On Sept. 15, the press conference for Don’t Flop’s imminent “Manchester vs. London” event was thrust onto an expectant fan base. Rather than “squaring off,” the battlers were seated on a plush leather sofa, with Eurgh hosting and lackadaisically sipping a beer. This may be one of the most relaxed pre-competition face-offs out there.
Can you “win” a relaxed chat on a couch? Unless you’re a professional psychotherapist, probably not. But while the tone was one of casual banter between friends, the words themselves belied a quiet ebullience in all of the emcees present.
The part of the conference all the talk was about, naturally, was the run-up to the current most-viewed battler in the U.K. vs. the three-time title defender. It’s clearly a battle important enough for Eurgh to throw Don’t Flop’s first ever press conference, and so it bears considering which of the challengers come out of it with more momentum behind them.
With his flagship Arsonal battle recently surpassing the five-million view mark, and already one of the highest viewed battles in the English language, Shotty emits the trademark subtle malice and confidence that has made him so popular with U.K. battle fans. “He’s having a go at certain guys that aren’t gonna put the pressure on him like I’m gonna put pressure on him,” he maintains in hushed tones. “He is not my biggest opponent ever. I am his biggest opponent ever.”
Tony D retains a world-weary flippancy that probably stems from the unlikely combination of being the oldest and (one of) the most successful active battle rappers in Don’t Flop. On being asked where he ranks the battle in terms of importance, Tony responds with “somewhere after [Oshea]. Charlie [Clips]. Deff[inition].” He is clearly not rattled by Shotty’s presence, although concedes that in terms of U.K. vs. U.K., this is the biggest battle. “I’m not bigger than Clips?” asks Shotty.
They each shared a similar tone: trying to seem as confident as they can without showing any loss of focus. Tony rose to Shotty’s jibes at a couple of points, especially about his battle with Charlie Clips, and seemed to have less composure. That being said, he shows no signs of taking the battle lightly, which will work in his favor on the day. “This is a big battle. I’m not gonna disrespect the man,” he states. “This is … Shotty’s Shotty. Shotty does his t’ing, I’m not even looking … He’s been out the ring for minute. I don’t think he’s gonna be ring rusty, this is his t’ing.”
Tony took a far less confrontational angle in his approach, whereas Shotty spent more time actively calling Tony out on specific aspects of his style and character. However, when asked what sets him apart, Shotty retorts with “I don’t know. Simon Cowell calls it the X Factor.”
This sort of attitude may very well work against Shotty on the day — Tony D is known for his dominating calmness in battles. You have to know why you’re better than Tony to beat him, and as convincing as Shotty sounds, and as much conviction his rhetoric has, he doesn’t quite seem to know why he would have the edge. And that may just play into Tony’s hands when he and Shotty face off in front of a roomful of eager fans.
Tony also seems reluctant to hand over the championship, throwing out a different challenge. “The title is ‘Best To Do This In The U.K. Right Now,’ he says. “So after this battle, we’ll find out.” The weight of the title is not something he wants to give up easily, but it does not seem to have affected his recent output, with his performance against Double L being one of his best for a long time.
Shotty’s taking the battle seriously too. “All I know is being a battle rapper … this shit is like, this is just what I am," he says. "I know that we’re gonna see a Tone that we’ve never seen before. That’s it. We’re gonna see a level in this guy that’s not been shown because he knows the threat I am. I’m not just a guy that’s gonna beat you in a battle, I’m the guy that’s gonna make people go ‘you know what, you’re not the best in England, he is.’ Because I am, bro.”
Shotty continues: “If you was better than me, you would have nearly five million views, bro.”
One thing that shines from the clip is the mutual respect between the two emcees, which was the magical component that granted Shotty’s clash with Arsonal so much exposure. “I do think he is the best in Britain,” Shotty concedes, ‘When I’m not active.’
Shotty winds up the interview praising Tony’s work ethic, but doubling back with this portentous statement: “My responsibilities, my sole responsibilities, are to pay my rent and kill you. And I paid my fucking rent, bro.” He clearly has a handle on the ‘talking’ side of the equation, and in my opinion probably ‘won’ the conference, whatever that’s supposed to mean, but I get the impression Tony’s swaggering assuredness will trump Shotty on the day.
To summarize, Shotty Horroh’s main angles in the video seem to be:
I am far better than you.
I am far better than anyone else you’ve battled.
You will never have five million views.
I have got five million views.
I am very, very good at saying all of these things.
Tony’s angles seem to be:
I rap because I enjoy it.
This is me sharpening my sword.
I want to see who wins.
It’s going to be a really good battle.
I’m probably going to win though.
It remains to be seen whether Shotty’s abrasion and stylish delivery will simply overwhelm the champion. Tony certainly reacted strongly to some of the claims he was making. However, Tony has shown time and time again (bar two regrettable chokes) that he can rise to big events. It’s how he’s held on to the title for so long. So Shotty will have to back his rhetoric. But here, he spun it mighty well. If he can do the same on the day, he may be able to bring glory to his hometown.
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