5 Match-Up Ideas For URL's "Summer Madness 5"

SM5 fever has been going strong for a while now, and it feels like the trailer could drop at any minute. Before it does, we figured we'd try our hand at some match-making.

Here are some picks for battles we'd like to see. Some might happen, others seem like an impossibility at this point, but we can always dream.

LOADED LUX VS. CHARLIE CLIPS

For the past few months, this match-up has been hinted at by both Harlem emcees and URL league owners. At one point it was announced by Clips on Instagram and then quickly "un-announced" by Beasley. We'll see if it has come together or not once the official trailer drops. With both parties arguably coming off respectable losses, there’s more at stake than your average notch on a battle rap belt. Two legendary legacies are on the line.

“I don’t chase nobody” is what Clips said about potential next steps on his journey to solidify his spot in the God Tier of URL in a cocky VladTV interview after his SM4 body bag performance. Whelp, after his NOME 5 showing it might be time to start chasing or get left behind.

Now here’s the real beauty of this battle: with the holes exposed in both Clips' and Lux's styles in their last bouts, we're bound to see reinvention, reinvigoration and fresh tactics from both.

Will Lux drop the preacher style and get back to the grey hoodie and gun bars? Will Clips bring a full three rounds and a less predictable element to his performance? Hopefully we'll find out at SM5.

SHOTGUN SUGE VS. HITMAN HOLLA

Yeah, yeah, this one is so bogged down with politics now that it's unlikely we'll see it anytime soon, but it's still worth talking about.

April 20, 2013: “Hitman and his brother, I would have fucked both those niggas up/ Drag both them to the roof and made both those niggas jump.” – Shotgun Suge, against Bill Collector

That’s the bar that sparked one of battle rap's genuine rivalries. Against Conceited at NOME 3, Hitman responded with: “Fuck Shotgun Suge, when have Suge gun shot!?” The back and forth then spilled over to the Internet for a while with a few tweets then died out. Just when we thought it was all over, both parties were back to taking shots. Hitman revived the feud again at SM4 vs. Suge's fellow New Jerseyan Tsu Surf and Suge fired back vs. Saga at "Rookies vs. Vets" and ended his standout performance against T-Top at "Redemption" yelling "WHERE THE FUCK IS HITMAN HOLLA AT?"

The fans aren’t only interested in who can out bar who. There’s a physical element to this battle. Will Suge pocket check Hitman? And if so will Hitman’s little brother ShowwOutt step up like he has in the past? Of course deep down we all just want to see a good old fashion clean battle but like it or not all the extra shit makes for a really dope SM5 match-up.

With all the buildup, hopefully this match-up goes down someday, even if it's not on this year's card.

O’FFICIAL VS. MS. HUSTLE

It’s been 14 months since Ms. Hustle (AKA The First Lady of URL) has graced the stage. Think of her as the alpha female anaconda of the URL jungle. Smack lets her loose about once a year for her annual feeding, which usually consists of the hottest female battle rapper of the moment. She is due for her next meal.

That’s where O’fficial comes in. Forget the fact that O is a female for a minute… For ANYONE to battle on a card with legends like Hollow Da Don, Charlie Clips and Aye Verb and come out with many fans declaring that you had performance of the night — that’s a big fuckin' deal.

With all this done on Hustle’s stage, it's only right the two meet. They both deliver their schemes and punches with that in-your-face aggression their last opponents lacked. If O’fficial wastes no time heading back to the drawing boards after NOME 5, I see no way this match-up can disappoint.

CALICOE VS. TAY ROC

This is another match-up that has been bubbling at the surface of the battle rap consciousness for a while, and the SM5 stage would be a perfect place to settle things. In some ways, Tay Roc has stepped into the role Calicoe vacated in his absence from the league over the last couple of years. Around NOME 5, there was talk that Tay Roc would be facing Conceited at SM5, but Calicoe's raw aggression and straight-forwardness match up much better against the Maryland emcee's similar style than Con's witty wordplay. Only time will tell if the league agrees.

MURDA MOOK VS. HOLLOW DA DON

Again, this one isn't likely to materialize this year, but it's one of those match-ups that HAS to happen so let's break it down.

Think Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant. Most fans of the DVD era will argue Mook is the GOAT, while most fans of the YouTube era will argue it's Hollow. After Hollow’s classic vs. Lux last year at UW's "High Stakes" and recent clear 2-1 win over the then-considered “untouchable when prepared” Charlie Clips at NOME 5, even the biggest Hollow haters had to admit his time has come. As far as the SMACK/URL side of the battle world there is really no one left for Hollow to prove himself against.

This is actually more of the battle for King Of New York when you think about it. Mook clearly beat Lux in their rematch at "Total Slaughter." Mook no longer shares the spot at the top of the food chain with Loaded Lux, making him the one to beat for the crown. At that point Hollow already made Lux — who at the time was fresh off his god-like return at SM2 — seem mortal in a highly debated classic with most fans edging the win to Hollow for dissecting Beloved’s whole style. A few months later, SM4 happened and Charlie Clips advanced in the unofficial tournament for King of N.Y. with a nasty body bag over T-Rex.

After Hollow vs. Clips was booked and announced for NOME 5, Mook went on and announced he would battle whoever won. Although Clips' third round had most fans walking away from the venue calling it a debatable, the footage dropped and Hollow picked up the consensus W. When comparing attributes like angles, performance and unpredictability, this battle almost makes too much sense.

What battles do you want to see at SM5? Let us know in the comments below.