is a flu breeze, and u think old one is golden

...i also accept that a lot of folks agree with him

he needs to start accepting that you aint the only one who thinks ive improved- plus a lot of folks thought i had him in the first place

that can get debated to death

what CANNOT get debated is this cat frontline- he is whack, anyone with any taste whatsoever can see that he is not remotely on my level at all

as they would say in a courtroom i "strenuously object" to any post that implies that he is remotely in the same league as me

in saying that zin also should realize that he's belittling himself- people seem to think me and him are on the same level- does he really want to put himself in the same category as frontline?

who thinks me and you are on the same level?
cause they need to be shot .....

secondly ...ya shit IS garbage duke ...strait shit ...and now you cloning Ric's style awwwwwww fuck ...

i'm not saying you not improving ...you just haven't won me over yet ...i'm belittling myself HHHHHHAAAAAAAAA

what you your ryhmes have to do with me BWAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
what you eat don't make me shit ....

listen mofo's used to say i was HOV's lil brother till they heard the audios ...i didn't change ...they just see how my shit flows now ....build on ya own shit ...not ric's lil man .... lace a truly hot verse ...and i'll be the first to tell you i think ya hot now ...i mean ask ric .....when i got him in the booth ....hyped him up ...verses flowed sooo sweet ....not that i made ric ....but booth wise ...i helped him up him game ....

furthermore i never said i didn't read cause you were in it ....i just said i didn't read it ...you assumed it was about you ...so you must KNOW your wack .....

...cause you STAY posting about me

you make whole threads about me lol

you admit to betting on my verses

the first step to getting off my dick is admitting you have a problem lol

bottom line is this you may not think im on your level but you a cocky mofo- everyone knows this- you dont think anyones on your level

other people who watching do seem to recognize that im on the top tier of this shit- your own producer said my shit was gonna be the battle to watch for the first round

all this attention you paying to me right now only shows that subconsciously you really do think i'm nice as all hell

and because he's my producer that means.............
he's not my A&R ........
he doesn't give me the concepts of my songs ......he does beats ....
yo act like he said .....zin i'd rather work with dub
and he might say something like that ....just to make me record a song about you ......ha ha ha ha ha aha h


fuck it audio battle ...... Nukka Fuck yo Opinion (NFO '05)!!!!

...we both know damn well he aint the only one

damn zin,

look at you sitting there fantasizing about spitting a verse in the studio at me

its disgraceful- on the one hand you say im a whack biter who should be disregarded, isnt on your level, and doesnt deserve a verse from you

and yet you drop post after post like this one

tsk tsk tsk

beefing with you ain't fun like it used to be

i almost wish i hadnt gotten you shook

the thrill is gone ....c'mon man i put oy on front street ...
man up ....call all ya NFO GOOONS

and why they not backing you on this .....i really would like to know what they think?

i mean if i had a squad they be backing me right now ....cause that's what crew does right?


lmao ....


you sound like ric duke ..... and you big upping him in ya verses ....
o i get it ...he's biggie and your puffy ....take that take that ...


lmao


look man ...i have nothing against you matter of fact it's over ....you right ....i'm scared to battle you dub ...that's the real reason lm(stbwahdub)ao

>and why they not backing you on this .....i really would like
>to know what they think?
>
>i mean if i had a squad they be backing me right now ....cause
>that's what crew does right?

nothin to back up here, shit's between you and him, we're on here doin our own shit, not to team up on people, he can handle himself and he is from what I've seen anyway, haha. I don't engage in this back and forth bullshit, if you really wanna know what I think, you're making yourself look stupid right now, and even dumber if you're tryin to call me out, cause you will get your fat ass handed to you. 1

>the first step to getting off my dick is admitting you have a
>problem lol

had to get this archived as a supplement...

blk

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=30609

<<----later that night-----


http://ryanavery.com/musick/

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=30609

<<----later that night-----


http://ryanavery.com/musick/

it's a bit large...deal with it for now. Nuke...i got you.

http://img22.echo.cx/img22/4978/untitled63rp.png

<<----inbox me for one-----


http://ryanavery.com/musick/

....cause as usual explorer ain't cutting it

yukon this is tight as all hell

you taking your mag to a whole new level- and you know im a fan of where you started off in the first place so....

it's definitely more fun to read in the linked format- and i can see progress between this layout and the one you previewed in the last issue- i especially love the boxing graphic for the tourney- im a big fight fan so i love the idea and you just did sick with the lettering and everything

is next month's gonna be just a link? im hoping

the sick layout plus getting my boy nuke in there make this issue priceless for me

i loved it before but im taking this version printing it out and putting it on the fridge

im so happy you let me be a part of this- i hope all my shit talking in this thread didnt discourage you from considering NFO for your future installments

i wanted to keep this thread clean but i got a rep to defend ya know?

...im digging that shit like a muthafucka

and i got a dolo quote, thats wassup! keep doin u blak

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
....and so it goes, im at it again. Fix ur fucking face, Im in the building!

http://www.soundclick.com/band/5/youngsleep_music.htm