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Battle Rap Awards 2015

They’re here! It took us a while, but we've now got the results for the most thorough survey ever done for year-end battle rap awards. It might actually be the most thorough survey ever done in battle rap, period. We asked 80 league reps, media figures and cultural luminaries from the scene as well as 3,000 fans from around the world to tell us their picks for the best of 2015. The goal was to look at the total landscape of modern battle rap and we believe the results largely reveal that we've succeeded.

Here are the 2015 Battle Rap Awards.

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Male Battler

Chilla Jones

Boston emcee Chilla Jones stamped his way into top tier in 2015, adding names like Dizaster, Math Hoffa, Conceited, Pass, Danny Myers and Tony D to his resume. He showed out in every major league with performances across the country (and beyond) and also made a successful return to the URL with two big showings against Prep and Th3 Saga. Successfully updating his style, he distanced himself from the dense associative wordplay he helped popularize, opting instead for punchier content that resonates in the building just as well as it does on camera.

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Female Battler

O’fficial

Official's dominant performance at NOME5 over 2014 female battler of the year Jaz The Rapper was enough for her to nab the top spot on our 2015 list. Her first round shook the building as she landed haymaker after haymaker, including the still quoted: "Pop a GUN? You too scared to pop ya cherry." The Southern Battle Rap representative from New Orleans also battled C-Moneii at home, Ms. Hustle on URL and was the first opponent for returning legend Lady Luck at GO-Rilla Warfare's "Crown 2."

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UK Battler

Tony D

British battle rap fans know that when it comes to quality and consistency, there's no one better than Tony D. The U.K. veteran solidified his legacy even further in 2015 with an authoritative title defense over Unanymous before vacating the throne he'd held since 2012. After that he continued his run of flawless performances against the likes of Raptor, Chilla Jones and Math Hoffa.

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Newcomer

E. Farrell

2015 was the year E. Farrell established himself in the eyes of battle fans and soft drink aficionados alike. Beginning the year in his home league of iBattle with an entertaining clash against DOT, Farrell went on to open KOTD’s “MASSacre" with a highly regarded performance against Sicarii (where he popularized his “get him a soda” slogan). He debuted in Don’t Flop against JShort, challenged Nikiya Osborn in a basement, and got mainstream media coverage with his "Batman vs. Superman" clash with Daylyt, before capping the year back home taking on his friend and hypeman Bangz in another fire battle.

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Solo Battle

Bigg K vs.
Ill Will

This highly anticipated match-up had been in demand since the early days of each of their careers, when they were members of the same URL PG class. It finally went down at KOTD’s “MASSacre," and surpassed the massive expectations fans had set for it. It’s a heated battle, but one that seems more based on competition than actual animosity. Both guys land haymakers throughout, and Bigg K’s rebuttal at the start of his third round was one of the best of 2015. In a year filled with excellent battles, this is the one that stood out the most to our voters.

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2-on-2 Battle

DNA & K-Shine vs. Hitman Holla & Aye Verb

DNA and K-Shine were pretty much guaranteed a spot in this category, the question was just which battle would get the nod. The NWX teammates brought doubles battles to a new fan base in 2015 by raising the bar with new theatrics and performance intensity. This Don’t Flop battle saw them taking on two of the best out of St. Louis, who were teaming up for the first time but who demonstrated instant stage chemistry. In front of a small crowd in Chicago, four of the biggest names in battle rap put on a wildly entertaining instant classic.

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Bodybag

Chilla Jones vs. Prep

Going into this battle, many URL fans had written off Chilla Jones as boring and unfit for New York’s biggest stage ever since his loss to DNA in 2013. He proved them all wrong at “Redemption” with a fiery performance that launched dozens of memes and essentially bankrupted Prep’s then-high stock. So far in 2016, Chilla is taking on more top competition on the URL stage while Prep is watching from the crowd.

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Next League

RBE

Not only did RBE produce some hugely watchable battles in 2015, it also developed its own style and roster. The New York-based battle league expanded its brand by building a community atmosphere that attracted hardcore fans more interested in seeing solid battles than big names. Throughout 2015, ARP and his team provided a platform for lesser-known or under-appreciated emcees to shine and it paid off repeatedly, especially with battle of the year nominee Daylyt vs. Ooops.

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League

KOTD

For the second time in a row, King Of The Dot takes home league of the year. In early 2015, the Toronto-based league threw what many fans consider its best event ever — the Drake-sponsored "Blackout 5.” For the rest of the year, the league put on events across four regular divisions, expanded to the East Coast with “MASSacre,” released the highest-viewed English language battle of 2015, brought back legends like Dumbfoundead and Iron Solomon, and debuted the Back To Basics series, all while creating incredibly cinematic and professional content. 2015 was a great year for all the major leagues, but KOTD won over the most panelists and fans in our survey.

Secondary Categories

After much deliberation and debate, BattleRap.com selected winners for a few more categories.

Performance of the Year

Fresco against The Saurus

Fresco’s prize-winning performance was a clinic in how to build momentum over three rounds.

Round of the Year

Hollow Da Don’s first vs.
Charlie Clips

Hollow came out swinging with a strategic breakdown of Clips that was as well-written as it was well-received by the URL crowd.

Most Improved Battler

Shotgun Suge

Suge’s stock skyrocketed in 2015 after several URL main-stage performances that shook the building.

Most Consistent Battler

Danny Myers

Danny took on all competition and never slacked regardless of the platform or the opponent.

Funniest Battle

Carter Deems vs. Illmaculate

“I’ve always wanted to give a gnome five" was the biggest punchline of the year.

Best Barfest

Ty Law vs. B Magic

This small-room clash featured more hot bars over three back-and-forth rounds than some entire events have.

Best Antic/Gimmick

Video Game Bars Battle

From the content to the editing, this Don’t Flop battle that only references video games is complete fire.

Want More?

Year In Review SMACK/URL KOTD Don't Flop RBE
www.battlerap.com

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