Techniques on improvement?

[JC 420]

Id like to know what specific techniques or exercises yall do to improve your flow, lyrics, etc. to become a better rap artist on any specific thing, whatever you think would probably help.

To start off one technique i do is start with a word or phrase and just try to list as many words/phrases rhyming or half rhyming with it until my mind goes blank, then try using them on a verse just as practice. Anyway hope this thread goes somewhere and we can all work out our techniques that we use and make somethin out of it. peace.

[eXtacy]

i write a line, then i stop and i say, now where can i go from here, i think of like a dozen different directions to go in then when i pick i do it all over again

i think of what all will rhyme and sound good, i think of any good metaphor, etc

[Lyrikill]

Sometimes that works well, and sometimes you just go without even thinking, and be surprised what comes out..