Battle Rap in February was dominated by discussion around KOTD Toronto's "Blackout 5" mega-event, but it was also a busy month for event announcements as leagues jockey for talent for their spring cards.
As for this month's battles though, we present a solid mix of comedy, lyricism and breakthrough performances, as well as a battle that's on track to be the most-viewed clash ever.
As always, you'll find more info on any of the emcees or events by following the tags at the bottom of this article.
Rum Nitty vs. Lotta Zay
Who: Lotta Zay (Long Branch, N.J.) vs. Rum Nitty (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Where: Teddy Grizzle/KOTD's "Battle Of The Bay 7" in Oakland, Calif.
When: Jan. 23, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: Although the much-hyped headliner for this event was Mistah F.A.B. vs. Arsonal, Nitty and Lotta stole the show with the near-unanimous pick for battle of the night.
Lotta likely recognizes the similarities in his and Nitty’s approach, which only seems to make him that much more determined to bar Nitty’s life away. This is a very close battle, and Lotta digs deep in his punchline book to run with some of the hardest stuff we’ve heard from him.
Nitty only seems to get stronger as Lotta’s punches continue to land, and he fires back with the requisite intensity, at times taking the crowd. If he continues to perform like this, it’s clear that he’ll cement himself as a bona fide staple in the Fresh Coast scene.
Bender vs. The Saurus
Who: Bender (Ottawa, Ont., Canada) vs. The Saurus (Las Vegas, Calif.)
Where: KOTD's "Battle Of The Bay 7" next-day one-off near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Calif.
When: Jan. 24, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: This battle took place outdoors in San Francisco after BOTB7 ran out of time with the venue. The small crowd and picturesque backdrop, however, probably make for a better product.
Bender found himself in a tough spot in this battle: forgetting his bars while everyone present wanted nothing more than for him to remember them. (Stay tuned after the credits for more bars from Bender's second). His performance is otherwise flawless and readily demonstrative of his ridiculous pen game. His attacks usually feel like brutally calculated assessments, and it's no different here.
Simply put, The Saurus is at his best in this battle. He clearly takes Bender seriously as a lyrical adversary and there's a sense that he's so zoned-in that it's impossible for him to slip up.
Check out the full lyrics to this battle here.
Tony D vs. Unanymous
Who: Tony D (East London, England) vs. Unanymous (Plymouth, England)
Where: Don't Flop's "6.5 Birthday" in Leeds, England
When: Jan. 31, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: This is Tony’s third time defending the Don’t Flop title, and it’s immediately obvious in this battle why that is the case. Tony is a monster, as we already knew, but this is actually one of his sharpest performances. In what is essentially the polar opposite of his Real Deal showing, he strolls effortlessly through a harsh character assessment, frequently dropping haymakers without a hint of hesitation.
The always-aggressive Unanymous had a tough task in matching wits with someone as level-headed as Tony, but these were undoubtedly three of his cleanest rounds to date. Even in spots where his angles weren't well received by the crowd, he charged through seemingly unfazed and didn’t miss a step.
E. Farrell vs. DOT
Who: E. Farrell (Manchester, Conn.) vs. DOT (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Where: iBattle's "I Got Next" in Rockville, Conn.
When: Feb. 15, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: E. Farrell has built a cult following with his iBattle performances, and the amount of work he’s put in to get it is evident in this performance. The dude has bars, specializing primarily in similes and clever double entendres. Creatively flipping “dot” is nearly impossible these days, but Farrell pulls it off better than most.
Dot’s style is nothing if not ambitious, and he’s in top form here. He truly puts himself out there with every line, constantly belting the type of content that could fall horrifically flat, while letting his originality and conviction largely erase that concern. If you’re a fan of energetic showmanship and borderline goofy bars, you really can’t go wrong here.
Loonie vs. Aklas
Who: Aklas vs. Loonie
Where: FlipTop's "Ahon 5" at San Juan Gym, N. Domingo, San Juan City, Metro Manila, Philippines
When: Dec. 20, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: Some might wonder why this FlipTop battle is on the list when it isn't in English, but come on — it passed two million views in two weeks.
It pits the world's most-viewed battler Loonie — who has been dormant for two and a half years — against Aklas, who has worked his way to the top of the scene in that time.
Loonie has been the top dog in the Philippines for a long time, and he doesn't have much to lose in this battle. Many were surprised that Aklas was his comeback opponent, and the match-up seems to give the clash more of an air of novelty than of reputational importance.
Aklas was scorned by much of FlipTop’s fanbase as he was starting out, but look at him now. Facing Loonie in the Philippines is a big deal, and it seems that Aklas chose to take some edgy angles that didn't disappoint.
