Alright, here is how burden of proof works. I say Tech has the greatest flow, Con says 'yes, I agree he does'. con says 'but someone## can have a better one' Con then says that the way to measure flow doesn't exist and that he can't in any way remotely explain or expand on how a better one could form and it's assumed that since burden of proof lies on the positive claim that his own positive claim compounded onto mine is somehow lacking the need for BoP.
The only reason Con has sole BoP now is because Con said he agreed that Tech has the best flow. Otherwise, I'd indeed have to first prove things.
So, let me go ahead and explain flow and why, while subjective, as long as no one is spite-voting me they are going to be in shock and awe at how impossible it is to improve on flow of Tech N9ne without literally sounding just like him (meaning you can't improve his flow, you can only imitate it and master his own 'martial art' of flow-focused rapping so to speak).
I think we need to establish what Flow is. Unlike the other debate I had with Type1 with Vinnie and Tech and exploring both flow and delivery (as well as the Vinnie vs Eminem one) I am going to go into more detail about Flow here and use a far more technical source as this is going to have to get specific for me to secure the win and hit the resolution home.
THE MEANING OF RAP FLOW
Flow is the combination of two elements, that determine the overall sound of a rapper. The two elements being rhyme schemes and intonation techniques.
This is flow. So, if you want to determine someones flow, you just pay attention to his rhyme schemes and intonation techniques.
RHYME SCHEMES
We have a whole section on rhyme scheme in our Rapping Manual dedicated to learning and mastering different kinds of rhyme schemes and all there is to it, is choosing:
what rhyme words will you use
how many of them will you have
where will you put them.
This is the essence of a rhyme scheme.
INTONATION TECHNIQUES
Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice. It’s the fluctuations of the voice. For example, you know that the sentence “I can’t wait to see you.” can have 5 different meanings, depending on the intonation used. Therefore, intonation derives from feeling and emotion.
Intonation plays a huge part in coming up with a great rap flow
Intonation plays a huge part in coming up with a great rap flow
Each rapper has a different(sometimes similar) intonations and this is because each of them has a different attitude and demeanour. Each rapper is carrying himself in a different way. Therefore, the intonation of their bars is different.
Think of intonation as the spirit of the rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme without intonation is lifeless and boring, but once you give it an intonation pattern, you give it life.
What that manual doesn't admit and very few, if any, admit outright is there's a way to pinpoint who has the most astonishing flow, period. The reason for this is of course that people who are fans of worse-flowers than Tech N9ne (such as myself) often feel guilt in admitting their superior rap artists in their rankings or equally-liked ones have an undeniably inferior flow to this god-tier flower. The issue is that they don't realise that there's no such thing as a perfect rap-style BUT there is such a thing as a specialised rap style. Also, while there's no such thing as a flawless rap style (because you always sacrifice something to specialise and impress in some way and if you're an all-rounder, you sacrifice the very notion of not being an all-rounder in how you rap).
In this debate I am not saying at all... That Tech N9ne... Is the best rapper or the best, rap-song-maker. I am saying that Tech's style from his earliest days in rap (it's just his natural style of rapping) to now has been the single most possible way to be as good a rapper as one can be while sacrificing everything in rap (including even depth of topics addressed) to keep flow not just seamless but ALTERING to the melody and beat in ways that make you never too bored and never too racy (he chops it just right and slows it just right). This is indeed subjective and a spiteful voter could in a way say 'well Pro is just wrong, I listened to the raps and they don't flow remotely impressive and if anything I think it's over the top how Tech does it' but I am hoping they'll keep an open mind, leave corrupt reasons to vote out of this and be straight up appreciating the best flower of rap ever.
Tech is a phenomenal artist not just in quality of flow but in amount of fantastic songs so there's quite literally too many to cover. Not due to character count (I have a good 30k) but quite frankly due to not wanting to bore you and wanting to showcase his best. I will not run through too many songs but I do challenge Con to find a single Tech song (okay not single, let's say 4 as perhaps 1 or 2 may do it) where the flowing of his rap isn't perfect to the beat to the maximum a human could do and alters just when you're about to get bored of his flow and never too fast or too slow to fail to please your brain and ear.
