So far all we know about "World Domination 5" are the dates (Aug. 21-23) and the venue (Toronto's Mod Club), but it won't be long before KOTD starts announcing names for its marquee summer event. The series, which has traditionally focused more on international match-ups and highlighting talent from around the wider world of battle rap, took a hiatus last year, but returns this August with two days of mainstage battles and a third dedicated to GZ bouts.
Here are a few suggestions for match-ups we'd like to see at the event. We tried to keep our picks grounded in reality and while we'd love to see something like Lunar C vs. Dumbfoundead on the card, it's not really a pairing that would sell a lot of tickets in Toronto, so we're not getting our hopes (or yours) up.
Obviously the biggest question on every KOTD fan's mind is who's getting the title shot, but that's a big enough issue that we'll address it in a separate article.
Chilla Jones (U.S.) vs. Soul (Scotland)
These two have set themselves apart as some of the best writers in the scene, and have both seen their stock soar over the last year with more matches and higher-profile opponents. Chilla seems to recognize that they're already on a collision course, calling out the new Don't Flop champ in our interview with him at "MASSacre."
Toronto has become a second (or third, technically, since he's based in Scotland) home for Soul, and the crowd there has loved him in all three of his showings. He takes every battle seriously and has proven himself repeatedly in KOTD and beyond. Time to reward his efforts — and substantial talent — with a top-tier opponent.
Rone (U.S.) vs. Kid Twist (Canada)
Rone is finally getting his due. After a string of unparalleled bad luck with opponents no-showing on him, the Philly rapper is back on track and making the most of it, putting on standout performances, one of which made him a viral sensation for a few days. He wasn't at his best against Goodz at "MASSacre," but he wasn't bad enough to impact his current runaway-train momentum too much.
Since dipping back into the scene, Twist has shown moments of greatness in his 2-on-2 against Shuffle-T and Marlo and his "Back To Basics" style clash against John John Da Don. His complex rebuttals, incisive wit and clever angles would be a perfect foil to Rone, who, like Twist, knows how to write in a way that's concise and direct enough for an audience to grasp it live.
This match-up has been a long time coming, and it still makes sense now that Rone is at the peak of his abilities and Twist has cemented his spot as a KOTD legend.
Bender (Canada) vs. Ness Lee (U.S.)
Here's another match-up where both emcees have recently called each other out, after years of fans asking for them to face off. They both write some of the densest, most intricate material out there, which is amazing when it hits, but isn't always ideal if the live crowd can't keep up.
Ty Law vs. B Magic just reminded us that some battles are more suited for small rooms, even if the names involved are worthy of the main stage. This might be one of those match-ups that is better to have as a Day 3 headliner rather than risk ruining its potential in front of an unruly crowd.
Regardless, the rappers want it.
The fans want it.
Set. It. Up.
Charron (Canada) vs. Dizaster (U.S.)
Who better for Diz's post-ban return to KOTD than Corey Charron, the Golden Boy looking for a kill after his loss to Pat Stay?
Some fans might balk at the match-up, but the pairing is guaranteed to sell out a Toronto venue, and do massive numbers online. Diz's core fan base is ravenous for his return and Charron is still the league's most successful export, having appeared on BET, URL, U Dubb and Flip Top. Sometimes diehard fans forget that there are several hundred thousand casual viewers who make up the vast majority of the battle rap audience.
Aside from some low-key appearances in Don't Flop, Charron has been mostly dormant since the title match. In the days that followed that battle, he seemed more defeated by the controversy around how the title match went down rather than by the loss itself. A battle with Diz would be a big deal for him, especially since Diz was the top emcee when Charron was starting out.
Add in the fact that they're accomplished freestylers and that it would be competitive without any added animosity and you've got a match-up that makes a lot of sense.
HFK (Canada) vs. Lex D (U.S.)
With the advent of the "wordplay" style taking over battle rap for the last couple of years, lowbrow humor has mostly fallen to the wayside. Some may see that as a good thing, but the crudeness of content from the early days of Grind Time, KOTD and Don't Flop is what first hooked a lot of fans and does seem to go hand-in-hand with the ridiculousness of two men yelling mean poetry to each other.
HFK and Lex D are two guys who have been keeping the time-honored tradition of mom jokes alive, and they are a breath of fresh air for any casual fan who isn't seasoned enough to catch every quadruple entendre on first listen.
Game Of Thrones is incredible television, but sometimes you just want to crack a beer and watch Family Guy, y'know?
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article coming soon!
Thoughts? Match-up ideas? Let us know in the comments below.
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