Do topics matter?

[fraze]

I'm just curious what the topical writers around here think. I struggle with this sometimes when writing because sometimes you need to sacrifice technical elements to better incorporate a topic.

Do you tend to prefer the technically superior piece or the piece that makes the best use of the topic?

At a philosophical level, this might come down to what people think the goal of topical battles should be. Is it an exercise in displaying lyrical dominance through rhyme? Is it about narrative and writing great stories or characters? Or maybe it's about finding creative ways to express new ideas (or even old ideas in new ways)?

I'm really just trying to strike up some conversation in the discussion, given that there is a pretty good representation of skilled topical heads on the site right now. I don't think there's any right answer here; I'm just curious what people think.

[Regulator]

best use of topic but also have to have content too, if you stick to topic and whack as fuck then its whatever.

[Dominate]

I think it’s similar to any other feature of a verse worth commenting on. Compare it with rhyme schemes for example. If your connection to the topic is completely absent, that’s as egregious an error as if your verse just doesn’t rhyme, for me (albeit connection to the topic is far more open to interpretation). At the other extreme, an amazing take on the topic can be as decisive a factor as a really impressive rhyme scheme.

Who had the better connection to/take on the topic is something I would always consider in my vote. Most of the time it isn’t a huge factor, because most of the time both writers do it to a similar, fairly decent standard. It probably only plays a big role in my vote when someone does it particularly poorly or particularly well.

[symetrik]

I'm of the loosely held opinion that:

1. the writing, regardless of the topic, should be impressive. this usually feels like... 50% of my weighting,
with 2., adherence to the topic being another 30%,
and 3. the last 20% going towards the story told.

which is why sometimes a dope written piece will not pull my vote bc it barely touches the topic or a clear story.

[PancakeBrah]

A verse has to identifiably elate to the topic without too much effort on the reader's part. If it doesn't it doesn't get the vote.

After that it's just whichever verse is better. Pass/Fail checklist thing. I can't recall ever voting for a verse just because it related to the prompt more obviously or consistently.

But not relating to the prompt at all is a no go for my vote. The whole point.

[Objective]

Imo yes, very important but rules can be broken.

Why is it important? It sets the entire tone of how someone enters the first word/sentence of your story, and an idea of what to expect going in. Some expectations are needed to help the reader outside of punctuation, even as twisty as we tend to be with our approach to writing. I would even go as far as saying title is the most important in rap because there's so much information condensed from before. Having a referral point can untie a lot of knots that may be difficult to comprehend for the reader/s in question, having this in place is definitely a big + imo. So... 100%, yes! DO think about your titles.

[Witty]

Originally Posted by fraze

I'm just curious what the topical writers around here think. I struggle with this sometimes when writing because sometimes you need to sacrifice technical elements to better incorporate a topic.

Do you tend to prefer the technically superior piece or the piece that makes the best use of the topic?

At a philosophical level, this might come down to what people think the goal of topical battles should be. Is it an exercise in displaying lyrical dominance through rhyme? Is it about narrative and writing great stories or characters? Or maybe it's about finding creative ways to express new ideas (or even old ideas in new ways)?

I'm really just trying to strike up some conversation in the discussion, given that there is a pretty good representation of skilled topical heads on the site right now. I don't think there's any right answer here; I'm just curious what people think.

I love that you have asked these questions.

I firmly believe that if you are writing to a topic, your priority MUST be the topic. Yes there are times when you have to sacrifice lines, bars or even entire verses. Regardless of how good you think they are, if they arent relevant to the topic you need to drop them.

The topic comes first. That's why it's called a topical.

[Witty]

I would like to add that most of the best verses I have read here were not written to a particular topic. You don't have to write to a topic.

[Witty]

Originally Posted by PancakeBrah

A verse has to identifiably elate to the topic without too much effort on the reader's part. If it doesn't it doesn't get the vote.

After that it's just whichever verse is better. Pass/Fail checklist thing. I can't recall ever voting for a verse just because it related to the prompt more obviously or consistently.

But not relating to the prompt at all is a no go for my vote. The whole point.

Fair point.

If both stuck to the topic I wouldn't give my vote to who stuck to it more but if one writer wrote to the topic and the other completely disregarded it, I'm voting for the guy who wrote to the topic, even if the other guy was a million times better.

[Objective]

Originally Posted by symetrik

which is why sometimes a dope written piece will not pull my vote bc it barely touches the topic or a clear story.

And is your biggest crutch as a writer right now, and something someone of your caliber should be able to do with ease. You're no scrub, stop acting like one and put in work when need be. You can go somewhere with this, so why not give it all even if it's just for NCs as it may lead to something more later on should you feel like it?

