Recap: From Black Ice Cartel Battle League, getting super creative via some wicked wordplay while also scoring with a boatload of mocking personals, searing set-up/punchlines, cadence-switching colloquialisms, witty/boastful barbs and stinging anecdotes/rebuttals, up against a mediocre A. Ward who had some hitting punches here and there, but overall was too mired in a bunch of filler, subpar punches and weak personals, Hollow Da Don once again shows that there’s (esp. during sublime round 1) levels to this shit on his way to way to an easy 30.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “Make his wish he didn’t play, when the lead getting raised, that’s a dead giveaway!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, funny how the majority of a Philly crowd hellbent for hard street bars and gritty punches didn’t seem to have a clue about some of the clever shit Hollow Da Don was kicking throughout battle. Now if only da Don had remembered to bring his A-game. As in a battle (outside of a dope Round 1) vs. Ave that was littered on both sides with way too many streams of lyrical schmrical lines and plenty of heard-it-all-before personals/themes, a bit suprisingly it’s Hollow wh came off more pedestrian. And after the two split (had the more haymaker-lit Ave edging round 1 before thanks in part to a couple of pretty soldi rebuttals, a close round 2 was edged by Hollow) it’s a slightly more consistently hard-hitting and punch-lit Ave who takes round 3 for the win.
Verdict: Ave (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ave – “Listen clear, playing games you’ll find out what it is like a gender reveal!”
Recap: From URL’s Summer Madness 13, scoring with a wide variety of crispy/mocking personals, while also taking advantage of an opponent in Hollow Da Don who wasn’t nearly as hitting as we usually witness when it comes to his punch game (tho he did show flashes of that clever wit we’re used to seeing in rounds 1 and 3), a confident Nu Jerzey Twork also utilizes dope stage presense, a boatload of rambunctious punches, solid gun lines and captive, performance-lit bars to take rounds 1 and 3 (call the 2nd debatable thanks in part to a couple of fire rebuttals by Hollow) and earn the win.
Verdict: Nu Jerzey Twork (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Nu Jerzey Twork – “Y’all talkin’, “He clean off of drugs”, this nigga fakin’, I been around him, three hours off lean you be scratchin’ your skin and pacin’, shit, I get itchy just bein’ around this addict (attic), it’s insulation!”
Recap: A couple of veteran top tiers who should be on every serious battle rap fan’s Top 10 list, it’s to be expected that Ill Will and Hollow Da Don put on a crazy show. And on this 3-rounder from RBE the two do just that, Will with a gang of rambunctious punches, witty personals, fire set-ups/name flips and gritty struggle/gun bars with steady abandon. While the slightly more unorthodox Hollow brought to the bout a rich pallete of twisted, but piercing wordplay, hard-hitting angles when it came to the name flips and personals, a handful of solid rebuttals/freestyles and a plethora of dizzying punchlines that for the most part landed on their mark. Close throughout with Will rapping a little more longer in each round, some flexing off-the-dome heat combined with a pretty punch-heavy turn from Hollow is just enough to score a debatable round 1 after a versatile Will went berserza in the opener. Round 2 was just as competitive and fiery from both sides, but one or two more haymakers from Will gets the Yaktown battler the second before yet another sterling round from Will and Hollow is edged by a boastful, but a little more (“God-tier what we done built, I can make Smack and ARP sit down, eat a meal and argue who gonna keep the bill!”) punch-heavier da Don to make this one a debatable.
Verdict: Debatable
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I ain’t the one you want to put in pursuit, I’m looking to shoot, James Bond, every nigga that play me got put in a suit!”
Recap: A decade and some change after their memorable 2-round battle back in St. Louis, Aye Verb and Hollow Da Don meet up again for a 1-rounder at URL’s Summer Madness 12. And it’s a goodie with the two battle vets keeping things competitive with Verb using a bunch of righteous boats and solid 4-bar set-up/punches to stay in there while Hollow utilized a stream of fly performance bars, witty personals and gritty punchlines to show he still has it. A close one with a near equal amount of haymakers, it’s the more condensed and versatile Hollow who gets the edge here.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “Are we getting yoga Verb or Yoda Verb?, could any one of them go to Verb and tell ’em we tired of that spoken word!”
