Ave vs. Rum Nitty: What To Expect

Chances are this battle will launch at least one new URL star. Hopefully two.

As Ave and Mike P took the stage at URL's Perfect Day PGs, I leaned over to T-Top and said: "This battle is THE battle."

"But what if it's not?" he asked me through his gold-plated grin.

"If it isn't, I'll retire from battle rap," I responded.

And now here I am writing this article.

By now, most people recognize the star potential of Norfolk, Virginia emcee Ave, who took the clear consensus win in that battle. Most of the debate afterwards was about which veteran Ave should face first on URL's main stage, with names like Shotgun Suge and B-Magic getting tossed around.

Ave vs. Mike P.

Ave's next test will be against Rum Nitty at "Born Legacy 2," URL's new small-room series going down on March 6 in New York.

Rum Nitty is not an easy stepping stone though. The Arizona rapper was on the fast track to being one of KOTD's Fresh Coast favorites with match-ups against O-Red and B-Magic but now he seems to be taking the URL route after well-regarded West Coast performances against Chess and Steams.

His first appearance on the East Coast is a crucial one though, and with it, Nitty will attempt to bring to his side the URL fans who aren't impressed until an emcee proves himself in front of a New York crowd.

Though the location may be new to Nitty, the style of opponent isn't. He's stood in front of highly intense deliveries before, most recently Chess and Steams, but don't forget that his breakout battle was against Danny Myers in 2013. In that battle, Nitty tried to match Danny Myers' energy, which is something along the lines of trying to outrun a freight train.

Rum Nitty vs. Chess.

In his more recent battles, Nitty seems more confident in his own style, maintaining his aggression but giving his bars more room to breathe, seemingly unaffected by whether or not the crowd catches them. The closer you look at Nitty's writing the more complex it gets; his metaphors are rarely obvious ones, and while he excels in originality, he sometimes risks losing crowd reaction with cryptic references.

Ave's writing is strong too, but his biggest strengths are his directness and the sheer amount of punches he's able to pack in a round. He's so relentless that the crowd sometimes turns his average punches into haymakers, reacting purely to the cumulative impact.

Ave is a wrecking ball while Rum Nitty is a controlled demolition. Both can be devastating, but the winner will ultimately depend on the crowd's preference on March 6. It'll be tough for Nitty to win in the room if Ave is able to catch fire the same way he did against Mike P and Nunn Nunn, but there's a good chance Nitty's writing will shine enough to catch the win on footage.

Chances are this battle will launch at least one new URL star. Hopefully two.

So again, I say: "This battle is THE battle."

Predictions? Let us know in the comments below.

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