Dissing

As inspiring emcees, we all will find that the time will come when our skills are tested. Generally, this is in the form of battling. Previously, you have read lessons about how to write punchlines and the different parts that make up these punchlines, but you didn’t learn about the DISS. Punchlines are great and they often get good reactions from the audience and those voting on battles, but in actuality they are the secondary resort in a battle. When battling, your objective is to clown and demean you opponent, which is why you want to diss your opponent.

Why is the DISS so important?

The DISS is most important because it is the most entertaining and personal aspect of the battle. The DISS is often referred to as a personal because of its personal nature, but a diss does not always have to be personal to the opponent. A lot of the time, an emcee will go into a battle with a lot of general disses that they can mold into really hard hitting personal disses depending on the person they are up against.

The difference between a diss and a punchline

Unlike a punchline a diss can reach to the heart. Punchlines show off your wit and your creativity, but a diss shows of you how quickly think on your feet and your attack presence. Punchlines are built more out of a formula than disses in that they have set-ups and then the punchline itself, however, disses don’t generally work that way. You can set up disses, but they don’t need to be. That’s why you might also have heard the term of one-liners being used because that’s basically what they are. Disses don’t need set-ups to be effective. They can really be that damaging.

Here’s an example from Joe Buddens:

I’ll show you how mean this crook be/
Ya’ll like the Houston Comets, a team full of pussies/

There’s not a lot there and if you read it, it doesn’t mean that much. It’s just a basic simile and a wry comment; however, if you heard it in the right context, you’d know that something like this could win you a battle. In the situation, it’s funny and it clowns the shit out of the opponent because it attacks at the person’s manhood. It can go deeper if the person even question’s their own manhood or if the voting audience questions it as well. It also provides and shows the ego of the person that says the diss, because you’re demeaning an opponent in a way that’s supposed to make you look better. A punchline typically doesn’t do that because it’s dependant upon too many factors.

The benefits of using the DISS

I prefer using disses rather than writing punchlines, because I can think up a diss off hand pretty quickly. Also, I like the fact that I can rattle off disses one after the other without trying to set them up into punchlines. Almost anything that rhymes can go in front of the diss because people aren’t listening for that definite connection between the two. It’s also why punchlines really don’t have all that much impact because of this dependency. Also disses are really easy ways to point out observations that most people miss, but once you point them out, they never seem to forget. Think about it this way. Almost every hot “punchline” you hear is really a diss.

Another benefit of using a diss is the fact that the audience can figure it out pretty quickly. That means you get and instant reaction. Punchlines can’t offer that 100% of the time, because as I said before, the dependency of other elements. Most of the time punchlines work better subliminally rather than off-hand, because people are and can be kind of slow.

Also, anyone can think up disses. You might not be able to think up great one, but with all things, that come with time and practice. Thinking up punchlines can give you an aneurysm, lol. Everyone has at least a rudimentary ability to talk about and clown someone. Play “The Dozens*” with your friends. It’s a good way to think up disses off hand and help with speed and recognition. Perfect that ability and use it.

* “The Dozens” is a game of telling disses or “Yo, momma/father/sister/brother/girlfriend/grandmother/ect. jokes.”

written by Monas One