I think the most fascinating thing to me is Tech's songs impress even if listening as background music and very few artists can do that with their flow, let along rap-style. He genuinely will distract you from the work you are doing if you're listening while doing something important so I recommend only listening to him when you want to focus, he's EXTREMELY hypnotising in how insanely well he flows (he gets in tune with the subconscious mind's urge to hear the voice do something but switches it up at just the right moment to draw you back out of your fantasy just a little bit to remind you that this is real life and you're listening to Tech and then sends you back to la-la-land and allows you immerse yourself in the song.
Just to be clear, if you've ever heard someone 'chop it' (that refers to his faster flow-variant) in the way Tech N9ne does, they are doing a Tech N9ne chop, it's a specific form of chopping where the speed is EXACTLY, I believe at the speed of thought almost and not too fast (like Twista) but also not slow at all when he does it. He is an original gangster in the rap game, he was one of the single first chopper-rappers and came up with the idea that flow should be prioritised. His entire label of 'Strange Music Inc.' doesn't outright say it but they are extremely focused on flow above all else. He is a father of flow-focused rap and I'm not going to go about proving that as it's not directly relevant to need to be proven in order to win the debate but unless Con denies it, I want people to know that when people talk 'old school' rap, they refer to less technical rap where the focus was on lyrical depth, gangster mentality, being poor etc etc... Tech branched off at the SAME TIME (interestingly) as Lil Wayne into the totally opposite direction. While both go 'haha I'm rich and love pussy', Tech's off-shoot of old-school was the one that even guided the likes of Eminem to become more technical and flow-focused than they used to be in my honest opinion (can't prove it, it's about timing of their style evolving versus Tech's clout increasing in the rap game). Lil Wayne's off-shoot was one where the technical parts of rap mattered less and less and only the melody and delivery should be focused on (although mumble rap as a delivery system is questionable to have evolved, not that Wayne's a pure-mumbler). Let's get to it, anyway.
Where do I start? Tech is such a machine of flowing that to decipher which is his 'best' flowing song or songs is so utterly difficult to me and I'd tend to split it apart by delivery quality. Nonetheless, I will start with his more dynamic ones (where he alters the flow to his maximum capacity and note that the artists in many of his songs are Strange Music artists he taught to flow the way they flow, not in a bad way he loves teaching how to flow to his allied artists):
Please listen on Spotify Premium, iTunes, YouTube Premium etc etc. You can physically not hear fully how well he is matching the melody's 'vibe' or beat's subliminal 'mood' in how he is flowing fully on a YouTube video quality of sound. Also, his actual voice and delivery are dulled down if not in HD/HQ (he puts l alto of effort into delivery even though he'll sacrifice it for flow). It's fine to listen though, he's phenomenal regardless and the best irrefutably, this is about your enjoyment and ability to immerse yourself into Tech and appreciate him to the highest degree possible.
[Verse 1: Tech N9ne]
When I was nineteen, I went to go live with my auntie
And noticed she had nice things, the furniture and
All of her clothes quite clean to never be working a 9 to 5
She ran a ice cream, team
She put me on, am I wit' it Simon?
Stay remarkably grown, that's why my pockets be long
Ducked some feds, dumped packs, and then got custom threads
From serving boofas in KC we say let's buss some heads, nigga
In French village, I went 'til it, got the rent bill it
Got so heavy I no longer benched skrilla was a cinch still I had to Vince Neil it
Yell in a microphone and write them songs they like it's on
I let go they life worth of pipe is blown to flowing ignite my home I used to buss serves, now I buss words
Either way slanging or sanging whatever life I'ma just splurge
We had the spot though until it really got hot so
Escape I did like El Chapo
But Nueve still get faded, vato
I want to explain something herem he had 'pockets of flow', this is something no one in the whole rap game denies Tech N9ne was the pioneer of, everyone else is a prodigy of it at best or mimic of him at worst.:
A 'pocket of flow' is a concept Tech N9ne came up with even in his early days but definitely has used much more frequently in more recent times of his style's evolution where he will be flowing in ways that seem to constantly alter in an irritating way but then go back and forth between three-four pockets of flow where the brain is both experiencing repetition in a soothing way and yet stimulation in an attention-grabbing way at once.
