Wordsworth could have never kept up

While the idea might surprise outsiders, freestylers say they draw inspiration from religion.

"Practically all religions over time have focused on the power of sound vibration," says Saul Williams, who wrote and starred in "Slam," a film about fighting ghetto warfare with the spoken word that won at the 1998 Sundance Festival. "Whether through the chanting of Om, Buddhist and Hindu chants, Islamic prayers and calls to worship, or reciting Hail Mary and the Lord's Prayer, the common thread has been the investment in the belief that change will come about through voicing these sacred words aloud."

Indeed, the roots of freestyling in the US are widely considered to be in African-American churches, where the preacher uses various intonations and rhythms to involve the congregation. Sometimes the response is so involved that the sermon becomes not quite song, not quite speech, not quite chant.

"The church, with its focus on sermonic practice, has deeply influenced the freestyle," Dyson says. "One thinks of ... [Martin Luther] King's sermonizing as well, where he deployed set pieces and then weaved around them fresh insight about a particular situation."

The context in hip-hop, though expressed with a different vocabulary and in different settings, is similar. Most freestylers are reacting to their surroundings, confronting social issues, and challenging their peers to stay on top of current events.

"[Many] fail to see the sublimating effect of such rhetorical battle, that it absorbs the social energy and cultural conflicts of youth and recirculates them in powerful and productive fashion," Dyson says.

Mr. Williams – as well as De La Soul and Medusa – represent the pinnacle of the art form. Their versatility and perseverance personify the artistic skills rarely voiced yet prevalent in rough neighborhoods across America.

"Freestyling will only add to the rich traditions of oral art and verbal invention that often spill over from black and other minority cultures into the mainstream," Dyson says. "And the mainstream gets to commodify this interest, record its evolution, and document its contribution to the artistic health of the nation as people investigate its roots and its branches."

Battle: Two people freestyling back and forth, hoping to win over the audience

B-boy culture: Hip-hop, including freestyling, MCing, breakdancing, and graffiti art

Beef: A personal argument or vendetta, which freestyling attempts to settle

Break: A 4/4 beat, inspiring one to break into verse or dance, hence 'breakdancing'

Five-thousand: A farewell, evolved from "Outta Here" to "I Audi" to "Audi 5000"

Flamboasting: To show off by flashing material things in the face of an opponent

Flex skill: To show talent, almost always a compliment

Freestyle: Spontaneous creation of lyrics, half sung, half spoken, usually rhyming

MC: The person using the microphone, acronym for master of ceremonies or mike controller

Playing the dozens: A battle, often comical, where freestylers try to out-insult each other

Tight: Masterful, cool, hip, often used to describe someone's musical talent

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