It’s been six years since DNA rapped after Dirtbag Dan at a cypher in Florida at Grind Time’s “Grizzlemania.” At the time DNA was a teenager with only two on-camera battles released, in his first out-of-town match-up against a then 16-year-old Lil Farnum. Though Dirtbag Dan was away from his home coast at the event, he was still one of the stars, recording a huge win over Mosh Jelton and finding time to be in a now-legendary 2-on-2 battle where he partnered with Soul Khan against Real Deal and Fresco.
The tables have somewhat turned since that event. DNA is now one of battle rap’s most popular battlers ever. Amassing more than 27 million views, he is currently #3 on Versetracker’s list of the most-viewed battlers in the U.S. and is still barely in his mid-20s. To add to that, he currently is one half of KOTD’s most-viewed battle ever against Dizaster (with more than three million views). It’s undeniable; the kid generates numbers.
Armed with the ability to freestyle punchlines and wordplay at almost any moment, along with some of the best aggression and performance abilities in battle rap, DNA is always a threat. He’s also one of the few emcees who seems to be making a living off of battle rap, doing close to one battle a month for the past two years. Turning battling into a career is an aspect he shares with his opponent, Dirtbag Dan.
Dirtbag Dan is someone who has grinded for the entirety of the written era of battle rap, and is one of the nicest and hardest-working people you will ever meet. He comes from the era where battling was a way to get your music heard, and he has successfully done that. Traveling the world doing performances and having a song at #1 on Snoop Dogg’s Underground Heat, Dan has made battle rap work for him. Even in terms of media, The Dirtbag Dan Show rivals AngryFans Radio as one of the most popular outlets in battle rap. It also frequently uses DNA as a punchline, with Dan's impression of the Queens emcee becoming a fan favorite.
But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Dirtbag Dan recently in the ring. This is his first three-round solo battle in almost two years after the now infamous “bird bars” round against Rone and his weakest ever performance against DNA’s partner in crime, Charlie Clips. He rebounded with a standout performance in a 2-on-2 against Marlo and Shuffle-T at “Battle Of L.A. 5,” but this battle with DNA has more on the line after the years of trash talk.
This is an important battle for both DNA and Dirtbag Dan. For DNA, this is an opportunity to show why he’s generated so many views and that he is still one of the best the league has seen. With a battle the same day against 40 B.A.R.R.S. and one last week against Serius Jones at NOME 5, DNA’s road is not an easy one, but he seems to do best when faced with a challenge.
As for Dan, you can expect him to bring back some of the classic humor that made him one of the biggest names ever in Grind Time. He’s constantly on the pulse of trends in battle rap, as illustrated by his critiques on The Dirtbag Dan Show. Expect him to not just make jokes, but to also showcase some Grade-A punchline writing and poignant criticisms of current battle rap fads. This is a chance at redemption for his loss to Charlie Clips, and Dan can be expected to be performing at his best.
And, hey, this match-up has been six years in the making. They just didn’t know it until now.
Predictions? Let us know in the comments below.
{{ comment.author.name }}
{{ reply.author.name }}