So, the king abdicated.
Tony D had become so dominant for so long that he decided to shed the Don’t Flop title in the name of progression – I imagine he’d also become pretty bored of it by the time his third title defense rolled around. The bouquet has been tossed, and it’s now up to Soul and Cee Major to serve as the first to scrabble for it at the league’s “Checkpoint 2” event on April 25.
It goes without saying that this is one heck of a match-up. At first, Cee Major’s selection for contendership seems odd in light of more frequently mentioned names like Dialect or Ogmios, but then you remember just how good he is and fully understand this decision on the double take.
Soul has been pretty vocal in the past about not wanting the title, but his recent form and approach to writing is a testament to his hunger. He’s been on a steady and marked improvement curve since his return from the punching-Caustic-in-the-face DF ban in 2012 and his long-term commitment to his verbose style, even in the face of scratched heads early on, has marked him as a worthy contender for title consideration.
He’s one of the few battlers it’s possible to claim as being truly ahead of his time. His views and crowd reactions suffered amidst the more rudimentary early days of Don’t Flop, and he has been resolute in avoiding the lowest common denominator to get those reactions. The rest of U.K. battle rap simply became more used to complex references and dense wordplay, and once they caught up, Soul truly arrived.
He is also one of the most successful British performers against foreign opponents after fantastic showings against Loe Pesci, Sketch Menace, Wize Guy, Osa, Pigsty and most recently Ness Lee. He really has represented the U.K.’s biggest league to the fullest.
Cee Major has known the glory of titledom before, winning Don't Flop's 2-on-2 tournament alongside The Artist Formerly And Also Kind Of Currently Known As Cracker. He has only been part of a fistful of battles since, and has dropped only two solo battles since 2013 (with only one appearing on Don’t Flop) but has instead taken the opportunity to produce some of the best music British battle rap has to offer. Check it out to hear exactly why he is in line for the title despite his sporadic appearances.
Cee proved against Chilla Jones that the concept of ring rust and the formidable writing of his opponent simply don’t phase him in the slightest, and in that instance (unarguably his biggest match-up to date) it forced him to give an outstanding performance. Whether it’s possible to attribute a hallowed place in the title match to a single battle or not is debatable, but it’s clear that he stays so active outside of the ring that it fuels his energy and his skilled writing in the heat of competition.
Related: The Best Don't Flop Battles Of 2014
There was a considerable period for both emcees in their climbing-the-ranks stage where they were overlooked, or at the very least criminally underrated. Don’t Flop has always championed its more cerebral side and a title clash between these two is a manifestation of that. This was always going to be a battle of the year, they’ve simply raised the stakes on two already ferociously hungry performers.
Cee Major has already been a 2-on-2 contender, so he's previously experienced that pressure, and for a battler who appears so infrequently he's made every performance count. And despite Soul's drastic advancements in delivery, Cee Major has an indomitable presence when he goes for it. He could have a calmer handle on the situation.
That being said, I think Soul might have this in the bag. He’s been virtually unbeatable throughout the last couple of years (bar conceding a low-key defeat to Pamflit the same weekend he put on a sleeper classic against Olde English) and he's climbing the ranks of KOTD to boot.
Soul has packed in his performances without overexerting himself, and consistently overachieves. He's prone to a few stumbles, but they're becoming scarcer and scarcer and if he performs at his peak (and it goes without saying that he will write his balls off) he is capable of not only stepping into Tony D's shoes but walking in them comfortably.
Both are battlers known for stealing shine from much showier performers and bigger names, and with a final like this on our hands we can expect an electric atmosphere on the day and endless replayability after it lands online.
BattleRap.com will be in the building doing updates at "Checkpoint 2." Follow us on Twitter for updates and check back after the event for a full recap.
Who do you have taking it? Who should get the next DF title shot? Let us know below.
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