King Of The Dot's Fresh Coast division has confirmed the third installment of its small-room "Back To Basics" event, going down Oct. 24. The typically L.A.-based series is heading to San Jose for the first time, and with the move, we may see a slight shift of focus from KOTD's SoCal roster to more Northern California emcees.
Because it’s in the Zae, we may see the rescheduled battle between Dirtbag Dan and DNA that was originally slated for "MASSacre," and hopefully some of the highly anticipated battles that have fallen through recently such as The Saurus vs. Math Hoffa and Carter Deems vs. Head I.C.E.
Here are our picks for potential match-ups at the upcoming event.
Caustic vs. Bigg K
With big battles, festival performances, and now KOTD-produced merch, it seems like Rone is the obvious choice as the next contender for the chain. But who's next after he gets his shot?
Right now, I'd say all signs point to Caustic. His last 10 battles or so have been either debatable or clear victories, and his last-minute clash with Arsonal at "MASSacre" proved he can compete with the biggest names. Next he needs a battle with stakes high enough to add some serious steam to his title run, and Bigg K could be the guy to give him that.
Norfolk, Va.'s Bigg K has been on a tear since his KOTD debut against Illmaculate in 2013, but hasn't been in the ring as much this year. His only major league battle so far in 2015 has been with Ill Will at "MASSacre," which the majority of fans called battle of the night and a clear 2-1 victory in his favor.
Caustic's trademark of going the personal route may be tougher here too, since K tends to keep his private life completely separate from battling, and, as he showed against Ill Will, his rebuttal game is strong enough to neutralize direct attacks.
Oh, and good news: it's actually happening.
Pnut vs. Big Kannon
Pnut has yet to follow up his outstanding performance against Xcel at the first "Back To Basics," although he was actually supposed to battle JC at BTB2, but passed because of scheduling issues and the battle went to Psycoses. The long-serving West Coast emcee is ready for an opponent who can bring more views to his name, while simultaneously matching his impressive pen.
Big Kannon may be that guy, since he never takes an opponent lightly, proven by his great KOTD debut against Chedda Cheese and his excellent bout with Raptor in the U.K.
This would be a battle between two under-the-radar veterans who constantly bring their A-game to the table, in both writing and performance.
Fresco vs. Cadalack Ron
The new, sober "Caddy 3.0" is a different type of machine, with flawless performances and great rebuttals, and after his dominant showing against Sicarii at BTB2, he deserves a bigger name. Lately he's taken a lot of match-ups that have led to racially charged battles, and although those controversies get people talking, he could use a quality opponent who inspires him to be something other than racist.
Fresco is fresh off his 2-on-2 with Real Deal against the Kannons at Don't Flop Chicago, which was not only a great battle, but a reminder that he's been doing the modern “bar-out” style of battling since Grind Time.
This is a match-up between two veterans who are worth watching every time they step in the ring, and two distinct personalities that could clash in incredible ways.
Kudos to you if you knew that they've actually already squared off (in what No Coast says is the first ever writtens-on-beat battle), but that was disastrous enough that a rematch seems worthwhile.
Tantrum vs. Psycoses
Psycoses is KOTD's top up-and-comer right now. His style is dynamic – it often feels like he’s winning battles with the sheer amount of content he can jam-pack into a round. His resume boasts a ton of clear wins, and some fans even gave him performance of the night on Day 1 of WD5.
Still, he has yet to face a rapper with the aggression and substance that Tantrum brings. The Grind Time vet has a similarly furious multi-heavy style to Psycoses, but in each battle, he brings gut-wrenching angles that tear to the core of his opponent (just watch his showing against Illusion Z for evidence). Tantrum hasn’t battled on KOTD since his well-regarded clash with A Class at BOTB6 nearly two years ago, and the West has been murmuring about his eventual return ever since.
This would be a feverishly paced battle that could be both a perfect test for Psycoses’ ability and a potential comeback for Tantrum in the modern era.
Troy Brown vs. Madflex
Troy Brown is another Grind Time vet who has recently seen a bit of a resurgence, with crazy performances against Lu Cipher and Merrick City for Don’t Flop USA. KOTD fans have been asking to see him at upcoming events, and Madflex is a Bay-Area up-and-comer who would give him a great challenge.
Madflex finally made his KOTD debut against Megadef at BTB and made a solid go of it, and his buzz has been steadily building in the West Coast battle rap community.
Both of these battlers make their styles seem effortless – Troy Brown with his interwoven freestyles and Madflex with his composed rhythm and layered rhyme schemes. This could be one of those potential battle of the night contenders between two dudes who have put him in the work for this type of shot more than anyone.
Who do you want to paired up on the card? Let us know in the comments below.
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