U.K. battle league Don’t Flop ended 2014 on a high note with their successful "Sixth Birthday Weekend" and picked up where they left off with the first event of 2015 — a smaller affair dubbed "6.5 Birthday" on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The lineup boasted a serious mix of veterans and rapidly rising newcomers so it was set to be another exciting event in Leeds.
Headlining Day 1 was the longest-awaited title match in U.K. battle rap history. Unanymous has had his name connected to the title shot since his battle with Arkaic in 2012 and despite a last-minute cancellation at 6BW, Tony D was set to defend his title in what he was saying would be his last battle.
In addition to that match-up, fan favorite Double L went up against Mr Re, one of the league’s strongest newcomers who really showed his worth in his battle with Lotta Zay at 6BW.
Mr Re vs. Double L. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Day 2 was headlined by an on-beat battle between two of the U.K.’s most respected veterans: Bamalam & Dialect. Both rappers are known to perform solidly on beat making this a fine main event. There was also the weekend's only international appearance from KOTD veteran Tricky P (who now goes by Trick Stephens) against self-confessed nincompoop Marlo in his first battle sans 2-on-2 partner Shuffle-T since 2013. Both days were also stacked with six solid match-ups on the undercards.
Trick Stephens. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Highlights
The Title Match
Tony D. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
It’s been more than two years since Unanymous first put his name out there as a title contender so when this match went down everyone knew sparks were set to fly. Tony D was the first battle rapper in an established league to defend a title twice and despite the talk of retirement he was fully up for the task of making it three times.
Unanymous. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Unan did what Unan does best, aggressive adrenaline-fueled attacks and three rounds of very well-structured material. But nobody was beating Tony. Every time he gets in the ring, Tony seems to extend the margin of how much better he is than anyone currently battling in the U.K. Using a combination of precise character assassination, accurate impressions and a generally unshakeable demeanor, Tony stomped home with a 7-0 decision from the judging panel.
Sadly Tony has said he'll be retiring as the champion, claiming he just doesn’t care enough to want to keep defending the title, although he did drop a serious hint of a battle with Chilla Jones at "Checkpoint 2" in April.
Bamalam’s Grime Round
Bamalam. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Another format the U.K. seems to be pushing more than other places is on-beat battles, and Day 2’s headliner worked a treat. This battle was formatted as two hip-hop rounds with one grime round to cap it off.
Both Dialect and Bamalam had some great content throughout their hip-hop rounds but Bamalam’s grime verse was delivered perfectly. He brought multiple remixes of Dialect’s signature grime verses including “You need practice donny, said you're back but ain’t catch no bodies,” winning himself five reloads, in Leeds, against Dialect, which is a big deal. Dialect was by no means bad, but Bamalam had won the room in seconds.
Oshea vs. Pedro
Pedro. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
When it comes to random hilarity, these two are arguably the top dogs in the U.K. scene at the moment, if there ever was such a bracket. Oshea truly is the people's champion and Pedro has recently become a serious fan favorite, so this battle was never going to disappoint. Between Pedro having two dogs named Philly and Swain and Oshea’s mother having a tattoo of the Umbro logo, the only winner I can call is the fans.
Oshea. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Willzy & Soljitsu vs. Innuendo & Juke
Soljitsu. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
One thing missing from a lot of modern battling is a wealth of 2-on-2 teams. This match formed two new pairings with Willzy & Soljitsu going up against U.K. veteran Innuendo and newcomer Juke. It was reminiscent of early Grind Time 2-on-2 battles, with both teams firing on all cylinders with perfect synergy.
Two words though: racism and cocaine.
Quoting any lines from the battle would be too offensive, even for a battle rap website. It’s safe to say this will be one of the most controversial battles to drop on DF this year.
Innuendo. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Juan’s Top 8 Final Performance
Juan. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
As the other participant in this battle, I can safely say I was 3-0'd clearly. Even my friends were in the firing line and it got rather brutal. Somehow, even for a 16-year-old, Juan already has the "Shufflo Factor" in the way that he can spin any angle into a haymaker and clown on anyone for any reason. The recreation of "You're looking a little stressed Callum" probably got the most reaction of the whole weekend. I was still happy with my performance, but there was nobody beating Juan that day and at the rate he’s improving I can’t see many people beating him in the near future.
Honorable Mentions
Danny Jaqq not choking, again
Danny Jaqq. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
It was great to see Danny Jaqq put in a top-class performance off the back of his Big J victory back in August. His opponent T Kid stepped up from his previous showing but the pit format seemed to suit Danny’s comedic performance. Naming himself ‘The Savior’ mid-battle seemed to win over the crowd nicely.
P Solja vs. Impact
Impact. Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Both P Solja and Impact went into this match with high spirits. Both battlers have been on impressive runs, with P Solja having one of the standout performances of 6BW and Impact fresh off an international classic with Brixx Belvedere. P Solja brought his usual blend of humor and street rap but the highlight of this match has to be Impact’s flip at the start of his second round: “You keep dissing my girl, you’ve got some nerve my g / Ah well better her than me.”
Final Thoughts
Photo by Ollie for Don't Flop.
Overall this was another successful event for the Don’t Flop team and a great way to kick off the year. Be sure to take a look at the battles yourself by purchasing the PPV.
Photos via Don't Flop's Facebook album. See them all here.
Were you there? What were your highlights? Let us know in the comments below.
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