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Step 1
Search out your style. Even though battle rap is primarily confrontational, that doesn’t mean your own personal style has to match that method. If you are a more laid back type of person, try to make the words you speak match your personality (or at least what part you are trying to convey) when rapping. There are many ways to do this but one of the most popular is the words you choose to put emphasis on when actually speaking. This will allow people to gauge your personality through words you speak.
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Step 2
Practice on your own. If you are trying to become a better freestyle battle rapper it is imperative that you practice. Before engaging in a freestyle session with live people, practice on your own to build confidence and also to ensure your words and thoughts become more fluid. A good way to do this is to stand in the mirror while listening to your favorite rapper’s song, freestyle over that beat in order to practice on your own. When you get stuck, rap along with whatever they are saying so you start to learn not to come to a dead stop in live situations. This will help to teach your mind and mouth to consciously keep going after you may have run out of things to say.
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Step 3
Memorize lines and tactics. Even the best freestyle rappers spit lines they have memorized at times. This is not cheating but an intelligent way to link together thoughts and phrases when in a live situation. Have original signature phrases that you have come up with ready in order to allow you time in a real freestyle event to come up with something else. Be sure that when you are saying these lines you are also thinking of something else to freestyle that is not memorized or else someone may notice that what you say sounds too practiced and may call you out for this mistake.
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Step 4
Learn how to multi-task. Truth is if you are not able to multi-task, you will never be able to freestyle battle rap. Multitasking is the act of doing or handling more than one task or issue at a time. When you freestyle, at times it is necessary to speak and think about the next line and how you are going to convey it. The better you are able to multi-task, the more potential you will have of becoming a good battle rapper when on exhibition.
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Step 5
Tailor your freestyle to your opponent. This is assuming you are freestyle battle rapping and not just freestyle rapping. When battle rapping you will want to specifically pick out relevant things to talk about that relate to your opponent. Throw your best lyrical punches without regard to their feelings, this is not the time to be nice or worry about their emotions. Expose them in anyway possible, the better you know your opposition, the more detailed your freestyle should be. Study your opponent before they even open their mouth and if they freestyle first, use their own words against them if possible.
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Step 6
Test your skills. After building your skills on your own, it is time for the real thing. If it is a live exhibition, then know the rules before you step up to the microphone to spit. In the case that you don’t have organized exhibitions, seek out someone who will be interested in freestyle battle rapping you or with you. Win or lose in these situations, you will still gain ‘game time’ experience that you will be able to apply in the future.
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Step 7
Win or lose, don’t give up. The most important thing to remember when wanting to become a good freestyle battle rapper is that you may not win every battle. It is important in these situations that you have the perseverance to get back up and do it again. This mindset will build your confidence over time and also give you more swagger when rapping. Everyone has bad days but don’t allow this to keep you down.
