Former Freestyle Friday Champ Big Will On Pre-Written Freestyles: “It’s Not A New Concept. Biggie. Jay Z. Big L Used To Do It”

Written By Cyrus Langhorne

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[With St. Louis native Big Will’s new #TrapLivesMatter album finally out, the former BET “106 & Park” Freestyle Friday champion talks to SOHH about the popularity of BET’s annual cypher and if there’s anything wrong with pre-written freestyles.]

A lot of the verses off my new project are freestyled. Not necessarily one-take, I would get on a record and freestyle. If I didn’t like how it sounded, I’d take it off or might just change the words.

I’m still pretty good off the top of my head. I focus more of that freestyling to certain types of records. It’s easier to approach them when you don’t overthink them.

I love the BET Cyphers. I am a student of hip-hop and I will forever be a student and that’s why I feel like even after all of the time I have taken away, I can still come back with a body of work that can compete with a lot of things that are out right now.

Kicking written rhymes is not a new concept. Biggie used to do it, as a matter of fact when he was on Funk Flex, he used written rhymes off Life After Death that hadn’t come out yet. Jay Z does it. Even Big L used to do it.

A lot of the greats did it. The thing is a lot of these guys, especially when they’re coming up, a lot of the guys they pick – especially if they’re not veterans – it’s too much at stake to come in and try to freestyle and have a bad day.

That’s the thing, freestyling is so spontaneous but you have to be in a certain type of mode. If you’re not, then you won’t represent yourself in your best light. Me personally, whoever has the best rhymes, that’s all that matters to me.

Especially with the battle rap culture, with Smack and all of those types of places, I think it’s more important about how the rhyme is crafted as opposed to whether or not it’s spontaneous or not.

Grab your copy of #TrapLivesMatter below:

iTunes
https://itun.es/us/5M1vfb

Tidal
http://tidal.com/album/65731299

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/6q7UYZb0AbE988W38ERrjn

Stay connected to Big Will on social media below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigwill314
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigwillstl/
Snapchat: @BigWillSTL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigWillSTL

Comments Off on Former Freestyle Friday Champ Big Will On Pre-Written Freestyles: “It’s Not A New Concept. Biggie. Jay Z. Big L Used To Do It”

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

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