Before Getting Personal
1- make sure the knowledge is public!
personals are GREAT, and important in order to make a diss relevant clearly.
however, if you need 6 different quotes before reading the verse to give your lines context, you are already taking A LOT away from your punches.
unless your doing something REAL fancy with one-quote introducing your verse, I'd always recommend avoiding the personal. if it isn't well known enough OR if it is soo much background that you cannot effectively use your setup to 'take the reader on the journey' -- then something is wrong with the idea and/or it will come off forced/contrived.
2- It doesnt need to be a personal to make them take it personally
I believe there is a real art to taking a 'soft' personal and making it, through solid writing, appear to something that has defined someone's entire text career. Even if you do not know someone, and they have like 2 discussion board posts total, there is SOMETHING TO BE SAID.
Some people fall into the trap of, since they dont know their opponent, focusing on their name/nameplay... That's solid for one, maaaybe two (if dope and different) punches, and maaaaaybe 3 if it's a longer verse AND they are different name plays, but damn - i use to see kids do like whole verses outta nameplay, and it loses its steam if you can't break it up with SOMETHING else lol....
Even without knowing a head, you can take a simple interaction ---- "great idea, So-n-So", you could talk about the dude using the Thread for Sewin So he can knit his boyfriend a sweater...
(um, i made that up after I wrote "so-n-so" so cut me some slack.. or knit me some. lol) -- ya'll get the point. :D
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