July was another rollercoaster month for battle rap, with URL coming out of nowhere to announce and stage their well-received "Redemption" event within a matter of weeks, Don't Flop completing their third American tour with a stop in D.C., Gjonaj finally following up on his explosive PG battle from last year, and KOTD dropping 15 separate match-up announcements for their upcoming "World Domination 5."
In other news, Shotty Horroh called out battle rap's elite in a track, to which Illmaculate responded (twice), and Daylyt road the wave of the Drake vs. Meek Mill beef expertly, first catching the hip-hop media's attention by dissing Meek in a vlog, and then netting 2.5 million views with his own VladTV-released diss track featuring a Drake imitator that many listeners confused for the real thing. Hear all those songs here.
As far as releases went, the best came from some of the scene's new talents and a few of the more under-appreciated emcees, so we're happy to be able to highlight them.
Mr. Mill$ vs. Big Kannon
Who: Mr. Mill$ (Gary, Ind.) vs. Big Kannon (Chicago, Ill.)
Where: RBE's "Blood Sweat & Tiers 2" in New York City, N.Y.
When: April 18, 2015
Like so many RBE uploads, one could argue that this is a classic. Big Kannon came with a typically sharp performance, and Mr. Mill$ more than rose to the occasion in being given a shot against the bigger name.
Both emcees were consistent throughout this clash, and there’s plenty of debate to be had as to who won. Interestingly though, this battle was judged. Mill$ ended up taking it on a split decision, probably off the strength of his second and third rounds. I was in the building for this, and Mill$’ relentless delivery, particularly in the second round, made it impossible for the crowd to calm down.
Although Mill$ generally spazzed and flipped Kannon’s name quite impressively, Kannon once again made a case for being the best name flipper in battle rap. You’ll be shocked at how creative his manipulation of mill/meal/etc. is throughout, and the rest of his content is fresh as well.
Caustic vs. Arsonal
Who: Caustic (Oakland, Calif.) vs. Arsonal (Newark, N.J.)
Where: KOTD's "MASSacre" in Holyoke, Mass.
When: May 16, 2015
Although Arsonal vs. Shotty Horroh II is now slated for KOTD’s "World Domination 5," it was originally supposed to take place in Mat at "MASSacre". This is the last minute one-rounder that replaced it when Shotty couldn’t make it into the U.S., and it features arguably the two most disrespectful battlers in the game (after Cadalack Ron).
Caustic has now earned himself the title of Shotty’s pinch hitter after replacing him versus both Aye Verb and Arsonal, and he continues to work remarkably well under pressure. Whereas Ars’ flagrant disrespect is known to take the form of shocking images and taboo sentiments, Caustic usually goes the intensely personal route. He’s ruined more than a couple careers, and he lands some very cruel haymakers here. The line that raised the most eyebrows contains the word “moolie,” an Italian racial slur.
Although it’s rather clear that Ars repurposed some of the material he was going to use for Shotty, you can’t be mad at his performance. He lands numerous punches and flows almost effortlessly for several minutes, making up for his relative lack of direct content.
Cityy Towers vs. Jimz
Who: Jimz (Queens, N.Y.) vs. Cityy Towers (Bridgeport, Conn.)
Where: iBattle's "Gods Of The Arena IV" in Hartford, Conn.
When: June 28, 2015
iBattle staple Cityy Towers is still far from getting all the respect he deserves, but he still seems to grow his devoted following every time he steps in the ring. Although Jimz has also been making a name for himself for some time, he’s been fairly easy to criticize in each of his showings. Until now.
This is, hands down, Jimz’ best performance to date, and he probably edged this battle 2-1. Whereas each of his rounds previously contained at least a couple cringe-worthy bars, there are really none in sight here. His setup/punch approach has evolved, his metaphors have sharpened, and his stream of consciousness has become more varied and intricate. About midway through the battle, he shouts, “I stepped my shit UP!” at the camera, and it’s hard to disagree with him.
