The overarching theme in battle rap in April was building new talent, with several pared back events that focused more on up-and-coming emcees rather than over-saturated names. KOTD likely launched a few careers with the "Back To Basics" event in Los Angeles, and on the same day in New York, RBE's "Blood Sweat & Tiers 2" got strong reviews too. Lunar C made a triumphant return at Don't Flop's "Checkpoint 2" after a three-year hiatus and Soul won the league's title over Cee Major with what people are calling one of the best battles of all time.
As for releases, URL kept rolling out their popular "Rookies vs. Vets" footage ahead of NOME 5 and KOTD dropped a ton of "Blackout 5" output. Many smaller leagues put out strong material too, some of which we've included in this list, but if we missed your favorite, post it in the comments below and the most popular submission will be added to the official list in a few days.
Mr. Wavy vs. K-Shine
Who: Mr. Wavy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. K-Shine (Harlem, N.Y.)
Where: URL's "Rookies vs. Vets" in New York, N.Y.
When: March 28, 2015
Why you should watch it: In reality, all of URL’s RvV releases have been solid, but this seems to be the on-cam front-runner at the moment. This is a very debatable battle: in the building, most people edged it to Shine; on camera, most seem to be edging it to Wavy.
Wavy was relatively quick to heat up in his first round, and he had a few haymakers that rocked the building. Recently, he’s been subject to some scrutiny due to the extreme similarity between his “walking like a zombie” bar and an almost identical one in Montana of 300’s “Try Me (Remix).” Think about it though... it’s pretty tough to imagine that he intentionally bit a line from a multimillion-view video in his first round on URL.
Shine also had a solid first that most edged to him in the building, but there’s no denying that his delivery seems a bit rushed on camera. Wavy destroyed the second round, and it’s the highlight of the battle and the main reason to watch. He lost some steam in the third, however, and Shine took that round pretty convincingly. Overall, this was a very competitive back-and-forth and, despite being closer than the vets may have liked, it offers an ideal encapsulation of the event's concept.
All of the RvV releases are worth a look though. Th3 Saga vs. Shotgun Suge is great (“LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M SAVING YOU!”).
Chess vs. DNA is also well worth a watch, especially for Chess' third.
Brizz Rawsteen vs. Aye Verb adds up to a bit of a letdown, but it’s at least worth watching to see who you’re rocking with (assessments have ranged from Verb 3-0 to Brizz 3-0).
Wanna see a dead body? Check out Real Deal vs. Sno.
Daylyt vs. Madchild
Who: Daylyt (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Madchild (Vancouver, Canada)
Where: KOTD's "Blackout 5" in Toronto, Canada
When: Feb. 8, 2015
Why you should watch it: What an unusual but awesome match-up this was. It’s safe to say that pretty much no one predicted this for KOTD’s mystery "Blackout 5" event, but it sure didn’t disappoint.
Let’s get one thing clear: Madchild has had the best showing of any of the industry dudes, by a mile. Although his performance versus Dirtbag Dan was a bit cleaner, he was truly creative and had a commanding presence versus Day. He voluntarily went first, and he was colossal throughout.
Day’s performance was flawless, however, and it could be argued that he took every round. Regardless, no one seems to be doing round-by-round breakdowns for this one, simply because it was such a fun battle to watch. Madchild’s borderline-mythical references turn out to be a great match for Day’s absurdist similes and double entendres; the “child” and “daylight” flips are extremely inventive and entertaining.
This is a quintessential Daylyt performance (nursery rhyme bars included) and Madchild’s broad range of content makes the battle all the more re-playable.
Read the lyrics to it here.
The Calcium Kid vs. Oshea
Who: The Calcium Kid (Manchester, England) vs. Oshea (Liverpool, England)
Where: Don't Flop event in Liverpool, England
When: March 14, 2015
Why you should watch it: The surreally strange Calcium Kid continues to work his way up the Don’t Flop ladder, and Oshea is a logical stop along the way. Clearly, Osh was giving the fan favorite something of a shot because that’s the kind of guy he is, but it proves to be well advised.
