No Bias. No Narratives.
Recap: The ‘Craig/Friday’ name flips are at this point a no-brainer. But an otherwise gritty, wordplay/personal-spicy and back-to-back punch-lit performance by Steams gets him a 30 over a solid at times, but also flow-challenged to the point of choking away his 3rd round Craig Lamar in this App Exclusive battle from URL.
Verdict: Steams (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Steams – “You more metro than a San Francisco trolley!”
Recap: Nice, gritty effort here by the-returning-to-the-scene and off-the-dome feen AR-16. But one too many pedestrian bars by AR, plus a heavily loaded with the heat and punch-spazzing Craig Lamar gives the latter a win in this 1-round, Social Distance battle from RBE.
Verdict: Craig Lamar (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “It’s nice of us to meet 16, I will show up to your daughter’s birthday party with a gun just to show ain’t about me sweet 16!”
Recap: Blessed with a flow that sounds like he graduated from the Shakespearean division of the Battle Rap Academy, Craig Lamar utilizes his standout cadence to spout a gang of glistening gun bars, performance-stunting wordplay, piercing punchlines and to top it off, a spitfire rebuttal/freestyle at the end of his round to win this Zoo Battle League 1-rounder over a solid and gritty punching Lil Man.
Verdict: Craig Lamar (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “Face shot, if I let that dime squeeze ya shit will rip, I’ll do a number on this nigga chin, that’s Chinese arithmetic!”
Recap: Both Craig Lamar and Goddie Lumenati work hard to spare no one when it comes to dishing the mayhem in this 1-round battle from Gates of the Garden. But the more savagely bent on destruction Lumenati, visceral with the heat, lit with the set-ups and consistently spicy with the punchlines gets the edge here.
Verdict: Goddie Lumenati (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Goddie Lumenati – “Dog slacking and it’s a Passion of Christ if they God acting!”
Recap: Yet, another ‘almost’ vic versus a top tier for Craig Lamar as the mayhem-slinging and punch-heavy Florida spitter keeps his baritone flow intact enough to make things interesting and go 1-1 into the 3rd round versus a mostly potent with the bars, but too Friday-drenched with the name flips and a bit inconsistent Young Kannon. But a better prepared YK does a number on his opponent in the deciding 3rd, using fire set-ups, some intricate wordplay, witty personals and a steady stream of righteous punchlines/gun bars to beat a solid, but shortened turn from Lamar and take the win.
Verdict: Young Kannon (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Young Kannon – “I told these lame nigga;s stay the fuck from around me, I don’t rock with impostors, these battle rappers just fake beef like Impossible Whoppers!”
Recap: Unbothered by any stage rust, after a brief hiatus from battle rap Rosenberg Raw returns to RBE and gets back to basics with a shitload of jaunty bully bars, steely punchlines, hitting personals and a consistent display of utter mayhem/braggadocio lines to beat back a Craig Lamar, who’s slick wordplay made for a close 1st round if not for his inconsistencies, before one too many slip-ups cost him the 2nd and a surprising choke in the 3rd helped Raw to pitch a shutout.
Verdict: Rosenberg Raw (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rosenberg Raw – “I rock shit, I’m good in any hood like them hot chips!”
Recap: Rare Government name (?) versus Government name (?) battle is still nonetheless a dope one as both Gary Alston and Craig Lamar get busy for one round with plenty of idealistic wordplay, piercing multi’s, variable flow patterns, fierce 4-bar set-ups and rapid mayhem. A lyrical pit fight with plenty of haymakers from both battlers, the slightly more versatile and witty Lamar gets ends up getting the edge here.
Verdict: Craig Lamar (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “The scope will find him and I’m good with the blade like ultraviolet!”
Recap: An extra dope Black sitcom scheme in round 3, a gang of fierce/righteous punchlines, fire set-ups, some excellent wordplay, spirited lines on real-life urban drama and a couple of major slip-ups from an otherwise punch-lit Craig Lamar, gives the Ooops a well-earned (1st round Craig, 2nd & 3rd Ooops) win in this competitive 3-rounder from RBE.
Verdict: Ooops (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “Take the cool route, ‘cuz if I tune out, nigga I’ll bang the .3 [trey] like I’m trying to get the last ice cube out!”
Recap: After a rambunctious, scheme-savvy and punchline-spazzing Mr. Mills takes round 1 and a set-up crazy and an aggressive Craig Lamar easily takes round 3, this one comes down to the 2nd round. Which thanks to a surprising choke halfway in by Craig, gives what was a solid, but beatable and personal-drenched turn by Mills, the round and the win.
Verdict: Mr. Mills (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Mr. Mills – “That bitch you be kissing, got the best mouth in America, when me and her role play, that’s the only time you’ll see me come out of character!”
Recap: Wily vet Craig Lamar dishes just enough heated punchlines and ringing set-ups to push back the slow, unorthodox stylings of a much less intricate Rob Blanks in this one-rounder from Gates of the Garden.
