This Saturday (Sept. 26) is URL’s biggest event of the year, "Summer Madness 5." One of battle rap’s big destination events that fans and media fly in from all over the world to attend, its prestige isn’t something that just comes from deciding “this is going to be our biggest event.” Rather, these designations come from a proven track record of where history is made and heroes become legends. Today we revisit the 2012 battle that made Summer Madness the must-see URL event of the year, Loaded Lux vs. Calicoe.
It’s the type of dream match that events like Summer Madness are built upon. Calicoe, a battle veteran in every sense of the word, had been one of the most consistent and dominant emcees of his era. In a time when matching battle legends against the contemporary top contenders was something mostly left to the imagination, Loaded Lux’s return was something fans dreamed about for years. And when it happened, the entire face of battle rap changed forever.
There’s two ways to look at this battle. If we’re talking line-for-line and bar-for-bar, even factoring in Lux’s first-round choke, it’s still an absolutely incredible battle. Both brought heavy pen games, with Calicoe the master of his style and Lux demonstrating an innovative narrative that pushed the limits of what could be done in a battle. In terms of influence, the performance calls to mind both Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee and Juice vs. Supernatural.
But if we’re factoring in the performance elements — with Lux bringing out a staged funeral for Calicoe as he took the stage — it’s a moment that showed how the next level of rap battles had arrived. With more eyes on URL than ever from an industry and fan standpoint, it was one of the league’s absolute finest moments in their biggest hour.
Who’s to say what battling’s next major moment is? With Lux’s variants of “get this work” becoming part of the hip-hop lexicon, there’s a lot to even attempt to outdo. Loaded Lux vs. Calicoe might not just be the type of battle that happens once in a lifetime, but the type of battle that only happens once.
Check out all our SM5 coverage, and make sure you visit the site this weekend for our live coverage of the event.
Every Thursday, BattleRap.com posts a classic battle that you should know about, or at least be reminded of occasionally. See them all here.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
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