I normally begin these with a preamble like "[Battler X] is on a recent run of form, but what will he do against [Battler Y] who … and then, like, what can we expect whe-" Nah. Not this one.
Charlie Clips vs. Charron is a — if not the — leading showcase of the new school of battle rap. That’s not to say that the two emcees involved are newcomers; both have spent a solid amount of time carving out their styles and both have nothing short of a staggering resume.
But it’s upon the shoulders of performers like these two that the modern form of the battle movement was built. It’s a culmination of humor, concepts, energy far greater than human beings of either of their statures should be capable of, crowd control and absolutely impeccable freestyle prowess.
Most importantly for this battle, they’ve both been successful in style clashes before. Oshea brought out a truly entertaining side of Charlie Clips, and Charron forced Arsonal to live up to the first syllable of his name on the same weekend at Don’t Flop's "5th Birthday" event.
Even in their last two battles, Clips and Corey clashed against Illmaculate and Shotgun Suge respectively and, if live reports ring true (available here and here), put on thunderous shows between them.
Charlie Clips vs. Illmaculate at "Duel In The Desert. Photo by Osej Serratos for BattleRap.com.
Charron and Clips are two emcees who have never been afraid to push and challenge themselves, and who haven’t really lost momentum since they first started gaining it. I wouldn’t bet my kidneys on it, because I’m using them right now, but I’m going to suggest that this may match the level of relevance of Illmac vs. The Saurus on the battle rap timeline.
Sure, it may not be as personal. I’m not sure that Charron would stoop to the level of targeting Clips’ recent family illness, but he has crossed lines before. As a fellow diminutive-looking nerdy person, I would sooner kidnap a bear cub in front of its mother than bring on myself whatever pain would undoubtedly be headed my way. Pulling out a crip flag as a joke is one thing. Waving a red one in front of a bull is entirely another.
I think, and this is no discredit to Charron, that Charlie Clips will be on the front foot for the majority of the stage time. He’s simply infallible at moment. He’s tackling some of the biggest monsters in battle rap (with Illmaculate, Tay Roc, Hitman Holla and Daylyt among them, as well as Hollow Da Don coming soon) and making it look as easy as buying groceries.
CLips' improvisation is more relaxed and his manner simultaneously both more laid back and focused. It just feels like he’s straining less to get similar reactions to Charron. And he seems humble enough not to let Charron trip him up using his own image. Corey will need more than his awkward-white-guy hat to bamboozle the rapper BattleRap.com cites as the global top seed at the moment.
Charron has had a quieter year but he has made no secret of his hunger for the chain, and when Charron is hungry there’s no saying what damage he could do or what surprises could come out. Pitting these freestyle talents against each other is like arming two tinderboxes with blowtorches and feeding them absinthe.
Charron vs. The Saurus at "Blackout 4." Photo by Dan Gibson.
Ultimately, Charron may not be the most highly regarded battle rapper in North America; maybe not even Canada, not just yet. But in terms of the benchmark KOTD style that’s been sculpted over time — the one pioneered by Kid Twist, Knamelis and Hollohan, where the unconventional guy absolutely destroys competition — he is the current culmination. And he has taken it straight to the faces of a growing and equally unsettled looking number of street rappers.
Charlie Clips, however, is maybe the smoothest crossover the Smack/URL breed has to other leagues. Were Tsu Surf, for example, to battle anywhere else, he would likely just be a top URL head giving a showcase for a different entertainment company. Clips’ easy charm and lucid freestyle ability mean that when he battles for any league, he seems not only at home there but also the best of their roster. Any roster. That is a huge achievement in terms of both performer versatility and the gradual coming-together of the global battle rap community.
Basically I’m really f'ing excited, and you should be too. Are you not? Seriously? Then you and me need to have words. Explain yourself in the comments section below.
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