Welcome to the Dojo

(Bow <-Traditional Far East Customary Bow)

On behalf of the Battle Rap Stats staff, I’d like to formally welcome you to the Dojo.  I’m your host Danny Myers aka The Bar God and would like to thank you for taking the time out to read our BLOG series entitled “Lessons from the Master.” No one man or woman has all the answers to battle rap. So I say this humbly … we are all students in the battle rap dojo. Leading by example, I’ve checked my ego at the door and humbly ask our readers (emcees and fans) to do the same. I am only a vessel brought here to provoke thought and insight on various battle rap topics as we explore the next 36-Chambers – together. We hope you enjoy …

Shotgun Suge Voice: “Now let’s get one, thing, straight!”

Why do you want to become a Battle Rapper? This isn’t rhetorical, this is an open ended question for a variety of reasons … but honestly look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself “why on Earth do you want to battle rap?” As with most things in life, there must be purpose to justify spending days, perhaps weeks meticulously crafting material for your opponent. While battle rap serves as our focal point today, there are many professions and hobbies we choose to take part in … but what makes us choose one path over another? More importantly, what keeps us motivated to continue down that path for years on end without getting bored?  For some, a career path starts with a genuine love for the craft, with the ultimate goal to make a living doing whatever it is you love doing most! But battle rap isn’t like most professions – like teaching for instance. While we have teachers who battle rap (Real Deal, Dre. Dennis and others) … this is Sun Tsu’s Art of War in verbal format! That said, battle rap is not for everyone … So let me ask you – why do YOU want to battle rap?

“There are those who do this … and there are those who were born to do this.”

While you ponder my preposition, allow me to provide you a bit of insight on myself. For me it was simple, I genuinely love Hip Hop – period. Hip hop filled a void for me while dealing with life’s everyday struggles. In an almost cliche’ setting of 1980’s South Central Los Angeles, CA, I grew up in a broken home where my father hustled drugs and ran with a gang; while my mother struggled with addiction. The expectations for me were to grow up and become a Crip like everyone else; but my Grandfather had other plans. He always told me not to follow in my father’s footsteps, and it was up to me to break the cycle of prison and early death that plagued our family. So, I listened and developed a thick skin to survive my situation. My routine? I muffled the drama in my life, by bumping my favorite emcee or group’s cassette over the sounds of gunshots, ambulance sirens, and helicopters. Then at age eight, I heard “You Gots To Chill” by EPMD. Instantly, my mind was blown! What was this? LL Cool J, Kool Moe Dee, Redman, Rakim, and Ice Cube all soon followed, and a lifetime of study began. This concoction of dope beats, rhymes, and chaos in the background became my reality. My pain was suffocated by the kick, snare, scratches of James Brown samples and the syncopated rhyme flow of the greatest emcees of our generation. I’m confident that it was Hip Hop that saved my life.

My love for Hip Hop was undeniable, but it wasn’t until I witnessed two emcees from our neighborhood (Nickerson Garden projects) battle heads up that my undying love for battle rap would be born. I was too young to fully comprehend what I saw and heard; however, I knew I wanted to be a part this! This was my catalyst.  It increased my vocabulary, kept me focused on something other than my problems or the temptations of a quick dollar hustling. I literally felt like I was born to do this. No longer was I doomed to repeat the mistakes of my parents; rather, I was redesigned with a purpose that was both fun and competitive. But enough of my story, how about you? What’s your story?

While you determine what motivated you to choose a career path where you get insulted on a routine basis, I’ve put together three of them “thangs” for you to keep in mind before you join the cast of characters in this menagerie we call battle rap.

1. Identify your catalyst. What made you want to battle rap? Did you watch a SMACK DVD or Freestyle Friday on 106 & Park? Was it on a formal league or promotion like: Scribble Jam, Rap Olympics, Fight Klub, Grind-Time, Lions Den, URL, KOTD, etc.? Or was it movie like 8-Mile? Whatever it was, that got you into the art form, it doesn’t matter, because we are all drawn in by something. The important part is having something to hold on to in the end because the peaks are high, but the valley is low – and when you hit rock bottom, you are going to need something to motivate you to get back up and climb that mountain.

2. Focus on your craft. You must be willing to sacrifice time with your family and friends to become the very best at what you do. Can you rap? Can you freestyle? Do have a voice that projects well? What about breath control? These are all learned capabilities and attributes that are tied back to your catalyst. Do you have the required character, charisma, and credibility to go along with it? Are you the genuine article? Or just a facade that wants to be seen as something you are not?  You must have a certain level of authenticity to yourself before you ever set a single toe in the battle arena. These are questions you must ask yourself or you will be immediately sniffed out by the masses and dealt with accordingly. In the meantime, focus on your craft by practicing relentlessly until it becomes second nature.

3. Be ready to scrap. Can you fight? Are you willing to throw hands at a moments notice? Can you deal with another man or woman screaming in your face for 10-15 mins straight without losing your cool? Can you deal with someone telling you they want to have sex with your woman, kill your children, and spit on your grandmother’s grave? Are you willing to travel to a city or neighborhood where you have zero family or backup, and risk your life? Sure these all sound extreme, but they are your reality. If it isn’t a physical fight, are you willing to fight for your respect? Can you take harsh criticism and go back to the woodshed to focus on your craft? When it’s all said and done, can you dust yourself off and bring it to the next emcee?

If you’ve made it thus far and still think you want to do this, you can continue to the next week’s lesson. Remember, battle rap is NOT a game. You must be mentally and physically equipped to travel a winding path that often leads back to you standing in front of a mirror and asking yourself … “WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A BATTLE RAPPER?”

Peace. (Bow)