This is a hilarious clash all around, with plenty of freestyles and bizarre non-sequiturs, but the real glory is in Osh’s third round. He embarks on an intensely detailed story involving Calcium Kid and a “sniffer dog,” and it’s essentially guaranteed to have you rolling. Osh seems exceedingly comfortable here with a particularly sharp performance, and it seems like Calcium Kid couldn’t be uncomfortable if he tried. These sorts of battles don’t necessarily define DF, but they definitely help to continually set the league apart from the other “Big 2.”
Lu Cipher vs. Troy Brown
Who: Lu Cipher (Tampa, Fla.) vs. Troy Brown (Baltimore, Md.)
Where: Don't Flop's "Resurrection Day 1" in Atlanta, Ga.
When: April 3, 2015
Why you should watch it: You might be asking, “who?” Do your research, but first, watch this battle. It could easily wear the “sleeper classic” badge, but it was clear to everyone in the building that it was going to be fire from the start of the first round.
Not to unduly narrow the battle, but this one’s all about wordplay. It’s bar after bar after bar, and Troy actually secured the much deserved Number 1 spot in DF’s “Best Punchlines of April” list as a result. Although these two emcees employ many of the same techniques as all your favorite URL battlers, there’s a whole lot more than gun bars going on. It’s a tough one to call, but most people seem to be giving it to Cipher, probably just due to his unrelenting homonyms and double entendres. If one were to complain about this battle, the grievance would probably have to be about the crowd constantly freaking out. But honestly, can you blame them? DF’s Atlanta outings have been successful on a number of levels, and bringing new American talent to light is evidently one of them.
Rone vs. Big T
Who: Rone (Philadelphia, Pa.) vs. Big T (Chicago, Ill.)
Where: KOTD's "Blackout 5" in Toronto, Canada
When: Feb. 8, 2015
Why you should watch it: In a way, style clashes are what have set KOTD apart for years, and this is a great example. Gun bars meet comedy with a surprising amount of crossover, and there’s a friendly rapport between Big T and Rone that makes this lots of fun to watch (save some slight stumbles by Rone and a couple mid-sentence “QUIET!”s by T).
T came out swinging in this display, doing enough to take the first round on most scorecards. He brought his signature gun sounds of course, but he also made a conscious effort to address Rone specifically and adapt somewhat to his style. Rone had a solid first as well, but his real strength here is in consistency. After the first round, he took over the battle fairly convincingly, including a hilarious (and cruel) third round detailing the shame and embarrassment of being overweight.
Interestingly, T had some minor antics — like dancing to Rone’s double time — during Rone’s rounds that made the battle even more enjoyable. At a couple of moments, it’s unclear whether the crowd is cheering for Rone’s lyrics or T’s response, but the result is fantastic regardless. Judging by their interactions during and after the battle, it’s clear both emcees had a good time with the clash, and it’s pretty infectious.
Also be sure to check out Kid Twist vs. Shuffle-T, another solid battle from BO5 and one with an interesting “twist” (see what I did there?).
Brooklyn Carter vs. Chess
Who: Brooklyn Carter (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Chess (Bronx, N.Y.)
Where: We Go Hard's "March Massacre 4" in Brooklyn, N.Y.
When: April 5, 2015
Why you should watch it: There’s a reason so many people watch come-up leagues like We Go Hard, and this battle is an illustrative example. Although Brooklyn Carter hasn’t quite broken through yet, he’s proven worthy of big stage consideration on multiple occasions, and this is another. Chess continues to set himself apart with wordplay, employing creativity that yields bars like: “Ya circle get hooked … Look like the Number 6!”