Recap: In a virtuoso performance that featured a plethora of shrewd punchlines, ill style breakdowns, witty storytelling, hard-hitting personals, rigid wordplay and feelgood name flips that were capped by a dominant 2nd round, after getting edged by a sublime, real street talking and more punch-heavy Geechi Gotti in round 1, Hollow Da Don comes back to easily take the middle round before edging the 3rd with a more versatile and original-themed turn for the win in this highly entertaining and spirited URL/N.O.M.E. bout.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “You don’t even smoke, he said no but it’s some good tree and I stand behind it!”
Recap: Considering that they were once ‘boys’ you had to know that Hollow Da Don vs. DNA was going to get pretty personal at times. What one didn’t expect tho was to what extent it’d go personally or how emotional Hollow–a longtime vet and a guy who almost always keeps it professional on stage–would get here, which in the end would help in him losing the battle. A 3-round matchup on URL’s Resolution 2 card that was also a pretty tense at times, aggressive and spirited on both sides and competitive throughout certainly lived up to the hype that these two Queens, NY, heads (who both go back all the way to the days of Grind Time) had long built up. Indeed, while Hollow would slow flashes of brilliance in the early rounds with his noted unorthodox punches/personals and maelstrom of wit, it wouldn’t be till the final round that he’d be able to keep up with his opponent’s versatile barrage of potent bars, spicy storytelling/angles/schemes, ill personal breakdowns, witty barbs and off-the-dome heat. As a fly rebuttal/freestyle game by DNA (often in response to Hollow either talking through his rounds or going off on emotional outbursts throughout the battle or awkwardly stopping and re-starting his rounds) combined with a more consistent effort overall would give the former NWX capo the win as he would edge rounds 1 and 2 before a debatable 3rd.
Verdict: DNA (W) 2-1
Favorite line: DNA – “Of course you could tell me about Blackjack, you a drug addict, you took your first hit on 17!”
Recap: Not exactly K-Shine or Hollow Da Don at their best during this Summer Madness 11 matchup, but both vets still put on pretty solid performances in what was a much anticipated bout. Hollow, seemingly mimicking Shine’s rambunctious style at times and scoring at will with a gang of wily punches, flexing wordplay and witty/mocking/storied personals in spite of a few subpar lines here and there, would standout when it came to his rigid set-ups and stifling anecdotes. On the other hand Shine would keep it competitive with a bunch of performance-rich mayhem, pointed personals and dope storytelling/4-bar setups (esp. in round 3, his best turn). A close one throughout, the slightly more haymaker lit Hollow takes both of the opening rounds for the win before Shine took the 3rd clearly to avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “Fuck that, fuck that, back to the metaphors…I’ll [bends down] get lower than your credit score!”
Recap: A crazy, punch-heavy, mayhem spicy and lyrically brazen 3rd by Rum Nitty not only turns out to be the best round of this URL/Super Fight battle against Hollow Da Don. But saves the day for the Arizona vet, who thanks in part to some reaching and overused themes (snitching) in round 2, was behind a round heading into the final turn, On the other hand Hollow, playing with different flows throughout the match while scoring with some dope (“I’m in here giving y’all room shakers, but I gotta shake rumors!”) wordplay, righteous storytelling, unorthodox but fierce schemes and witty/stinging punches throughout the match, would hurt himself a bit with a few subpar lines as well as an overkill when it came to personals. That said, some fly breakdowns and head-ringing shiners by Da Don in round 1 while entertaining, didn’t always match the effort in terms of potency. And add to the mix an aggressive, determined, set-up rich, a little more condensed and punch-lit opener by Rum, while dripped with some filler here and there, was enough to force a draw and make this battle debatable.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Hit the scene like Prince Akeem, Semi with me looking for this bitch in Queens!”
Recap: After a 6-minute plus promo for all things RBE, Mackk Myron and Hollow da Don go at for about 2 minutes each in this 1-round Social Distancing battle. With his turn, Mackk makes for a solid effort with his usual assortment of witty barbs, fiery punches and rugged name flips. And while all of Mackk’s shenanigans might work against your average battle rapper, Hollow is just on a different level. Proving his top tier status once again via an intricate palette of dicey name flips, penetrating wordplay and flippant personals to take the win.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “So many whips you can tape Roots, bread so old you can make hooch!”
Recap: No huge upset here as Hollow Da Don’s consistent usage of fervent wit and fiery punchlines easily dispatches his mostly subpar punching opponent CJ Pimp in this 2-round, Coronavirus/video battle brought to you by IG_Battle_League.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 2-0
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “This what a real man should never look like, you feminine ill, it’s sad, your parents still ain’t did your gender reveal!”