You can only hear it, you can't read it, but I will refer to text to explain, if it doesn't rhyme but is flow-definitive, I will bold and underline it:
FLOW-POCKET (FP) 1
When I was nineteen
she had nice things
her clothes quite clean
She ran a ice cream
Ducked some feds, dumped packs
we say let's buss some heads
to flowing ignite my home
I used to buss serves, now I buss words
whatever life I'ma just splurge
This was all actually the same flow-pocket you were hearing repeated but it's extremely subtle and many would say it's not the same at first but listen to how he is delivering it speed-wise, intonation wise and rhyme-wise... This is actually how he begins to soothe the brain when listening to his otherwise high-pumped music.
FP2
I went to go live with my auntie and noticed
the furniture and all of her
In French village, I went 'til it, got the rent bill it
Got so heavy I no longer benched skrilla was a cinch still I had to Vince Neil it
FP3
She put me on, am I wit' it Simon?
Stay remarkably grown, that's why my pockets be long
Ducked some feds, dumped packs, and then got custom threads
From serving boofas in KC we say let's buss some heads
Yell in a microphone and write them songs they like it's on
I let go they life worth of pipe is blown to
We had the spot though until it really got hot so
Escape I did like El Chapo
But Nueve still get faded, vato
You get the point yes?
I can't do that for every single rap, it's going to waste time and take up space where I can post his best flows before you.
I will do the bold and underlining of key flow-pivots but I won't split up the pockets, you need to work them out for yourself. That's the beauty of his raps, they're the perfect balance between complex flow at the sake of almost-as-complex delivery. The delivery is never too simple but the flow also is as complex as he believes the average rap-fan can digest (he may be too complex for a non-rap-fan to follow with ease though but that is true for anyone who's the best at what they do in an art-type thing and non-fans of said art).
Anyways let's get going:
[Verse 1: Tech N9ne]
They lift you up and preach you <<<<< FP1
Then try to pull you down and beat you
They're no longer peaceful <<<<<< FP2
Never knew a buddy would become see-through <<< Still FP2 (you can work out the rest from here, I'm sure)
Make it up so high, they can't reach you
They just feel the wind beneath you
Camaraderie's a plum oddity, with some modesty < FP3 into FP1 'with some' FP1
People abolish he who lovin' me never idolatry wanted
But they wanna demolish me, question mark
When they know I'm blessed at heart
Try to test Tech when I poke at they chest and bark
Givin' my blood, sweat, tears and flesh in art
But they come in my circle and make a mess, then dart
I feel like they wishin' for me to be dissin' so they can be quick and then witness me (falling down)
Gotta know that'll never happen, forever rappin'
So burning it down is the mission
Dismissin' got a brand new condition, I'm (balling now)
Kill 'em in a really clever fashion
[Verse 2: Tech N9ne]
Why would a good businessman sign a artist < This is actually FP2 again and he flips between FP2 and FP3 for most of this verse
And he really believes he rhymes the hardest
And spend a lot of money and time just to start it
And you think he don't want you to make it sounds ret--
Uh, Trav ain't the target, I ain't the puppet
If you got negativity boy, you better tuck it
Givin' everything and they trippin', I had enough
It took me a while for this menace and now, fuck it
Give 'em a record deal, plus the CDs
Take 'em all on tour to give 'em the ups
Put 'em on my record, I do my verse and then I send it to them so I can give 'em the ups
In the long run, they ain't givin' a fuck
Said I ain't takin' care of my day ones
If I wasn't, they wouldn't wait to spray guns
Makin' the people think I'm wrong is way dumb, nigga
Now I'm tired, hearing my empire's (falling down)
But it's really the opposite, and I've got a clear <<<<<< FP1 again, he did it a few times since the first 2 lines, listen harder, you'll be fascinated how subtle it is.