This is a highly debatable match and has led to the familiar but welcome response that, “the fans won.” The hunger is palpable in both these emcees, and they seem entirely unwilling to give up a round. In a sense, We Go Hard is so foundational for guys like these that winning there seems almost as important as winning somewhere like URL. Carter has an interesting flow that might be somewhat of an acquired taste, but his precision makes it worthy of a close listen. Chess again gives the impression that he might tip over from leaning so hard into his punches, but even he has to stay vehemently on point to keep up with Carter.
Craig Lamar vs. Xcel vs. Danja Zone
Who: Craig Lamar (Tampa, Fla.) vs. Danja Zone (PG County, Md.) vs. Xcel (Brockton, Mass.)
Where: Quiet Room Battles' "He Dead" in Jamaica, N.Y.
When: April 5, 2015
Why you should watch it: The Quiet Room has a good thing going with these triple-threat battles, apparently good enough to make it the official NOME 5 warm-up for URL. As is becoming a trend lately, Danja Zone steals the show, and he’s the main reason to watch this battle.
Although Craig’s bars are A-1, he could probably stand to work other sorts of material in to stagger them slightly and make them more powerful in context. That said, he’s in solid form here, splitting his attention pretty evenly between Xcel and Danja. Xcel isn't exactly at the top of his game in this one, but he still brings bars with his slightly off-kilter Boston flow.
Danja seems to bring this battle to its full potential, actually “talking to” both other emcees with plenty of aggression, and at times, disgust. He seems determined to no longer be considered a rookie, and he’s responded brilliantly to all the criticisms that befell him in the wake of his Goodz battle (looks like he’s even got some new shoes). Be sure to check his recent battle with Lotta Zay too if you want to see a bona fide bodybag.
Buretta Blaze vs. M.B.D.
Who: Buretta Blaze (Houston, Texas) vs. Mrs. Black Dyamond (Compton, Calif.)
Where: QOTR's "Sparring Session" in Long Beach, Calif.
When: April 4, 2015
Why you should watch it: At this point, you’re really missing out if you only watch male battle rap. If that’s the case, do yourself a favor and expand your horizons with this QOTR match. Buretta Blaze is something special and runs through M.B.D. pretty easily, but both emcees more than deserve your attention.
One thing is obvious: Blaze has an amazing pen game. She has punches, schemes, wordplay, the whole nine, and she exudes a confidence that could (and probably will) get her far in battle rap. Although she doesn’t seem quite as able to shake the room as she did in her debut against 8R14, M.B.D. has many of the same qualities and doesn’t slack in the slightest here. In reality, it’s pretty hard to give her a round, but calling this a bodybag would be off the mark.
A lot of people have been sleeping on these ladies, which might make them seem like they came out of nowhere. That’s relatively true for M.B.D., but Blaze has been around. Regardless, we’ll be seeing a lot more of both of them if they keep it up.
Fliiko L vs. Xcel
Who: Xcel (Brockton, Mass.) vs. Fliiko L (College Park, Ga.)
Where: Spit Dat Heat's "No Witnesses" in Decatur, Ga.
When: March 29, 2015
Why you should watch it: Spit Dat Heat drops classics. All. The. Time. This is another, and it’s pretty debatable. Most seem to give it to Fliiko 2-1, but Xcel doesn’t get washed in any round, and he takes the second fairly decisively.
Being in multiple battles in our monthly lists is an accomplishment, and Xcel’s showing here makes up for his less impressive one in the Quiet Room joint. We’ll be seeing Fliiko in URL’s Proving Grounds soon, and he’s absolutely earned it. His pen is insane, and he’s on point in every single battle (including this one). Xcel has arguably been spreading himself a bit thin with so many battles lately, but his focus is apparent against Fliiko. His second round is somethin’ crazy, and he’s always a good enough sport to appreciate hot bars, which is obviously applicable here. The brightly lit setting of this battle compliments the tone nicely: it requires a sharp focus to catch all the bars and the nuances of the performances.
There were a LOT of dope battles this month. Let us know what you think deserves the #10 slot!
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