Although he’s seemed a bit tense in some of his recent battles, Cityy seemed to have a good time with this one. He was clearly impressed with Jimz, but he didn’t let it take away from his own consistency. Admittedly, some of his wordplay has been done before, but he’ll do plenty to keep you interested.
Big Kannon vs. Raptor
Who: Raptor (Manchester, England) vs. Big Kannon (Chicago, Ill.)
Where: Don't Flop's "Maypril Fools" in London, England
When: May 31, 2015
Being in multiple battles of the month is a significant feat, and it speaks to the claim that Big Kannon is one of the most underrated cats in battle rap. U.K. up-and-comer Raptor’s buzz has quieted slightly while he's waited for a match-up to gel on the Don't Flop stage, but here we see him in top form.
Remember that thing about Kannon being the best name flipper there is? Still totally in effect here, and his overall performance is impressively versatile and entertaining. He does a bit more joking than usual, which is smart both in being more tailored to the U.K. crowd and in creating a foil for Raptor’s intense style.
A lot of people think Raptor sounds like Shotty, but that’s really just because they’re both from Manchester. His style is actually even more extreme in terms of multi-syllabics and complexity, but he still manages to land plenty of “unhhh”-inducing haymakers.
K-Shine vs. Aye Verb
Who: K-Shine (Harlem, N.Y.) vs. Aye Verb (St. Louis, Mo.)
Where: URL's "Night Of Main Events 5" in New York City, N.Y.
When: May 9, 2015
Spoiler alert: Aye Verb is not the reason to watch this battle. His first round is okay, but K-Shine absolutely smokes him. Shine’s performance alone makes this battle more than worth your time, and his unwillingness to lose is evident from the moment he opens his mouth to rap.
Battling in New York when you’re not from New York can be tough (hell, it can be tough even if you are from New York if your bars are trash), but it doesn’t necessarily doom you to the fate Verb met here. He made a big mistake in getting personal with Shine rather than hitting him with non-stop bars, and Shine made him pay.
Shine is his classic self in this battle: animated, aggressive, and rapping fast but not TOO fast. He does what Verb should have in crafting punchlines to fit overarching themes, which is the tried and true way to win a grudge match. Either substance or bars alone rarely add up to enough in this kind of match, and Shine demonstrates how it’s supposed to be done. We know by now that Shine performs very differently depending on how badly he wants to win, so here’s to hoping he keeps getting matches that interest him.
D Flamez vs. Nunn Nunn
Who: D Flamez (Va.) vs. Nunn Nunn (Wilson, N.C.)
Where: URL's NOME 5 PG's at Black Star Video in Harlem, N.Y.
When: May 10, 2015
This is another one-sided battle that features content good enough that it makes sense to watch it for only one person. Here, that person is North Carolina’s Nunn Nunn, who we’ll probably see on URL again after handling his PG shot.
D Flamez has potential (and has performed better in other battles), but he wastes too much time in getting to the punch. One gets the sense that he felt like he needed what turns out to be filler, but it’s only distracting and, frankly, not all that exciting. He’ll be a lot more dangerous when he tightens up his content, but he doesn’t drop the ball anywhere near badly enough to make this battle unwatchable.
Part of the reason Nunn Nunn was so successful here is that his style of punching is almost the exact opposite of Flamez’: he wastes little time getting to the punch, and his references are always forceful and direct. His style proves to be perfect for the Blackstar setting (R.I.P.), making it easy for the crowd to bug out every few seconds. So far, his only potential weakness seems to be that some of his bars are a bit too simple, sacrificing intricacy for extra oomph. That's not necessarily the wrong strategy if his goal is to rock the main stage though.
Bedaffi Green vs. Gutta
Who: Bedaffi Green (Long Island, N.Y.) vs. Gutta (Austin, Texas)
Where: Traphouse NY's "Bars Over Bullshit 3" in New York, N.Y.
When: June 14, 2015
Like so many Trap House battles, this one is extremely debatable and a low-key near-classic. Gutta once again shows he’s good for a lot more than being a front-row spectator to Gjonaj's rise to fame, and Bedaffi Green gives what might be his best performance yet.