So many more Os, fake family, fake friends, and foes (crawling now)
But Tech Ninna's outta here
[Verse 1]
Hey! I'm lookin' down on you niggas < FP1
Even though I'm 5'8″ & 195 pound on you niggas < FP1 again with speed-increase employed
So tall I can't even hear any of the sound you deliver < FP2
Me and my partners never see any of the hateful frowning you give us < FP2 before 'of the', FP1 for rest of the line
'Cause we splat little bitty braggin' wack rappers
You happen to be the bastard that got mashed up
But down to the simple fact here's a strap past ya, blast at ya
That's after the yappin' I put the cash in my last chapter, that's laughter
Half path over vast money brag, imagine a black Dracula
Smashin' 'em with the gats, upper class stature
It went to my head as my first time
To be cocky I'm just a giant when I burst rhyme
My leg is humongous, is y'all's verse mine? < I won't highlight where here he's flowing, you should be learning how it's varying but these 3 lines are all FP3
Stomping 'em out, I can't stop my leg like Robert Klein < FP2
Giant robot make you feel very low shank
I am so hot, in my skills there be propane
Why I'm gon' squash them and kill every poor thing
'Cause I'm a huge Pillsbury dough mane < all FP3
[Verse 2]
Narcissistic, hard to grip it
Dark and wicked, arts prolific
Mars with the stars, this is far lifted
Lyrics: quit the Bawitibaw; scriptures are terrific < Apart from the fourth line, all FP3, fourth being FP4 at the start.
Get a spitter with a bit of bitter marketed with < FP4
Scrilla then a fifth of Henny liquor, start to twist it
Critters sit and shiver in the slit of zillas
Pit of killers, gritters hit a clique of silly niggas are fictitious < FP2
On top of the game, I'm dropping the rain, Godly gifted
Hop in ya lane and stopping yo fame, bark is vicious
You got bars to witness, ya submissive
When I get ya brain ya thoughts is shifted
I'm incredible, highly technical, meant for triumph, raw intricate
I need medical then more science, scars and stitches
Alphabetical gems blow by him, pause a tidbit
Tech N9ne a mental giant!
I won't even go into Verse 3, it's basiclaly FP1 brought back combined with FP4.
Time to just spam links and impress. Enjoy. :) Tech's the best at what he does, you should truly sit back and enjoy it, he's fucking exhilarating to comprehend the flow of.
Basically his best stuff from a technical and ear-pleasing standpoint:
All his flows are impeccable and near-flawless to maximal levels but not all are ear-pleasing or impressive in delivery and lyricism as such. Therefore, I leave you with those as I feel they are impressive on many counts other than 'depth', he's not a very deep rapper. He even made a pro Black Live Matter rap that I feel was barely deep in what it covered but the flow is as good as ever:
Anyways, do your best Con. explain to me how someone who not only is the best but has taught many of the best on his label at flowing how to flow is... Not the best possible flow-rapper ever. Explain how to make a better flower, not the BoP is on you.
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>Reported Vote: Raltar // Mod action: Removed
>Points Awarded: 3 points to Con for arguments, 3 points to Pro for sources and conduct
>Reason for Decision: Con called Pro a "sneaky little bastard" and then forfeited several rounds, so conduct goes to Pro. Pro was also the only person who used a source, so he gets that category too. However, in spite of all that, Con still made the better argument, because he is correct. Unless Pro has the power to see the future or can conclusively prove that Tech has achieved a level of skill which is impossible for any other person to achieve, his claim cannot be proven.
>Reason for Mod Action: The justification for conduct points was sufficient. On sources, simply saying that Pro used a source does not demonstrate that source's relevance, which must be done. On arguments, the voter failed to survey and weigh the main arguments in the debate in order to render a verdict. The vote is insufficient. The voter could cast a sufficient vote by leaving the justification for conduct as-is, demonstrating the source's relevance to the debate, and surveying and weighing the main arguments in the debate.
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