...then being an audio rapper doesn't make you an MC.
I started freestyling around 13, at that time I was only comfortable doing it around friends. Then I progressed into writing lyrics. Back then doing text online was simply posting your lyrics for tracks (based on that it can be said the most accomplished textcee to ever do it was Apathy, because he transitioned into becoming one of the dopest and recognizable MC's in underground hip-hop). As years went by I became more comfortable with performing in front of a crowd, and when I did so I would freestyle, so I had to know how to cater to the audience because seeing how it was my shtick I had to appeal to the setting.
I went from just fucking around with my friends, to doing house parties, talent shows, open mics, to county and state fairs, to music festivals, and then topped out at being paid to perform in clubs and host open mics there. I made audios here and there, did some audio battles, released a ton of freestyles online, but the guy I emulated most was a cat named Supernatural, who in my mind was the greatest freestyler of my generation.
I've had 23 years worth of experience freestyling, so it comes rather naturally to me now, even though I went on to do promoting for a number of years before growing up and handling adult responsibilities. I have alot of great memories from freestyling, I've freestyled with both Chino XL and C Rayz Walz, Chino would later become a Yahoo Messenger friend and we would go to freestyle chat rooms and fuck with the people there. I've had some really dope freestyle battles in front of crowds, not the acapella shit but to actual beats, I used to get laid practically everytime I did it, when I was 17 I was offered a Sony recording contract which had I taken it (parents didn't give consent) I would of had the opportunity to make an album and have a track on the "0" (Othello) movie soundtrack.
What I used to love about that former life was that I never met anybody who shied away from an opportunity to prove themselves. If there was a cypher to jump in, you volunteered for it. If you wanted to battle, you weren't hit with a shitload of excuses, you just did it. If you didn't then you were obviously shook for whatever reason and didn't have any confidence in yourself.
If I were to record audios now, if I had any hint of passion for it, I wouldn't be an MC. It would be a hobby. Being an MC is a lifestyle. There is so much more that goes into being an MC then sitting at your computer using hacked software to record a track. That isn't a slight to audio rappers, but if you're limited to just doing that then I wouldn't call you an MC, and I would be right to do so, because you haven't lived the lifestyle of traveling to different states to do shows, or getting paid for a performance. It's easy to be an audio rapper, it's much harder to be an MC.