Real Deal vs. Illmaculate: What To Expect

Get ready for a battle where both emcees might actually try their hardest to win.

FilmOn’s “Ether” event is this weekend in Los Angeles, and the world of battle rap has been steeped in “Diz vs. Cass” talk for months. But let’s not forget how unpredictable these industry crossover battles can be … Many other match-ups on the card could end up stealing the show. One that firmly belongs in this category is Real Deal vs. Illmaculate, which begs the question: “How has this never been set up before?”

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Both of these guys are enduring Grind Time vets, and although Illmac tends to be a bit more intellectual (“nerdy,” if you’d like) with his material, this is almost a mirror match. Both RD and Illmac favor breaking their opponents’ characters down rather than just threatening them, and they are both really, really good at it. They can justifiably be called masters of angles in this game, and that’s where things get interesting.

Photo by Osej Serratos for BattleRap.com. Real Deal vs. Daylyt. Photo by Osej Serratos for BattleRap.com.

In contrast to Illmac’s more scholarly approach, RD is known for making matter-of-fact observations about his opponents that cut right to their core in a way that no one saw coming. He’s called the “working man’s emcee” for a reason, and he may be just the guy to take Illmac’s literary style down a few pegs. Facing RD’s incisive approach, Illmac may even come off looking a bit preachy, à la Mook vs. Lux II. But he’s a clever dude, and it’s tough to imagine him readily falling into that trap. Aside from that, he’s got his own reasons to bring something big and unexpected to the table.

Recently, Illmac has been the victim of an increasingly problematic phenomenon: beating unmotivated battlers, only for them to declare the match unimportant and harbor support for their laziness from fans eager to make excuses for them. That trend is corny, but rest assured that nothing like that will happen with this battle; both are fierce competitors and there’s just too much to prove on both sides.

Photo by Osej Serratos for BattleRap.com Illmac vs. Charlie Clips. Photo by Osej Serratos for BattleRap.com

RD has had similar troubles. Although he’s typically able to get a serious performance out of his opponents —with the exception of that one guy who tried to defecate on stage — he has been pretty notoriously ducked by much of the URL (and cancelled on at the last minute by Ill Will at back-to-back KOTD events). Check out his third round versus Rone to get a feel for his frustration, which is more than understandable. When an opponent finally did show up, RD and Chilla Jones ended up having one of the most competitive battles of the year.

Keeping these plights in mind, it’s clear that RD and Illmac will be nothing short of at each other’s throats, if only for the sake of having a classic. There’s no doubt that they’ll each attack the reasons for the other’s URL-neglect, and who knows what else. Simply put, there will be no slacking in this battle, and it should be a dope back-and-forth with plenty of angles and rebuttals. Here’s to hoping this new platform gets them (and gives them) both the respect they deserve.

Check out all our "Ether" coverage, including The Saurus vs. Arsonal and Bigg K vs. Conceited.

Who do you think will take it? Let us know in the comments below.

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