KOTD's Blackout series has become one of the most innovative and anticipated events on the battle rap calendar. Already known for massive match-ups, the event took a twist two years back when KOTD announced the battlers involved with the card but not their opponents. Though the card leaked the first time around, KOTD was able to keep the match-ups a surprise last year and it brought something new and exciting to the game.
Here are five ideas for match-ups for this year's event, going down Feb. 19-20 in Toronto. As usual, we tried to pick (semi-)realistic pairings and left off anyone with known (or suspected) border issues (i.e. Bigg K, Caustic and Hollow Da Don).
We'll have more on the title match if/when it's announced, but by our estimation, the shot should go to Rone.
Dizaster vs. Daylyt
Like many main event match-ups, this would be less about compatible styles and more about two names being so big that they have no choice but to clash. Strangely enough, this might be a good time to pit these (ex?) friends against each other, even if it does sound like something more likely to happen in a dimension other than our own (or a repeat of "Road To Total Slaughter.")
Even though they go way, way back as members of the Krack City crew, Diz and Day aren’t currently on the best terms — at least, that’s what it seems like. From their run-in following the Math Hoffa incident, and their exchanges at "Back To Basics 2," it appears that they're not as close as they used to be. (That said, they still managed to work together for "Virus" so maybe we're overreacting.) Because their styles are markedly different, this maybe-genuine conflict could serve as the driving force of the battle, and it would definitely be worth it if it brought out the best in them.
Despite the amount of outrageous antics he pulls, Day hasn’t found himself in too many grudge matches. It’s actually kind of hard to imagine him in one due to the often non-specific material he usually has for his opponents. But have you heard him in these diss tracks lately? Who knew he had personals? A fully prepared Daylyt that specifically attacks his opponent — someone he's known for more than decade? Yep, sounds good.
No matter how many times he says he wants less tense matches, Diz thrives on these sorts of battles (check him versus Gjonaj for a recent example). He’s never shied away from personals, but trying to match Day’s frenetic punch style would probably put him in rare form. Love him or hate him, Diz has been on his A-game recently and undoubtedly wants to continue his streak with big names in 2016.
Pat Stay vs. Pass
How do you follow up a battle with Hollow Da Don? From the looks of a recent Facebook post from Pat Stay, it seems like his answer is "with a classic."
Thankfully Pat seems more interested in a worthy opponent rather than just a big name, and who else from KOTD aside from Pass really deserves to battle Pat right now? The Oakland emcee arguably hasn’t lost this year (unless that time versus Caustic in the basement counts), he’s already somewhere in the mix for the chain, and his mile-long resume speaks for itself.
After the frustration of Pat vs. Hollow being cut short, now would be the time for Pat to stop worrying about getting the biggest name possible and aim for a classic (and remember, Hollow probably can’t cross the border, so a rematch won’t likely take place at Blackout anyway). This year, the options when battling Pass seem to be make a classic or lose, so Pat would really have to show up. He gives 100% effort in every battle he’s involved with (even when he’s complimenting other men), but that begs the question of how he would go at Pass.
What really makes this match-up interesting is the unique challenges these battlers pose to each other. Pat loves to show off his flippity-bippity flow and multi dexterity at least once per battle, but how’s that going to look alongside Pass’ grittier approach to essentially the same tactic that usually permeates his entire battles? Also, what the hell kind of angles do you take on Pass?
Pat is used to drawing from a wealth of material in terms of breaking his opponents down, but Pass seems damn near impossible to clown. On the other hand, battling Pat, especially in Canada, would force Pass to give his most crowd-pleasing performance yet for fear of being out-performed. Though clearly a better look for Pass, this represents an occasion for both to prove their adaptability.
The Saurus vs. Iron Solomon (Rematch)
You might have seen footage of these two battling years ago (you know, the one where everyone accused Iron Solomon of making The Saurus freestyle while he was prepared with written material). Those allegations aside, what should have been a colossal display, especially at the time, turned out rather underwhelming. Now, after fully redeeming his Murda Mook performance by showing out against Daylyt, this seems like the right opportunity for Iron to face Saurus properly.
If you’re an asshole, you’ll probably look at this as a battle between two washed up legends. In reality, they’re both coming off fire performances — in Saurus’ case, several this year — even if their styles no longer represent the gold standards they once did.
In his recent, probably classic Fresco battle, we got a mostly bars-only approach from Saurus. It says a lot that he can still do that after so many years, but don’t forget how effective he’s been with angles in the past. It’s been a long time, but it’s hard to imagine him not having some things to still say to Solomon.
It’s widely agreed that Solomon is a legend who deserves big names, especially after his last battle. The problem is that, because of his distance from the scene over the last few years, many match-ups fall into the uninspired “just because” pile. Here’s one that really makes sense, and Solomon’s incredible freestyles from the Daylyt battle mean he can hang with a fellow legend in essentially all categories, just like they were supposed to do years ago.
Big T vs. Fresco
Only astute fans would see it, but this is actually a perfect match-up. Fresco is known for irreverent gun and lifestyle bars that he loosely structures around his opponents. Big T spits similar content, but he brings his own brand of absurdity that would be an ideal counterpart. Imagine Fresco's animated punchlines against T's even more animated setups and gun sounds. Classic material.
To be sure, this battle would push both sides. T would have to bring the same fire he always brings to Round 1, because Fresco's recent battle versus The Saurus shows his rounds can be deadly consistent. Fresco would probably have to move beyond just standalone punches and references, because he'd be likely to get his card pulled against someone who's directly experienced what he raps about. T has been going particularly hard in his battles lately, so it's tough to say who would have more success.
When battles have no real history, it's probably best if both emcees can have a genuinely good time with it, as in Big T vs. Rone. This definitely belongs in that category, and as a battle designed to push both sides while still guaranteeing high energy, it's a nice fit for Blackout.
100 Bulletz vs. Danja Zone
If you think 100 Bulletz is an odd choice to face someone who shot into many Top 5’s this year, you’re probably not paying enough attention. First of all, remember that of all Danja Zone’s fantastic performances in 2015, none of them have been on a big stage. Also, people seem to forget that Bulletz does a whole lot more than wordplay and schemes and, when matched against another bar-heavy opponent, he actually tends to pull away in terms of versatility. This could be a chance for Danja to prove himself in front of a large audience while Bulletz tries to take the wind from his Battler of the Year sails by being the first to truly break him down.
Bulletz attacked Chilla Jones, with moderate success, for being boring in his use of punchlines and word association, but Danja has pretty much foreclosed that possible angle at this point. Danja's recent performances have been bursting with energy, and it would be nice to see him on a platform where he has enough room to stomp around like he did against Cortez at "Duel In The Desert."
No matter how dangerous his opponent seems, you just can’t count Bulletz out. The guy clearly beat Shuffle-T in England for god’s sake. Matching Danja’s pen won't be easy, because he’s really been leaving Earth all year, but he might be able to bring things to the table that Danja can’t.
Some of the time, it’s not even clear what a certain battler's weak point is until Bulletz makes it obvious (see his use of aggression versus QP or his on-beat verse that he started against Shuffle-T by having the crowd snap and hum). Blackout is all about proving oneself, and this match-up represents an opportunity for both emcees — for Danja to continue his streak and make some fans in a new crowd and for Bulletz to garner the recognition he deserves.
What match-ups do you want to see at the event? Let us know in the comments below.
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