King Of The Dot owner Organik posted the following on Facebook today (Jan. 31):
Organik has dropped cryptic boasts about events before, only to see hype spin out of control until fans are positive that Drake and Meek are about to battle, but he doesn't generally state things as strongly as the message above.
This is the league that put together Dumbfoundead vs. Conceited, Daylyt vs. Iron Solomon and Dizaster vs. Canibus, so "the biggest battle in KOTD history" is a pretty substantial claim.
Obviously, we've seen mega match-ups fall through in the past, and presumably sending contracts is only the first step in a long march towards two emcees actually standing across from each other in the ring.
Though very few really know who's battling (or if the match-up is for February's "Blackout 6" event or a card after that), everyone is already starting to speculate.
Here are some potential options for what the match-up could be:
Pat Stay vs. Hollow Da Don
Generally in battle rap, the first time two battlers meet in the ring is the one that is the most anticipated. Rematches are often seen as unnecessary and are rarely expected to live up to the original. Pat vs. Hollow is a bit different though. Immediately after the conclusion of the (unexpectedly) one-round battle in December, fans began to express their annoyance at the circumstances of the battle, and many asked for a rematch. The way that the battle went down likely added intrigue, and would tie into a storyline, something KOTD has been historically fond of.
Why it would be the biggest ever
Hollow is often regarded as not only the best in the world at the moment, but by many as the greatest battler of all time. This claim has come from a myriad of different people, often representing a variety of different battle rap preferences. Street crowds like Hollow, crowds who like jokes like Hollow, people who only want to see big names like Hollow, even people who would appreciate the previous freestlye era over the written one like Hollow. His versatility draws in large crowds, and he has some of the biggest and best performances in battle rap history.
Pat Stay is by a considerable margin the best battler in Canada, and the most important battler in KOTD’s history. In the formative years of KOTD Pat was the most highly regarded member of the roster and for many fans, granted the league legitimacy. When he stepped into crossover battlers with people who were not generally regarded as KOTD rappers, he more than held his own, and he proved himself able to compete with anyone. This is a dream match in the minds of the vast majority of KOTD’s core fan base.
Supporting evidence
Pat and Hollow's rematch seems inevitable. KOTD would be the company most likely to put it together, and given Pat’s status in KOTD, it would probably mean the most on that stage. (Hollow’s status transcends any one league, and as such he is less of a consideration). KOTD staff member Nikiya Osborn — the man responsible for the "Massacre" event — tweeted the following after the first battle:
Who thinks I should offer pat and hollow the opportunity to do this battle the right way?
— Nikiya (@nikiyao) December 7, 2015
It’s entirely possible that this battle could still happen, but it might be better suited for "Massacre 2" (or whatever that event will be called if it happens).
Daylyt vs. Loaded Lux
This is a match-up that fans have been talking about for years. In an article previewing Daylyt vs. Iron Solomon, I wrote that a win over Solomon, who is a contemporary of Loaded Lux’s, would raise Day’s stock, and would provide a sort of backstory to the battle. Lux is a legend, and in many people’s eyes the best ever, but at the moment, there doesn’t appear to be any incredibly logical battle for him to take (though Aye Verb and Goodz have been rumored), besides perhaps this one.
Why it would be the biggest ever
Loaded Lux is Loaded Lux. The analysis could almost stop there. Lux has unmatched respect in battle rap, with him being so amazingly influential in the DVD era, and making a comeback and still being top tier in the current era. His modern-era battles against Calicoe, Hollow Da Don, Murda Mook and Charlie Clips were all highly anticipated, important, and historic.
Plus he's never graced the KOTD stage. Getting a legend like Lux to appear on their stage would be very impressive for KOTD, and given that Organik goes back so far in the battle rap scene, this would be seen as an even greater personal accomplishment.
Daylyt is perhaps the battler with the greatest constant potential of virality. For better or worse, he's one of the few battlers whose name makes its way to mainstream publications, and that level of exposure is very good for the company. He, like Lux, puts large amounts of theatrics into his performances, and again like Lux, is blessed with skill that puts most to shame. Day can never be written off as a gimmick, and neither can Lux. They’re in a way amazingly similar, while being nothing alike.