BattleRap.com reached out to FlipTop boss Anygma to get an explanation of what was going on. Here's his breakdown of Loonie's content:
Loonie is saying that Aklas has been possessed by a demon of which he tries to exorcise in the first round (even raps a few lines in latin), a meth head, has bad breath, is a waste of time (despite having personally picked him as an opponent), is mentally challenged, a drugged out parking attendant, a talented snatcher (colloquial term for thief or pickpocket), doesn't even look like a living thing, looks like one of our recently deceased local celebrities, doesn't eat or sleep, his bones are even bigger than his body fat, tries to break down a bit of his style and also tries to outdo his style.
Read the rest of Anygma's comments here.
Daylyt vs. Uno Lavoz
Who: Daylyt (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Uno Lavoz (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Where: 413 Battle League's "Superbowl III" in Holyoke, Mass.
When: Jan 31, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: If you’re not a fan of battles that depart from the bars-only structure, don't watch this one. If you’re open to gimmicks and have some aggression to take out on Lush One, definitely do watch it.
Daylyt starts out by offering a bucket to the crowd to fund his commitment to spitting bars only. It proves to be profitable, but he doesn’t exactly put it to use here. Instead, his efforts are more focused toward dropping Lush One to the floor for his "Ether" transgressions.
Uno is very much himself in this display: an uninhibited ball of energy. Not one to be left out, he takes the opportunity to give Lush One the WWE-inspired People's Elbow.
Soljitsu & Willzy vs. Innuendo & Juke
Who: Willzy & Soljitsu vs. Innuendo & Juke
Where: Don't Flop's "6.5 Birthday" in Leeds, England
When: Jan. 31, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: This one was dubbed "the racism and cocaine battle" in our event recap. If that's not enough to convince you to click play, then read on.
Doubles matches are still very much alive in the U.K., and this is a prime example. The coordination between partners is something to behold, and there’s just enough gimmicky content to entertain without becoming burdensome.
Innuendo and Juke might just sound like two alternate versions of Oshea to the inexperienced listener, but give them a chance. They are on the same page throughout the battle, each shining at different times, and their aggressive yet jokey approach is apt for a 2-on-2.
Soljitsu and Willzy seem like the kind of duo that could eventually face off with the dreaded Shufflo. The way they bounce off each other’s flows is seriously impressive, and the constant flux of wit and aggression drives the entire show.
PH vs. Madness
Who: PH (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Madness (Orlando, Fla.)
Where: Grind Time Now's "Night Of Champions" in Orlando, Fla.
When: Dec. 27, 2014
Why You Should Watch It: This type of battle is Grind Time Now at its current best: a quick, bar-heavy, comedic back-and-forth between two cats actually trying.
PH seems eager to continue his recent streak of strong showings, performing like an updated version of himself in his prime. Over the years he’s patented a style all of his own where jokes and punches collide and become nearly indistinguishable.
Madness proves to be a perfect match for PH’s comedic/aggressive bar-blending, and here he lands more on the side of “hilarious.” Looking like you’re having a great time won’t win you a battle, but it certainly doesn’t hurt when your performance is as strong as Madness’ is in this one.
Psycoses vs. N-Pose
Who: Psycoses (Santa Clarita, Calif.) vs. N-Pose (Detroit, Mich.)
Where: GZ Battles' "Battle Of The Bay 7 (Day 1)" in Oakland, Calif.
When: Jan. 22, 2015
Why You Should Watch It: Although N-Pose has been a serious contender in GZ for a good while, this is not his best turn. His content is, as usual, very solid, but he’s lacking on the delivery front. To be fair, he’s up against some shockingly tough competition.
Psycoses has a breakout showing in this battle, and he is the first to clearly defeat N-Pose. From the jump, he rattles off Dizaster-esque multi’s with precision and cadence that simply must be acknowledged. There are a ton of “why didn’t I think of that” punches that hit very, very hard, and the “N” flips get absolutely absurd. Be on the lookout for this guy.
Snypa vs. Ace Jab Bell
Who: Snypa (College Park, Ga.) vs. Ace Jab Bell (Statesboro, Ga.)
Where: Spit Dat Heat's "Bar Savvy" in Atlanta, Ga.
When: Jan. 3, 2015
Are you getting tired of us singing the praises of Spit Dat Heat yet? We hope not, because at the rate the Atlanta league is putting out incredible battles, it's going to be happening regularly. Here, Snypa sets himself apart as another standout from the league in only his third battle.
Seems like people are noticing too, because this release got the most votes in our "choose the tenth spot on February's best battles" contest.
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Also check out the month's best battle rap music and last week's editions of the best from battle rap Twitter and Instagram.
Did we miss any classics? Leave a link in the comment section below.
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