Recap: The prolific Danny Myers versus the seldom seen Hollow Da Don on a West-coast charity card goes down with neither battler, after a spitfire (Danny: “Listen Nigel, even your name got a soft ‘G’ in it!”; Hollow: “I’m like a nigger that’s like ‘I’m a pay you on Friday…I ain’t got it ALL!”) but even 1st round, quite able to bring their A-game. Danny with plenty of raucous punches, quality personals and righteous lyricism/mayhem throughout the battle, errs when he tries too hard to emulate his more unorthodox opponent, which partly costs him a close round 2 when put side-by-side with Hollow’s roasting session quips, on spot performance hijinks and dope wordplay/personals. But with never any give-up in him, Danny comes back with a pretty solid (and emotional) 3rd round, that’s not only drenched with feelgood punchlines, but also some pretty (“I was choking ‘cuz if I lose my kids to the system I’m a hang myself!”) emphatic struggle bars that hit–altogether enough to beat back a surprisingly up-n-down last round from da Don and make this one debatable.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “You coulda came here with Satan as your Plus-1…the hell with you!”
Recap: Drenched with a shitload of themes surrounding loyalty and at the end of the day, one of the most personal battles you’ll ever see, for the most part the much-hyped grudge match between Math Hoffa and Hollow Da Don lives up to the expectations even with it being over an hour long. 1st round was the best one what with the two vets clearly not holding back on anything, swapping some dizzying punchlines along the way, but explicitly sharing their own view on how this battle came to be in the first place via gritty narratives on past beef, Coney Island (and battle) drama, some guy named Dizaster, potent schemes, witty bars and oh yeah, a hilarious new nickname for Hollow from Math: ‘Splish Splash!’. And while Math would allude to being more more interested in exploiting his opponent than actually winning the battle, his hard-hitting and sometimes downright mean war stories throughout this bout, would beg anyone to differ. That said, the opening round, while certainly a close one, the edge here goes to Hollow for more astute (“You’ve been playin’ this tough shit for over ten years my nigga, that’s what you really get, accept your karma, it was a Dose of somethin’ Serius! [serious]!”) angles to his lines while also flexing a bit more when it comes to versatility and wit. The 2nd round was a clear win for Math as while Hollow was able to dish another punch-centric and at times personal-heavy turn, some mediocre bars/schemes here and there, a couple of so-so rebuttals and a Hoffa who was just relentless when it came to fiery (“This gon’ be biblical, ‘cuz how you living is ruthless, you think you know a (Noah) nigga ’til the rain come and it give you the deuces!”) personals, bully bars and schemes would be too much. And while a way more condensed Hollow spit another solid and at times moving (“You know what else ain’t change? Ya attitude, neither did ya bank account, he look at change as somethin’ bad so I’m a leave you dead how you are, y’all remember what he just said? “I solidify my spot with gorillas…”, which makes sense cause apes never evolved!”) turn in the 3rd and deciding round, Hoffa would do way more to make his side of the beef narrative believable, expounding on tales from the two’s old friendship, mixing in some witty personals, deftly punching with some nice wordplay and most importantly when it comes to the overall theme of the battle, letting loose on Hollow’s allegedly bad business dealings. With the consistently aggressive, bodacious, funny and (“Hollow come on… your whole motto’s a con You pushin’ loyalty is like the pope preaching out the Koran!”) punch-heavy Hoffa also doubling his opponent on haymakers in the final round, this ‘Closure’ match from RBE ends up being Math’s for the taking.
Verdict: Math Hoffa (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Math Hoffa – “Yeah, you beat Ars’, but ain’t matter cause he was punkin’ you, John John took ya Don status and put a slump in you, now ya name ain’t the same and it troubles you, ‘cuz Hollow’s just a ho and two L’s now he owe [‘O’] y’all a W!”