What’s more important: staying consistent or being able to heat up? The answer to that question might decide this fight for you, as Bedaffi’s third round is probably the best of the battle despite him having been arguably outdone by Gutta in the first two. To be fair, their styles are actually quite different: Gutta is slick and complex while Bedaffi is gruff and commanding.
A lot of the time, the more abrasive method that Bedaffi employs tends to win out in small rooms, but it can never be that simple with material as strong as Gutta’s. Although footage is often the deciding factor in close battles, it really only adds another layer of complexity in this case.
Pedro vs. Pedro
Who: Pedro (London, England) vs. Pedro (London, England)
Where: Don't Flop's "Maypril Fools" in London, England
When: May 31, 2015
What better way to allow the U.K.’s most erratic freestyler to really let loose than to have him battle himself?
Half the time, Pedro’s content in battles could exist in its own reality, completely separate from the person he’s actually battling. His mind is an endless abyss of mum jokes and threats of violence, and his mastery of those subjects makes him genius. This bizarre self-sufficiency begs the question: “why bother getting anyone else involved?”
Although he oddly becomes intimidated by himself and runs short on lines toward the end, Pedro vs. Pedro proves to be just as entertaining as you’d think. In fact, some of his bars are headier and more meta than you may have expected. It makes sense, though, because his style has to be built on cleverness to work the way it does.
Dizaster vs. Edd Abbas
Who: Dizaster (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Edd Abbas (Beirut, Lebanon)
Where: The Arena's one-off in Beirut, Lebanon
When: May 31, 2015
This is one of those battles that deserves to be on this list not because of its content (which you won't understand unless you speak Arabic), but because of its overall significance.
This is Dizaster’s first ever battle in Arabic, and it took place in his hometown of Beirut, Lebanon against one of the country's elite emcees, Edd Abbas. Despite exhibiting some degree of organization, its alley setting gives it an impromptu vibe. It can’t have been too spontaneous, however, because it’s clear that Diz had to work diligently to construct hard-hitting material in another language. It may just be because he’s famous, but the small crowd erupts frequently, which probably means he was going off.
Love him or hate him, Diz is still one of the battle rap greats. Being able to sense the entertainment value in his round even when you don’t speak a lick of Arabic should prove that to you.
We've talked to the Arena league organizers about getting an English translation of the battle, but they declined after soon discussion, explaining that "a lot of what has been said could be lost in translation and misconstrued. Some things are so socially and culturally specific that it would just not make sense unless there's a footnote with a whole paragraph to explain it."
Illipsis vs. Copasetic
Who: Illipsis (Vancouver, Canada) vs. Copasetic (Vancouver, Canada)
Where: KOTD's "Up In Smoke" in Vancouver, Canada
When: May 23, 2015
It’s steadily building, but KOTD’s GZ still isn’t really known for fire battles. This, however, certainly belongs in that category and makes good use of the style for which emcees like Erik Foreman and E. Farrell have laid the groundwork.
In order to enjoy this battle, you can only take it so seriously. Copasetic is dressed as an old man (which is a lot more entertaining than you’re probably thinking it will be), and Illipsis writes fire bars that he grins through delivering while mixing high-concept literary references with promises of brutality. His writing is truly top-notch, though, no matter how absurd you might think it is for him to touch on the subjects that he does. He’s had a handful of great performances on GZ, and he'll get his biggest name yet on Day 3 of WD5 against expert freestyler Isaac Knox, although he'll likely never again reach his viewcount from a viral battle that somehow got three million plays on YouTube.
Copasetic has had some bad battles previously (and has turned his "winless" record into a point of pride), but the folks at GZ were wise to keep giving him shots. He took a big risk by taking the antics route here, but it worked for him.
Like it or not, we live in the era where that sort of technique is fair game. Hey, it could be worse: everybody could sound the same.
Did we miss any classics? Let us know in the comments below.
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