Oshea vs. Tony D

THROWBACK CLASSIC! One of the best title matches of all time from Don't Flop.

This past weekend was Don’t Flop’s 7BW (7th Birthday Weekend, if you’ve got the time to write it all out) and not only has the league given us seven years of spectacular match-ups, the annual birthday event in particular has supplied some of the finest battles of the decade. Given it’s Throwback Thursday, we here at BattleRap.com are revisiting this gem from Don’t Flop’s 4th Birthday — Oshea vs. Tony D.

A title match tends to bring out the best in emcees, namely because there’s no pressure quite like it. As the champion, you’re the face of the company, you have to keep your skills up to the lofty standard that the league has set. As the challenger, you’re giving your all for the chance to be considered a prize fighter. Once you win that title, nobody can take that status of “former champion” away from you. As the main event, both the champion and the challenger have to not just bring their best for each other, but somehow outshine an entire evening/weekend’s worth of battles in front of a crowd who's already seen an extensive display of rhyming. Now imagine such a match occurs on an anniversary show, and you’re not just competing against your opponent, but every battle that’s ever occurred in the league.

Which brings us to Oshea vs. Tony D where the stars aligned for one of the all-time greatest championship bouts of any rap battle organization. Oshea had become Don’t Flop’s first ever champion a few months prior having defeated Sensa, and Tony D was his first title defense.

In front of a jam-packed crowd with some of the all-time greats looking on, the pressure was palpable, and the result was stellar. From Oshea deconstructing not just Tony D’s style in the second round, but those who take rap battling too seriously in his first, Oshea’s performance would have easily steamrolled most opponents. However, Tony D’s wordplay and performance was in a truly rare form that few emcees ever reach, dabbling in numerous slick styles (including Oshea’s) and ultimately getting the 5-2 judges’ decision.

Every Thursday, BattleRap.com posts a classic battle that you should know about, or at least be reminded of occasionally. See them all here.

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