U.K. battle league Don't Flop closed the books on its successful "Sixth Birthday Weekend" on Sunday (Nov. 16), and by the accounts of the yearly regulars this was the best one yet.
The sense of community was thick in the venue and the variety of styles and personalities that graced the stage was a breath of fresh air to the global battle rap scene.
BattleRap.com was in the building from start to finish, and we've compiled a list of the biggest moments from the weekend.
If you're just catching on to our 6BW coverage now, check out all our previous content here.
Also, the PPV for this event is out now, which you can buy here:
Performance of the night
Day 1 - Marlo/Shuffle-T
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
The London duo put on another masterful performance to retain their status as 2-on-2 champions. As usual, they effortlessly switched between comedy and aggression, spitting clever lyrics with clockwork timing. Predictability can be a drag, but not when you're predictably excellent.
Day 2 - Oshea
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
British battle rappers are usually self-aware and self-deprecating, but Oshea took it to a new level against spoken word poet Harry Baker. Osh's approach for much of the battle was to poke fun at himself and the attack cut even deeper than Baker's. "Ever since I battled Tony D two years ago I've been all kinds of shit and now I've been given Harry Baker. I better quit."
Battle of the night
Day 1 - DNA vs. Cruger
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Absolute fire. Cruger showed no signs of ring rust despite not having battled solo since facing Conceited in 2013. DNA didn't slack despite battling five times since Sept 28. Their content was direct and they seemed to feed off each others' energy, upping the ante with each round.
Day 2 - Chilla Jones vs. Cee Major
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Even since battlers started league hopping, there’s been a long-standing tradition of “street rapper vs. nerd rapper” battles. This was something similar, although you might not guess who was who from the picture. Cee went in on Chilla for his private school background; Chilla brought mostly nameflips and British-themed associative schemes.
Standout Bars
"I'll punch your mom in her son's lip." - Pedro
"Just be advised of how many shots fly when I fire led, cuz y'all get it like the time difference — five a head." - Lotta Zay
"When we have ideas it's not a lightbulb that appears, it's a chandelier." - Shuffle-T/Marlo
"Eight years you've been battling. You've been pushing bars and ain't open doors like a fire exit." - Quill
"He better hope that peace/piece be with him, Salam Alaykum." - Big T
Top moments
American Splendor
Chilla Jones, Eurgh & DNA. Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Last year’s 5BW event was a bit of a catastrophe, mostly thanks to the international guests. Daylyt and The Saurus didn’t make it past the border and were quick to publicly fault the league for it. The emcees who did make it were largely unprepared and unimpressive. Dizaster left a trail of destruction behind him everywhere he went.
It was bad enough that DF stopped inviting North American emcees almost completely, focusing instead on an insular approach of cross-country tours and honing local talent.
6BW's international guests all showed out (except for Bonnie Godiva and Yung Ill, who both cancelled) and provided just the right amount of competition to keep most battles debatable.
Grime Round + Zen’s Rebuttal
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Zen and Dialect's "grime" round was a Top 10 moment for everyone I consulted with after the event, but to me it sounded like one of O-Red's "translations" before he actually interprets it. With the thick patois, the rapid delivery and the crowd roaring, I couldn't make out anything they were saying, though I was told later by several people "it doesn't matter what they're saying, it's how they're saying it."
Zen's rebuttal ability impressed me more, specifically when he referenced Shuffle's line about being wary of inviting Dialect over for dinner because he'd probably bring 15 of his "goons." Zen flipped it confidently, saying 15 goons in his house isn't a dinner party, it's a home invasion.
Don't worry, it'll sound way cooler in the footage.
Big J Dropping The N-Bomb
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
You've probably already heard that Big J said "nigga" to Uno Lavoz in their battle. It was controversial and ballsy, and will ignite a ton of interesting debate, just like battle rap is supposed to do.
Soul's Showing
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
After Don’t Flop champion Tony D pulled out of the title match with Unanymous because of a family emergency, league staff scrambled and were able to get Soul to step in as a replacement. Even with less than a week's prep, Soul's lyrics were razor sharp, and his performance was spot on. He didn't go the easy route, instead bringing intricate rhyme patterns delivered expertly. His angles breaking down Unan's character in battles and on social media were just mean enough to hurt, and could take the sting out of Tony's attack when the title match is rescheduled.
DNA vs. Dotz Freestyle Battle
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Too many leagues forget how important pacing is at events to keep the crowd lively. Ten 30-minute battles in blocks of two or three with 45-minute breaks in between is a great way to tire out your audience before your main events.
The battle between DNA and U.K. off-the-top champion Dotz was only about five minutes long and was the perfect mid-course snack. It also helped that both guys are phenomenally talented at freestyling.
Mr. Re & Gemini
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
A lot of the chatter ahead of the event was that these two newcomers hadn't done enough to deserve their higher-profile American opponents. Both Mr. Re (seen above against Lotta Zay) and Gemini (seen in the photo in the top of the article against Big T) were able to hold their own and kept things competitive and debatable. Their impressive showings should earn them new respect and fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ogmios Picking Up Nils
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
Near the end of a low-key mirror match between two of scene's most laid-back emcees, Ogmios referenced the time Nils was picked up by Pat Stay in a battle, saying that Nils enjoyed it because he could imagine himself as Rose from "Titanic."
As his closer, Ogmios gave Nils a hug and then pretended to attempt to lift him, before ultimately giving up, concluding that Nils was "too tough."
The crowd
Photo by Henry Mansell for BattleRap.com.
The Leeds audience lived up to its reputation of being enthusiastic, patient and unbiased in their reactions.
The Soused Scouse Vs. The Rambling Russian
The funniest battle of the weekend happened about an hour after everyone left on Day 2 and was witnessed by about a dozen people: an incredibly inebriated Eek and Oshea fought for camera time while DF shooter Liam "Body" Bagnall filmed a Drop for the DF Extra channel.
Eek rapped. Oshea climbed all over him, danced in circles, and started yelling "HEROIN! HEROIN! HEROIN!" to the beat as he flashed the camera something that looked more like a shard from a shattered stained-glass window than black tar.
And guess what? It's out now:
This
DF Sixth BEurghthday.
Final Thoughts
Battle rap is alive and well in the U.K. The vibes were positive, the crowd was engaged and the battles mostly lived up to or surpassed expectations. Can't wait to come back again.
What were your favorite moments from the weekend? Let us know in the comments sections below.
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