November was another busy month for battle rap, with simultaneous events happening in Atlanta and New York on Nov. 1, Don't Flop celebrating its sixth birthday with two fantastic days of battles on Nov. 14-15, and KOTD hosting its first Toronto show in 10 months on Nov. 22. Oh and Dizaster battled Big T in Oakland on Nov. 8, the same day Marv Won battled Charlie Clips in Detroit.
That's an insane amount to keep track of, but BattleRap.com has you covered. Click on any of the links above for a full recap of the event, or check out what individual battlers have been up to with the tags at the bottom of this article.
But now on to the best battles that dropped in November, most of which happened in September and October.
Shotty Horroh vs. Tony D
Who: Shotty Horroh (Manchester, England) vs. Tony D (London, England)
Where: Don’t Flop’s “MCRvsLDN” event at The Ritz in Manchester, England
When: Oct. 11, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: This was the biggest U.K. vs. U.K. battle ever set up and it totally delivered. BattleRap.com's Adam "Mos Prob" Felman summed up the match so perfectly in his recap of the pay-per-view that I'm just going to throw to him.
"Finally. A battle with so much hype leading to it, happening during it and following after it that actually lives up to all the expectations. Shotty Horroh is the most viewed battler in Europe right now, and Tony D the most accomplished, accolade-wise. So many matches walk themselves right into a letdown, and, truth be told, the U.K. movement has been slipping in terms of views, output and characters this year. The pressure on these two was considerable, and they absolutely lived up to the hubbub.
"Shotty Horroh opened with a biblical diatribe about sleeping giants and slowed down not a single notch for two rounds. Time out watching Loaded Lux and Daylyt battles must’ve informed a huge part of what he is writing and the way he is performing, because his bars are far sharper and his performance more varied and more wildly unpredictable than before.
"Tony D’s material, on the other hand, comes from far too real a place. He is unflappable. He is so laid-back, and so aggressive, so comfortable and so imposing that there’s nary a crack to find in his armor. His London drawl contrasted lackadaisically against Shotty’s sharp Mancunian staccato as he broke down Shotty’s lack of responsibilities and showered him with acute name flips. Tony reached the pinnacle of battle rap whilst making his opponent look silly for wanting to reach the same pinnacle. It was masterful."
Check out the rest of Adam's review here.
Born vs. Brixx Belvedere
Who: Born (Bronx, N.Y.) vs. Brixx Belvedere (Atlanta, Ga.)
Where: GO-Rilla Warfare's "The Blueprint 1.5" in Markham, Ill.
When: Sept. 19, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: When I got to GO-Rilla Warfare's "Blueprint" event outside of Chicago, all anyone could talk about was how good the previous night's main event between Born and Brixx had been.
The small-room atmosphere was perfect for the complexity of their wordplay and the crowd went bananas as they began to realize they were witnessing a classic. Both of these guys are praised for their pen games by those in the know but somehow remain under-appreciated by most fans and almost completely ignored by major leagues. This battle should change that.
Danny Myers vs. JC
Who: Danny Myers (Las Vegas, Nev.) vs. JC (Pontiac, Mich.)
Where: GO-Rilla Warfare's "The Blueprint" in Markham, Ill.
When: Sept. 20, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: This was Battle of the Night at that Chicago event I just mentioned. JC has been working like crazy throughout 2014 but hasn't been buzzing as much compared to the early stages of his career. Here he shows what made him a household name in the first place. In a pre-battle interview, JC told BattleRap.com that watching Danny Myers take on Rum Nitty made him love battle rap again, so it makes sense that he'd be inspired going up against him.
Danny, as always, brings three rounds of heavy punches and enthusiasm, and shows no signs of slowing down even with three recent battles dropping this month.
Marv Won vs. Lotta Zay
Who: Marv Won (Detroit, Mich.) vs. Lotta Zay (Long Branch, N.J.)
Where: BBE's "Duel In The Desert" at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.
When: Oct. 4, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: This battle hit the night's sweet spot with a crowd that was fully warmed up but that hadn't yet been subjected to having to witness Daylyt trying to push the previous night's dinner out onto the stage.
A lot of the live updates from the day made it seem like Marv trounced Lotta Zay, and while his material connected perfectly with the audience and his third round was fire, the battle itself looks much closer on camera.
Megadef vs. A-Class
Who: Megadef (North Hollywood, Calif.) vs. A-Class (Baltimore, Md.)
Where: GZ Battles' "The Rebirth" in Fresno, Calif.
When: Oct. 18, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: Excellent small-room battle from two guys who show off the depth of their versatility. Mega oscillates from incredibly loud to incredibly quiet, and from comedy to aggression (though stays consistently racist through most of the battle). A-Class brings back-to-back punches for three rounds, hitting with enough of them that people are already calling this GZ Battle of the Year.
Aktive vs. Miles Low
Who: Aktive (Watts, Calif.) vs. Miles Low (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Where: AHAT's Second Convention in Las Vegas, Nev.
When: Oct. 24, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: In this battle against Krack City member Aktive, Miles Low returns from a two-year hiatus to step in for his friend Jay Scott, who died two weeks before the event. The battle itself is tight, and the emotional catharsis is evident at the end of it.
Cortez vs. Danja Zone
Who: Cortez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Danja Zone (Baltimore, Md.)
Where: BBE's "Duel In The Desert" at Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Ariz.
When: Oct. 4, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: Cortez has been quietly having one of the best years in battle rap, staying consistent regardless of the quality of his opponent or the league for which he's battling. Here, his cadence and projection are on point and his performance blends hot bars and cold delivery.
Danja has long been criticized for being boring, but he does his best to ax that characterization with high-energy delivery and by using every inch of the spacious stage to his advantage.
MyVerse vs. Cee The Boss
Who: MyVerse (Orlando, Fl.) vs. Cee The Boss (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Where: Queen Of The Ring's "Murder She Wrote" event at Church Ave. Boxing Gym in New York, N.Y.
When: Oct. 26, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: Two of the most impressive up-and-coming female emcees face off in what was Battle of the Night at QOTR's most recent New York event. Both show a ton of potential.
Head I.C.E vs. K-Shine
Who: Head I.C.E (Harlem, N.Y.) vs. K-Shine (Harlem, N.Y.)
Where: SMACK/URL's "Summer Madness 4: Warm-Up" at Gramercy Theater in New York, N.Y.
When: Sept. 27, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: This was the strongest release from URL this month featuring the kind of dominant, composed performance fans have come to expect from I.C.E. His opponent, K-Shine, is the perfect foil, bringing Tasmanian-Devil-like gusto as he spins and stomps around the stage. His third-round gimmick didn't wow the crowd the same way it did against JC or DNA, but the choreography as he evolves through the early stages of hip hop is pretty impressive in the footage.
Cali Smoov vs. Young B The Future
Who: Cali Smoov (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Young B The Future (Moreno Valley, Calif.)
Where: LABattleGroundz' "Cali-Heat" in Signal Hill, Calif.
When: Nov. 15, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: These two are among the fastest rising stars on the West Coast. Young B was a standout at Snoop Dogg's "Gladiator School" and recently won AHAT's Battler of the Year award.
In the last few weeks Cali Smoov has watched Daylyt twerk at him from across the ring and fast-tracked his way into a battle with Caustic on "Ether," one of the biggest cards of the year. When that match-up was announced there were definite rumblings that Cali didn't deserve the shot, but his performance against Young B has changed enough minds that he could give the veteran Fresh Coast-er a run for his money if taken lightly.
Photo by Rob Clayton for Don't Flop.
Did we miss any hot battles? Link them in the comment section below.
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