Freestyle Rap Battles

Freestyle rap battles, if done on an elite level, can be some of the most entertaining ways to spend an afternoon. Though perhaps not as popular as they were a few years ago, freestyle rap battles remain an important part of hip culture, and a great way for up and coming MCs to gain respect while sharpening their lyrical skills. Here's some of the best places online that you can find hard hitting battle raps...

My16Bars. This website features a whole slew of talented MC's who are lyrically driven. numerous online forums are not controlled well- leaving the door open for sub par trash talking- but My16Bars keeps a high level of quality and features desrving rappers with their own feature page and articles.

Jump Off TV. These guys have done a spectacular job of promoting some of the best freestyle battle rappers out there today. Watching the dynamic duo of Ilmaculate and TheSaurus crush the competion in the past two years has provided hours of entertainment. You find tons of additional battles on their website, or search via YouTube.

For anyone interested in checking out specific battle rappers, I highly suggest (in addition to those already mentioned) Eyedea, DZK, Brother Ali, Wordsworth, Jin, Ras Kass and Kanye West (just kidding). If you get a chance, the bonus Eminem rap battles on 8 Mile (the real freestyle battles, not the movie ones) are worth checking out as well.

For a more in depth study of what makes a dope rapper I highly suggest Kool Moe Dee's There's a God on the Mic: The 50 Greatest MCs of All TIme. He really breaks down each rapper by dozens of skill levels, such as songwriting, battle skills, freestyle, showmanship and industry impact. It's a great study of rap written by one of greats.

BET has hosted several freestyle rap battles, though its most popular is 106 & Park, which features a weekly battle rap at the end of the show. This is where Jin, one of the most respected battle rappers of the decade, got his big break after winning week after week (though admittedly, his competition wasn't that strong some weeks).

Freestyle rap battles have lost some of their popularity gained from the film 8 Mile, but still remain prominent in the underground hip hop scene.