Verdict: Craig Lamar (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “Bitch I’ll make ya grandmama bite the curve, stand on her scalp, and keep putting my foot down like I’m the man of the house!”
Recap: It doesn’t happen often, but even being more versatile than your opponent can get you a loss. As seen here in this dope URL matchup, while Craig Lamar spouted a wider array of bars with fresh personals, punchlines, wordplay, a rebuttal and even a freestyle mixed in, a little too many dry pots along with the set-up heavy, dazzling schemes dishing and gun bar feening Holmzie Da God raining graphic haymakers on an energetic crowd that seemed into every hot bar performed, earns the Loud Boy spitter rounds 1 and 2, before a debatable 3rd cost him a shutout.
Verdict: Holmzie Da God (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Holmzie Da God – “Blade through his shirt and start poking him through it…then take another stab at it like I know I can do it!”
Recap: Real good shit between Yung Griz and (“Drive-by, I brought something glorious for your troops, with a ladder hanging out the chopper, like I’m trying to save Morpheus from the roof!”) Craig Lamar, who both came with a plethora of spitfire bars, biting (YG: “Lift and spark, I’m looking just over the edge when I draw…midget art!”) wit, plenty of fiery punches and stinging set-ups to make this yet another dope PG matchup from Smack. Still, while the bout was competitive throughout and (“Nigga you gonna meet your maker, like you came with a warranty!”) Craig’s freestyles at the beginning of round 3 edged him a very close one, it’s Yung Griz, more consistent throughout with a betetr performance throughout and a little more versatile with some crazy personal’s mixed in, who takes the first couple of rounds for the win.
Verdict: Yung Griz (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Yung Griz -“This nerd tripping, the nerd in him, I’m serving him, dent in your glass jaw…look like the TVs with the curve in them!”
Recap: A lame move by Q.P., distracting Craig Lamar while he was rapping into slipping up by pulling out a stack of $$$ in the middle of the 3rd round, is the only thing that prevents Craig from an flawless 3 rounds here. Indeed, that’s how bullish and multi-functional Craig’s punches were, gaining steam with each passing round, while his unnerved opponent became less and less caustic. With that, besides a too-close-to-call round 1, this one was pretty much all Craig.
Verdict: Craig Lamar (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “Special kids on a field trip, the whip short, but the bus[t] retarded!”
Recap: A series of rambunctious wordplay, sizzling schemes and boisterous, yet confident braggadocio bars allows the always-competitive (“If you involved, your fam involved, I pull up on any kin of his, and give him a big drumroll, like I’m announcing who the winner is!”) Craig Lamar and forever-animated (“My nigga, I’ve been feening for the belt, yo my own mother watch me struggle, I ain’t receive no kind of help, young Ray Charles, I had to watch my brother buck it [bucket], you had to see it for yourself!”) Prez Mafia to split the first couple of rounds in this iBattle matchup down south. But going into the deciding 3rd, a more resilient Mr. Woosah continues to spazz with lofty (“Nigga, I’ll split him in half and make him choose sides!”) punchlines and caustic set-ups, altogether more consistently potent than hos opponent, to take the round and the win.
Verdict: Prez Mafia (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Prez Mafia – “Nigga, fuck a scale, I just eyeball white, that’s Emmett Till!”
Recap: Over the long haul, punch for punch, Craig Lamar is able to hold his own against Big Kannon. But in what was a pretty competitive 3-rounder from RBE, it’s some exquisite personals from BK that are all the difference, allowing the Chicago rapper to edge the latter two rounds and win the battle after a debatable 1st.
Verdict: Big Kannon (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Big Kannon – “You’re not strapped, nor am I ‘cuz I ain’t think you were worth crazy drama, I could’ve dropped the kid with the ugliest ratchet, shit that sound like nigga’s first baby mama!”
Recap: Continuing, at times, to be his own worst enemy, after losing the 1st round to a raucous, scheme-licious and punch-heavier Blik Da Barbarian, with not one but two opportunities to come back and possibly win the battle as his opponent’s bar efficiency lessened as the battle proceeded, a steadily punch-spazzing Craig Lamar’s flow gets in the way with a couple of slip-ups making for a debatable 2nd round, before Craig chokes away any chance of getting a draw in the 3rd.
Verdict: Blik Da Barbarian (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Blik Da Barbarian – “This shit came from a Navy vet, you act rude, that metal clapping at you, you’ll be Swayze next!”
Recap: Another solid (“This queer try with me, pure irony, fuck apologies, I mean why would I patch things up when I could give him more A-Rs [ARs] than a weird pirate speech!”) turn by Craig Lamar gets upended by a more (“Bitch, I’ll lift the .4 like a Simpson waving!”) potent and versatile flow of spitfire bars/schemes from JC, who easily takes the first couple of rounds with confident and consistent (“Y’all see why I don’t debate with these nigga’s?, it’s not worth it, nigga’s will still criticize the form if the shot perfect!”) ether, before getting edged out to a more cohesive and (“Big Red how I toss the coward, then hang him off the tower, like ‘Yeah little nigga, what’s my office hours?!’“) thematic Lamar in round 3.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “But since you still here, I don’t believe in this clip stuff, how you squeeze and let clips bust?, I’m waiting, I got scary patience, Gary Payton, the first nigga [throws fist like punch] sneak will get zipped up!”