Learn to identify what a good idea/story is pertaining to topic at hand. Very often I end up saving a text document that I never open again, other times I pick back up on an idea that fits a different concept like OM or IG better etc. Stop pretending like you don't already know all this next time you enter a tourney, haha

[symetrik]

Originally Posted by Objective

And is your biggest crutch as a writer right now, and something someone of your caliber should be able to do with ease. You're no scrub, stop acting like one and put in work when need be. You can go somewhere with this, so why not give it all even if it's just for NCs as it may lead to something more later on should you feel like it?

Learn to identify what a good idea/story is pertaining to topic at hand. Very often I end up saving a text document that I never open again, other times I pick back up on an idea that fits a different concept like OM or IG better etc. Stop pretending like you don't already know all this next time you enter a tourney, haha

bc I'm obsessive - if I don't dial it down to "eh it's okay I didn't write most of the days I had for me, I'll just finish it before deadline" and give it an okay attempt, or even when I do write most of the days...

if I let it, this shit WILL consume me and I'll manage to do nothing else in my week/life - I hyper focus and lose sight/motivation of everything else, including work.

so atm, I can't give it the juice until I'm more financially stable and I'm okay with that - I produce a fair amount of writing outside of this as well for small projects.

[Witty]

Originally Posted by symetrik

bc I'm obsessive - if I don't dial it down to "eh it's okay I didn't write most of the days I had for me, I'll just finish it before deadline" and give it an okay attempt, or even when I do write most of the days...

if I let it, this shit WILL consume me and I'll manage to do nothing else in my week/life - I hyper focus and lose sight/motivation of everything else, including work.

so atm, I can't give it the juice until I'm more financially stable and I'm okay with that - I produce a fair amount of writing outside of this as well for small projects.

Do you have OCD?

I have OCD and this post makes me think you may have it too.

[Objective]

@symetrik: Word? Ye, nah, fuck it then, haha! But you definitely on that higher caliber repressing yourself for a better daily life, defo understandable. My b for assuming

[symetrik]

Originally Posted by Objective

@symetrik: Word? Ye, nah, fuck it then, haha! But you definitely on that higher caliber repressing yourself for a better daily life, defo understandable. My b for assuming

I hear you though and I appreciate the nod

[symetrik]

Originally Posted by Witty

Do you have OCD?

I have OCD and this post makes me think you may have it too.

negative, but just a few overlaps like the hyperfocus (more along what I meant for obsession)

[fraze]

Originally Posted by symetrik

negative, but just a few overlaps like the hyperfocus (more along what I meant for obsession)

Honestly thats how I read this. I have ADHD and it sounds like hyperfocus. But sometimes I wonder if I'm OCD.

[brokenhal0]

yea sticking to the topic should matter in topical battles but on here people favor certain styles and certain writers regardless. sticking to the topic too much and actually giving a shit about what any of you trolls think tends to fuck up my writing ala creative process .

[ACTIVATE SELF]

Hmmm… so I’m not totally sure what you mean by “Do topicals matter?” but I’ll give it a shot.

In the big picture, nah, they don’t really matter much anymore. The crowd for this kind of rap has shrunk a lot—maybe just a few hundred people around the world, if that. Topicals came about back when most hip-hop heads didn’t have the tools, skills, or platform to record and share their raps, so they would post their lyrics on message boards. Over time, these lyrics turned into something unique, a blend of storytelling, clever writing, and hip-hop lyricism in text form.

They were still rooted in hip-hop, but they became their own thing, more intricate and complex. Some topicals told detailed stories or explored character-driven plots, while others went for more abstract or freeform topics. Fast forward to now, and platforms like SoundCloud and new music software gave people the tools to make and share music, so online forums where people used to post topicals and text battles started dying out. Plus, most writers grew out of it as they got older, and the scene hit a creative ceiling. There’s really no “endgame” for topicals—no big professional opportunities or financial rewards, unless you count traditional poetry. I’ve never seen a book or pro performance based on topical style writing. It’s pretty much peaked and is slowly fading away.

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But locally, or within specific communities like Netcees, topicals still matter a little, but not really. To me, a good topical should stick to the theme, especially in a competitive setting. If the topic is a photo, quote, or concept, the writer should create something that really connects to it…build a world around it, tell a story, or show that they’re thinking about the topic seriously.

From a technical side, a good topical should have solid mechanics, sharp writing, and clever lines. Without that, it’s just freewriting. That said, some topics can be more abstract or experimental, and that’s cool, as long as it still ties back to the original topic.

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For open-mic writing, topicals should still be tight. You need a strong rhyme scheme and some storytelling. If there’s no rhyme or weak rhymes, it’s basically just poetry. If there’s no clear topic, it’s more like rambling or stream-of-consciousness, which can be interesting, but it’s not really a topical.

Swag and flow, though, those are more like your standard rap verses, just flexing with style, I guess. But I wouldn’t call those topicals.