1. Breath Control

The art of rapping requires a certain discipline of the lungs. To convey a point that’s metered, condensed, rhymed, and in rhythm is no easy task. Top quality MCs know how to do this well. The formula is
simple; get out as many words as you can in as little bars as you can while still getting a point across.
simple; get out as many words as you can in as little bars as you can while still getting a point across.
2. Delivery

If breathe control is how fast you get your point across, delivery is how you get your point across. Good MCs use a slue of tools to achieve this element such as, dramatic pauses, accents, changes in tones or volume, changes in pitch, and changes in octaves or key. Great MCs know how to combine all of these factors.
3. Beat Selection

This is one of the most underrated elements of MCing and one of the most misconstrued. Good Beats Do Not Equal Good Rappers! On the contrary, a sub-par beat makes a track hard to listen to. The key to this element is Self-Knowledge and a good ear. The MC has to know his/her style and what he/she sounds best over, weather it’s straight loops or obnoxious 1/32th hi-hats.
4. Charisma

Ever hear a song that you absolutely hate but can’t stop singing for some reason? That reason is charisma. Charisma is the element of MCing that everyone loves to hate. It’s what draws people’s attention. The way to achieve this element is simple… say things in a way people have never heard them before.
5. Lyricism

Metaphors, similes, homonyms, alliteration and the myriads of other literary devices are found throughout a good MC’s rhymes. The best writers make the best MCs. Punchlines help promote this element but they don’t hold the weight a good metaphor does. Well versed ideas and thoughts are more powerful than hash tag punchlines, gimmick raps, and pop references do.
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The Hip-Hop Critic