Supporting evidence
Like Pat vs. Hollow, there appears to be a certain degree of inevitability surrounding this battle. Even if the Facebook status isn’t referring to these two, there is reason to believe a status similar to this one day will. URL may be apprehensive to book Day in the future, due to past adverse experiences, and most other leagues wouldn’t be able to secure the resources, so it makes KOTD a reasonable destination for this battle. While the two have gone back and forth for ages, Daylyt tweeted just a few days ago:
Both Day and Lux are very strategic, and the timing is incredibly interesting. Could it be that this has been in the works for a little while (as Loaded Lux hinted at recently), and the two have put in an effort to build anticipation?
Madchild vs. Snak The Ripper
To a sizable portion of the viewing audience, this likely won’t seem like it would be a battle that would garner such hype from Organik, but for a portion of the Canadian hip-hop community, this would be a huge moment.
Snak the Ripper and Madchild are rappers from Vancouver who engaged in a beef including a series of diss songs aimed at each other in 2015. Snak accused Madchild of lying about getting sober, and claimed his Battleaxe Warriors group was an attempt to exploit his fan base for money. The beef seems to have quieted down now, but given the intensely personal nature of the feud, that was probably necessary before the match was actually feasible.
Why it would be the biggest ever
This would be relevant mostly because of where it would likely be held. While many assume Organik is referring to a battle that will take place in Toronto or the U.S., this battle makes the most sense for the Vancouver division. It’s very unlikely that any battle would mean more to the local scene than this would in Vancouver. Both are relevant artists from the city with considerable influence in Western Canadian hip-hop.
Both would bring their own considerable fan bases with them too. Madchild has a large following who refer to themselves as Battleaxe Warriors, and Snak The Ripper is part of a similar group who call themselves the Stompdown Killaz.
Supporting evidence
Perhaps more than one would think. Madchild has already battled twice for KOTD, so battling isn’t something that he would avoid. Moreover though, the beef had involved KOTD in one way or another from the early parts of it. Madchild posted a challenge to Snak for a KOTD battle:
http://instagram.com/p/9iFmsvTNFi/
Snak’s response indicated that he too, offered KOTD to host the beef in some capacity, as he posted on Facebook last October:
“Those of you asking about a @KOTD battle, let me say this: Thats not gonna happen. I offered this beef to KOTD already just 2 days ago, and they didn’t want any part of it. So now that shit has hit the fan, I’m sure they will ask me to make it happen. Too bad, they already had their chance. The battle has already begun.
I’m not going to give another organization (KOTD) the opportunity to benefit financially from this battle.. especially when I already gave them the opportunity to do so.”
If the financial arrangements have been sorted out, it’s entirely possible the match-up could happen.
Drake vs. Murda Mook
This is, admittedly, not at all likely, even though it was a battle that apparently almost happened at "Blackout 5." Mook has taken a few shots at Drake over the last couple of years, and though there isn't much of a backstory behind the match-up, there is reason to believe that Drake may be interested on some level.
Why it would be the biggest ever
We could talk about Mook’s resume. We could talk about how he is a legend in battle rap, respected by all, and still a battler who is worthy of the attention of the entire battle rap community. All of those things are true, but none are what make this the biggest ever. This is all about Drake. Perhaps the most popular musician in the world, Drake would bring an unprecedented level of mainstream publicity to battle rap.
Supporting evidence
It sounds crazy that this could happen, but it almost did. In an exclusive interview with our editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell, Mook explained the circumstances surrounding the battle that almost was. From Drake’s perspective, after taking what is seen as a dominant win in a diss war with Meek Mill, his confidence may be at an all-time high. In his mind, there may be no better time to actually battle. A loss carries risk, but a win may solidify himself as not just a popular rapper, but a feared one.
If this sounds like a long shot, that’s because it is. It is incredibly unlikely that this will be the battle Organik is referring to, and it is equally unlikely that Drake ever battles. But it seemed impossible before and nearly happened.
Want more? Go check our picks for KOTD's best battles of 2015, all of our "Blackout 6" coverage, or our year-end interview with Organik.
What do you think the match-up could be? Speculate wildly in the comments below.
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