Recap: Both Born and Craig Lamar drop deliciously hot bars throughout this one-rounder from Enter the Dungeon Battle Rap League. Born’s use of exquisite (“Bullets embark on temples like a pilgrimage!”; “I could see the ‘lil bitch in nigga’s genes [jeans]..Dej Loaf!”) punchlines, rich set-ups/wordplay and fiery name flips stayed consistently nice, while Lamar’s penchant for hard (“I’ll set these banger’s up in ya crib, you’ll get the surround sound by me, if you’re around town try me, I’mma set up at the back of ya whip, so when I get them pound rounds flying…bullets will do a number, on ya bumper, like ‘how’s my driving?!'”) schemes and stupendous (“You the colonel of ya crew?, well nigga I will pop corn b— you, and even when you die, I’ll still be waving at the ground…let’s make snow angels!”) anecdotes kept the match competitive. However, it’s Born who takes it in the end with a more consistent flow, more haymakers and less filler.
Verdict: Born (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Born – “I’m squeezing, leave him where I seen him at, Chinese food, you thought it was beef until it gave you a seasoned cat!”
Recap: Well, that was quite a turnaround. Granted, he spit like twice as longer than Rum Nitty, but Craig Lamar’s 1st round was still superb, dishing lethal (“I got that fire arm and I’ll put the straps behind ya baby like I did the diaper wrong!”; “Nigga please, don’t make finger this llama like animal porn!”) punches and finessing on wordplay with repeated flair…more than enough to beat a (“You get the line, this nigga dying, you’ll see this finger wave at his baby hair like Ginuwine!”) solid, but not spectacular turn from his opponent. The momentum continued for Craig in the 2nd, more potent (“We burst slugs, bullets will be in the back of ya mind like ya first love!”) punches that were only fragmented by a couple of near slip-ups and an elongated round. However, those minor slights would be the difference as a more aggressive Rum turned it up, getting bent with steely (“This nigag trash, split ya mask, get the mag, arm in his face…[whoop!] hit the dab!”, “40 Glock, let the lemon squeeze at his neck like Corona top!”) haymakers, nice personals and fluorescent shiners in a more condensed round that evened the match up. After a heated round 2, it’d come down to who’s pen had the most stamina and the Writer’s Block would prove himself more than capable, withstanding another decent (“I grip quickly, so talk if you would [wood] like Stick Stickly!”) round from his opponent with more sterling (“9’s striking him, hit his bean with the Wesson or let one sing out the desert…White Iverson!”; “Split ya partna, but a dip for this bitch, kick, nigga hit the Ronda!”) gun bars and delicious set-ups that completed a ferocious comeback for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Craig Lamar – “Aim sloppy, so I got to lean in with the arms like church hugs!”)
Recap: Against a mostly solid, pretty (“Face shot [bwoh!], that shot will put Bonus features on the other side of him like a dual disc!”) intense and punch-heavy Craig Lamar, Bonus leaves it all on the table with 3 elongated rounds that were filled to the rim with steady mayhem, whether in the form of stinging (“I’ll go over ya head to put you under Jersey…like shoulder pads!”) wordplay or fierce punchlines or for that matter braggadocio bars that lit up the room. All enough, after getting edged in round 1 by a slightly more condensed opponent, to take the latter two rounds and the win.
Verdict: Bonus (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Bonus – “I’ll start with a round to his head, then line the body up like a stick figure!”
Recap: ‘That shit was barbaric!’ Granted, (“It ain’t your turn yet, but you need to wait, like a skinny body, boy I’m shooting Nebraska initials…that’s N E body!”) Chef Trez and (“Nigga, you extra tender, I’ll knock two years out your ass, you won’t wake up till next next November!”; “You throw a lot of punches, but still ain’t doing shit with ’em nigga, you Dragon Fly Jones!”) Craig Lamar can certainly claim a barfest of a battle in this fiery matchup on the Spit Dat Heat stage. But at the end of the day it’s Trez’s more intricate wordplay, flagrant (“I’ll shoot ya mom’s and her son, I’m a pipe gripper, U F [F’d] C I told you I was trung ti fight Silva!”) gun bars, freestyle pedigree and consistent heat that altogether prove to be more advantageous than his opponent, edging him all three rounds and a well-earned win.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “…or none of them gun bars, and I’m a get mad if y’all really believe it, I’ll blow your brain threw your grill when I squeeze it, you’ll be spilling ya insides threw ya mouth like revealing a secret!”
