London

MC battling
This summer saw ‘spitting’ battles all over London, pitting grime and UK hip hop rappers against each other. Only the talented survive, so we asked an expert – MC Professor Green from Clapton – for a few words of advice.

1 ‘Be offensive! Not too venomous, but be horrible and funny at the same time.’

2 ‘The biggest no no? Rapping in an American accent. Be yourself.’

3 ‘Never react; it’s all about a poker face. I turn my back and am ignorant as can be. It gives me space to concentrate on what I’ll be saying next.’ Feature continues

4 ‘Young people often only hear American hip hop and try to emulate it rather than drawing from their own experiences.’

5 ‘Practice and be very honest in your music. Record yourself and listen to it, don’t just think that’s that. Make it better.’

6 ‘Make sure you’re clear in your delivery and articulate your words. The last word in each line is the one that will get the attention.’

7 ‘Have character in what you do. If you’ve got a monotone delivery, you won’t get a reaction, but if you believe in what you’re saying, the crowd will respond.’

8 ‘Include the crowd. When speaking about your opponent, use “him” or “her”, rather than “you”, and speak to the audience.’

9 ‘Never write down your lines and never ever script verse, it’s against the rules. The best stuff is spontaneous and the best lines are the come backs, when you flip their lines back at them.’

10 ‘I’ve not battled a girl yet, but if she were a smart enough MC, she’d have a lot to play with, especially if she was a fruity girl. There’s a lot of scope for girl MCs.’

Professor Green’s single ‘Before I Die’ is due for release in late Oct. He plays the 333 on Oct 20. Lyric Pad is an open-mic event, plus DJs, which is held fortnightly at the Oh Bar in Camden.
For details visit www.myspace.com/lyricpad.