For me, I listened to a lot of Nas, OutKast, Biggie, Pac, Jay, Rakim, Eminem, Scarface, and Common. Listening to them didn't really make me better because I was too caught up in the music to really "study" their technique. Rakim is probably the only one on the list that I took something from technically and that had to do with how he structured his rhymes.
Writing and reciting poetry is what really helped me. It helped me to find my voice and develop my own flow and delivery.
Writing and reciting poetry is what really helped me. It helped me to find my voice and develop my own flow and delivery.