(Tutorial) Imagery by PJK

[Scorp]

Originally posted by PJK.....

:::::INTRO:::::

Aiight, now this isn't gonna be all that long of a tutorial, I hope not anyways....This is for peeps who want to learn how to use imagery effectively in a verse without it being filler. Please don't cop my style , but for those of you who want to be able to throw in a keen imagery punch, here's a few basic rules for ya:

There are two types of imagery punches: Wordplay punches and Exaggerated Punches.

Wordplay Punches:

This is using graphic imagery witha slight bit of wordplay in it. For example, look at this punch right here:

"twenty twos-spray n scatter this dude's-brainz/
on the floor board of his foor door like loose-change/

The comparison to loose change was the play on words, n it gives off a pretty picture of blowing someone's head off. Maybe not a pretty picture...but a well-painted one, at least! You can also use imagery without the wordplay, but just go into graphic detail:

"slugs streakin-n-burnin-thru-him, in a heap-of-his-murdered-ruins/
found-dead-n-broken, on ground-flesh-is-smokin, leakin-internal-fluidz/"

That line just paints a very gruesome picture, n you can sicken the reader into a punchline. It's so graphic, basically, that it hits just like a punchline. There are many different types of descriptions you can use, but remember to use details...That is the key of imagery, have at least one or two good detailed descriptions in your verse...In imagery punching, you will find you need to use a lot of uncommon phrases, to try n make comparisons to get the point across without seeming basic. "In a heap of his murdered ruins", would be an example. not he's dead, but he's heaped, n he's just murdered ruins....It gives off a different feel, a more sinister sound when played in your head.

Next, you have Exaggerated Punching. This is more of the type you'd see me or Canibus use:

"so hot when i spit my tongue-peels, cold enuff to leave the sun-chilled/
n sliced you so fast that the cut-healed before ya blood-spilled/"

The first line was wordplay set-up, n the second line waws the exaggerated punch. Basically, anything that preceedes with "I'm strong enuff, fast enuff, hit you so hard, hit you so fast, etc..." these would be exaggerated punches. Saying something that is so exaggerated that it's impossible, n the very thought of it makes you go, WOW! You can also incorporate wordplay in these as well....

"listen-to-that, this bitch-of-a-fag's dissin-my-rap/
hit-ya-so-fast when you FRONT, it'll just stick-in-ya-BACK!/"

I capitalized the wordplay there....It's a double meaning....Saying front, as I'll hit your front, but also saying I'll hit so hard your front will be sticking out of your back. You're also sayin he fronts, that he's fake, namean? So you hit from a few different angles there. I don't recommend using these more than once in a verse, the exaggerated ones anyway, because there's only so many ways to position themn "so hard, so fast, so strong..." it'll get old if u over-use them.

Th best ways to practice imagery would be watching the learning channel during surgeries, that will help get mental pictures in your head you can use in a punch, and also, find something, ANYTHING, a flow, a computer, it doesn't matter....and write a full-page long description of it, marking every detail....Do this with many things, and after a while, when u try to describe something, detailing will come natural to you. Imagery is a very underrated skill, and a lot harder to master than most people think. I tend to use straight imagery, but I don't recommend you do this. It's a hard road, lol, at least for texting, and it takes a while of doing it and mastering it before peeps will even begin to recognize you have real skill. I suggest to most peeps that you mix it in occasionally with your wordplay n punchlines, kind of to offset the flavor, n hit them with something unexpected. Pz.

[MurkinDem]

Thankyou very helpful tutorial.