In our first installment of this monthly series, we bring you 10 amazing battles released in August from around the world of battle rap. To give you more variety, we've only picked one battle from each league, but you can click any event name for similar content. Whether you're into lyricism, comedy or street rap, we've got the perfect battle for you.
Ms. Hustle vs. Gattas
Who: Ms. Hustle (Harlem, N.Y.) vs. Gattas (Chicago, Il.)
Where: SMACK/URL’s "Night of Main Events 4" at Irving Plaza in New York, N.Y.
When: June 7, 2014
Why you should watch it: URL saved the best NOME 4 release for last, with Hustle and Gattas putting on a complete slugfest. There are a ton of priceless moments here, from Smack telling the emcees they could “both get it” in the intro, to him being more than happy to pin Hustle’s microphone back on her top, to Gattas’ Tomb Raider outfit, to Hustle’s flawless performance and cold bars. The list could go on, but it’s probably faster if you just watch the battle.
Dirtbag Dan/Caustic vs. Marlo/Shuffle-T
Who: Marlo and Shuffle-T (U.K.) vs. Dirtbag Dan and Caustic (U.S.)
Where: King Of The Dot’s “Battle Of LA 5″ at Los Globos in Los Angeles, Calif.
When: June 28, 2014
Why you should watch it: British rap/comedy duo Marlo and Shuffle-T have had repeated viral success with battles as well as comedy sketches. But the big question going into this match-up was whether their humor and rapid-fire delivery would sway the West Coast crowd. It ended up being the funniest battle of the night, with Dirtbag Dan and Caustic totally delivering on their end too.
In a video released after the event, Dan showed that the cookies he offered the Brits had been alllll up in his underwear so let that be a lesson to never take cookies from strangers (or at the very least, from Dirtbag Dan).
Bigg K vs. Big Kannon
Who: Bigg K (Norfolk, Va.) vs. Big Kannon (Chicago, Il.)
Where: RBE’s "Lift His Soul" event at Club Drom in New York, N.Y.
When: July 5, 2014
Why you should watch it: There are so many fire lines in this battle that by the second round you'll be praying for the air horn button to break. This is just one of several high-quality battles from RBE’s latest event, including JC vs. Syahboy and Shotgun Suge vs. Rosenburg Raw. Here, Bigg K comes off a tight battle with Danny Myers the week before to face a well-prepared Big Kannon.
Kannon's freestyles are on point and his race angles are killer, and K takes fat jokes to a new level in his third when he says: "In my hood they come and see me for the dope / You take showers in the car wash with cheeseburger soap."
Lego vs. Ogmios
Who: Ogmios (London, England) vs. Lego (Leeds, England)
Where: Don’t Flop’s "Sunburn" event in London, England
When: July 20, 2014
Why you should watch it: This was the first release from Don’t Flop’s July event. Lego returns after a couple years away from the scene to take on Ogmios, who has built somewhat of a cult following with his peculiar stage presence and clever writing. They both build toward massive third rounds, with Ogmios rapping from the perspective of an actual Lego figure and somehow making it work. He even throws in a Hoffa/Dose reference.
Side note: Ogmios is scheduled to battle QP SONS in Atlanta for the debut Don't Flop USA event in November.
Charron vs. B Magic
Who: Charron (Toronto, Canada) vs. B Magic (St. Louis, Mo.)
Where: U Dubb’s “Annihilation” event at Prince Hall Masonic Lodge in Newark, N.J.
When: July 27, 2014
Why you should watch it: This battle was hotly contested going into the event and split the audience in the venue. Ultimately it comes down to what you want out of a rap battle. Magic brings his trademark style of back-to-back punches delivered with an intricate flow, while Charron does a ton of rebuttals and is far more direct. Calling this for either battler will cause us to offend half our audience so we'll leave the judgment up to you.
Isaac Knox vs. Syd Vicious
Who: Syd Vicious (Atlanta, Ga.) vs. Isaac Knox (Orlando, Fl.)
Where: Grind Time Now’s “Just Battle” at Bombshells in Orlando, Fl.
When: July 5, 2014
Why you should watch it: Grind Time Now seems to be hitting its stride again with a few entertaining battles from the July event. Long-described as a "Christian battler," Isaac Knox shelves the tenets of peace and love for three full rounds as he cuts deep into Syd's battle career and reputation. Syd responds with an aggressive but good-natured performance filled with quotable bars. The vibe of the crowd pushes up the quality too, with the audience reacting enthusiastically to both emcees.
40 B.A.R.R.S. vs. Cortez
Who: 40 B.A.R.R.S. (Boston, Mass.) vs. Cortez (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Where: Black Ice Cartel’s "The Eulogy" in Milwaukee, Wis.
When: June 22, 2014
Why you should watch it: 40 B.A.R.R.S. makes up for her weak footage against Jaz The Rapper with this performance. She attacks from all angles while Cortez focuses mainly on one: 40's gender. Still, Cortez shows that he’s really good at disrespecting women, although we’re not entirely sure if that’s a compliment or not.
Tori Doe vs. C3
Who: Tori Doe (Harlem, N.Y.) vs. C3 (Queens, N.Y.)
Where: Queen Of The Ring's "No Holds Barred" at Irving Plaza in Manhattan, N.Y.
When: June 28, 2014
Why you should watch it: This 43-minute epic marks the return of Harlem's Tori Doe, who'd been away from the QOTR ring since 2012. She faces one of the current top female emcees in Queens' C3. The crowd plays a major role in the battle, cheering and jeering for both rappers. One of the biggest reactions comes from Tori's coldest bar of the battle: "I was gonna let her live / How y'all figure? / Y'all know I got an abortion / Ain't the first time I'm gettin' rid of a nigga."
Ayem vs. Pigsty
Who: Ayem (San Jose, Calif.) vs. Pigsty (North Vancouver, Canada)
Where: GZ Battles’ "First Defense" in Vancouver, Canada
When: July 26, 2014
Why you should watch it: It's a competitive battle that blends comedy and lyricism, featuring two of the scene’s most underrated writers. Pigsty broke down the battle for us in this event recap interview.
Ness Lee vs. Drect
Who: Ness Lee (Atlanta, Ga.) vs. Drect (Atlanta, Ga.)
Where: One-off event in Atlanta, Ga.
When: August 5, 2014
Why you should watch it: Grind Time Now co-founder Drect steps into the ring for the first time in a long time to see if he can still hang in the modern era. He faces off against fellow veteran Ness Lee at a casual small-room event for Rap Grid.
Want more? Check our Battles section.
Did we miss any classics? Let us know in the comment section.
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