Thursday 10 September 2009
I found this ooooold article wherein Larry Litvak interviews Dr Syntax of the Foreign Beggars for the BrightonHipHop.com website...
Enjoy!
Larry Litvak : You’re well known for your freestyling ability (Sinners was Clever Looking Freestyle Champ 2004). How would you define freestyling? Pre-written or off the top?
Dr Syntax : For older generations in hip hop freestyle would be something you’ve written recently that people haven’t heard before, that’s not on a track. Nowadays, for me freestyle is something that’s off the top, you might have a few lines you’ve done before, that you can slip into but generally a good freestyler is someone that’s not afraid to push themselves and go for broke sometimes. Do something that you’ve never done before and that no one else can do.
LL : So you’re kinda saying it’s changed over time?
DS : Yeah, I would say so. What people want out of it has changed as well. When hip-hop started it was all party-rocking, block parties, so what people wanted to do was to hype a crowd. Then it got into a more conversational thing, bragging and comparing who had the tightest verse. It was freestyle in the sense that no one had heard the verses before; they hadn’t been released on record or whatever.
LL : I’ve done a bit of off the head rhyming (waaay back), and I’d be pleased just to come up with words that rhyme, never mind coming up with concepts or specific themes mid-battle. Do you really have time to think of anything other than the next line?
DS : It’s a strange thing; you never really appreciate it when you’re actually doing it. Self doubt can come into play, you might be tired but then you get into the flow of it and you’re actually using your brain and suddenly it starts coming.
It’s the same with anything else, when you use your brain you get into the motions, anything you’re actually good at you just do. Its adrenalin, the best battlers can ride the adrenalin.
LL : See, for me, that was the hard part, when I got that rush, that’s when I’d fuck up.
DS : That’s exactly it, that can happen to anyone, you suddenly get a big cheer (from the audience) and you’re like “here we go”, and then suddenly it comes crashing down. What’s good is when you see someone killing it with a rhyme and they do one good rhyme then follow it up with another one and you’re left reeling!
Dr Syntax : For older generations in hip hop freestyle would be something you’ve written recently that people haven’t heard before, that’s not on a track. Nowadays, for me freestyle is something that’s off the top, you might have a few lines you’ve done before, that you can slip into but generally a good freestyler is someone that’s not afraid to push themselves and go for broke sometimes. Do something that you’ve never done before and that no one else can do.
LL : So you’re kinda saying it’s changed over time?
DS : Yeah, I would say so. What people want out of it has changed as well. When hip-hop started it was all party-rocking, block parties, so what people wanted to do was to hype a crowd. Then it got into a more conversational thing, bragging and comparing who had the tightest verse. It was freestyle in the sense that no one had heard the verses before; they hadn’t been released on record or whatever.
LL : I’ve done a bit of off the head rhyming (waaay back), and I’d be pleased just to come up with words that rhyme, never mind coming up with concepts or specific themes mid-battle. Do you really have time to think of anything other than the next line?
DS : It’s a strange thing; you never really appreciate it when you’re actually doing it. Self doubt can come into play, you might be tired but then you get into the flow of it and you’re actually using your brain and suddenly it starts coming.
It’s the same with anything else, when you use your brain you get into the motions, anything you’re actually good at you just do. Its adrenalin, the best battlers can ride the adrenalin.
LL : See, for me, that was the hard part, when I got that rush, that’s when I’d fuck up.
DS : That’s exactly it, that can happen to anyone, you suddenly get a big cheer (from the audience) and you’re like “here we go”, and then suddenly it comes crashing down. What’s good is when you see someone killing it with a rhyme and they do one good rhyme then follow it up with another one and you’re left reeling!
LL : What makes a person good at freestyling?
DS : Practise a hell of a lot, rhyme every day, charisma, absorb a lot of information and words and also just to be relaxed and confident with it which can only come with experience.
LL : Are mums fair game in a freestyle battle?
DS : Well, that’s kind of played out really but on the other hand, if you can pull it off and you can do something amusing then it could work. If you battle a good rhymer and you drop something like that, they’re probably gonna rip back at you and say, “c’mon, be original”. There’s very little that’s ethically wrong in a battle, which is why it can be a very daunting thing.
If you’re stepping on stage to battle then it’s no holds barred, the other person can say whatever the hell they want about you in the hope that that the crowd will side against you. Basically, it’s just very childish name-calling! People talk about freestyling like it’s some incredible art form that people are channelling their hopes and beliefs through but most good rappers will tell you their most intelligent shit is the stuff they sat down and wrote as opposed to (freestyling) which is just having fun and showing their skills and energy.
LL : A few quick fire questions; Favourite place to perform in Brighton
DS : Concorde 2
One record reader should buy on sight
DS : Redman- ‘Dare Iz A Darkside’.
One to watch out for?
DS : Mole-very intelligent rhymes.
Favourite food?
DS : Tiger prawn pad Thai.
Warped childhood memory?
DS : Knowing there was something sinister about the Village People but not being able to put my finger on it.
Favourite country to perform?
DS :Currently Norway.
If you had to swap lives with another famous doctor, who would it be? a) Who b) Dre c) Alban
DS : Dre.
Using bits from other artists, create the ultimate Brighton MC
DS : Heinz’s stage presence, Buzz’s energy, H.P’s eloquence, Johnsept’s eccentricity and Enlish’s humour.
DS : Practise a hell of a lot, rhyme every day, charisma, absorb a lot of information and words and also just to be relaxed and confident with it which can only come with experience.
LL : Are mums fair game in a freestyle battle?
DS : Well, that’s kind of played out really but on the other hand, if you can pull it off and you can do something amusing then it could work. If you battle a good rhymer and you drop something like that, they’re probably gonna rip back at you and say, “c’mon, be original”. There’s very little that’s ethically wrong in a battle, which is why it can be a very daunting thing.
If you’re stepping on stage to battle then it’s no holds barred, the other person can say whatever the hell they want about you in the hope that that the crowd will side against you. Basically, it’s just very childish name-calling! People talk about freestyling like it’s some incredible art form that people are channelling their hopes and beliefs through but most good rappers will tell you their most intelligent shit is the stuff they sat down and wrote as opposed to (freestyling) which is just having fun and showing their skills and energy.
LL : A few quick fire questions; Favourite place to perform in Brighton
DS : Concorde 2
One record reader should buy on sight
DS : Redman- ‘Dare Iz A Darkside’.
One to watch out for?
DS : Mole-very intelligent rhymes.
Favourite food?
DS : Tiger prawn pad Thai.
Warped childhood memory?
DS : Knowing there was something sinister about the Village People but not being able to put my finger on it.
Favourite country to perform?
DS :Currently Norway.
If you had to swap lives with another famous doctor, who would it be? a) Who b) Dre c) Alban
DS : Dre.
Using bits from other artists, create the ultimate Brighton MC
DS : Heinz’s stage presence, Buzz’s energy, H.P’s eloquence, Johnsept’s eccentricity and Enlish’s humour.
MarvinHarris
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