Recap: Long-awaited battle of the ‘Don’s’ goes Hollow’s way as besides a few reaches here and there, the TX/NY rapper’s execution, whether via scintillating punchlines, pointed personals, racy schemes, witty bars (that were helped by some well-timed props), fiery wordplay and an adept usage of topography when it came to the battle’s London location, was almost flawless. And for John John, Hollow’s top-notch readiness would prove to be a steep hill to climb. Not that JJDD didn’t make for a solid effort as even with the veneer of ‘stealing’ bars over his head (then too, you just knew Hollow was going to exploit that angle), the Bullpen Battle League boss took the allegations head-on with spicy punches of his own, when he wasn’t dishing some flavorful name flips, rigid gun lines and spirited/aggressive personals. However, besides having to deal with his opponent’s strong performance, while the effort was there throughout (with enough potency to make for a debatable 3rd round), JJDD would hurt himself in the earlier rounds with a lack of consistency when it came to bar efficiency as well as utilizing bars that were way too dependent on the infamous fight the two had almost a decade ago. Therefore, score this one a clear win for a punch-heavier Hollow in the 1st, before a more versatile Hollow edges the 2nd round for the win.
Verdict: Hollow Da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “He even let nigga’s call him the Dininon, oooow that shit is wrong, but you’re such a follower you moved to Atlanta when you was little John [Lil’ Jon]!”
Recap: “and tell the dda-dda-Don I don’t do rematches!” When you’re on record as having one of (and arguably the only) the few victories over the likes of Hollow da Don, yuu got every reason to not want to ever do a rematch. But 9 years after their infamous Fight Klub battle, here we are, Arsonal vs Hollwo on the URL/Smack stage and for the most part it’s a goodie with both battlers kicking a boatload of lyrical shiners, personal barbs and assorted gun bars/heaters to keep you nicely tuned to the screen. Intense throughout with a cameo appearance from the Yankee fitted and jacket that Hollow wore in their first battle, for all of Arsonal’s comeuppance bar-wise (surprisingly, da Rebel really didn’t get too disrespectful until round 3) overall, in each round Hollow just came one better. The dda-Don using his turns to show off an interchangeable flow, gritty wordplay, witty darts, potent schemes/personals, residual (“I’ll nail both of ya feet to the floor and slap-box you!”) mayhem and a fire rebuttal in the 3rd round to beat his longtime nemesis, who for the most part came with it, was consistently aggressive throughout and dropped some lofty (“When you scream ‘Loyalty over money’, nigga we know you bluffing, Math thought he was a nigga he could lean on, come to find out you just some Robitussin!”) haymakers of his own, but in the long run suffered from too many throwaway bars as well as an opponent for whom this battle probably meant a little more extra to.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “Didn’t you and your baby mom’s break up?, ain’t irony a bitch, this nigga done rapped about everybody’s kids, now he gotta get permission to see his!”
Recap: Two battle vets who should arguably be in everyone’s Top 5, Hollow Da Don and Tay Roc, come together for a fire, competitive and highly entertaining matchup at URL’s Summer Madness 6. Roc, the self-proclaimed ‘Gun Bar King’, lets his whole arsenal off in the 1st round, a blazing and more condensed turn littered with armored (“Once they paid me my dough, this problem was all yours, Black mask, I’m flashing sticks, that’s Star Wars, sawed off, try to run, I’m all for it, I’ll chase you with it, runnin’ with the Thunder, I’m Paul George!”) mayhem. Still, Hollow would come right back with a more versatile turn that featured a host of eccentric, metaphorical and unorthodox stylings. And tho the di-da Don was able back come right back and land a gang of haymakers with a boatload of stinging punchlines, name flips and personals along with some added wit, despite being more one-dimensional, a more consistent Roc earns a draw in the opener.
Roc would get more resourceful in round 2, using some over-the-top performance bars, more uplifting gun heat, lofty personals and righteous schemes/punches to edge a turn by Hollow that after a slow start and thanks in part to a late flurry of braggadocio bangers, almost got the L.O.M. honcho the round. 3rd round produced yet another aggressive, exhilarating and punch-heavy turn from both battlers with Roc going back to ringing (“My left hook will wobble your shit, it’s a leg shaker, then my right hook? A farmer’s tool, it’s a haymaker!”) mayhem with some piercing personals mixed in. But still behind one round, it’d be Hollow who would turn it up even more, using a plethora of searing rebuttals, hardbody schemes and agile (“I drive different, like a Tesla car engine, I’m the reason the line outside longer than an Escobar sentence!”) punchlines/personals to take the round and gain a draw.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “You act tough in blogs but when I see you, you change instantly, take the fatigues off in 2K, I want to see the same energy!”
Recap: Doesn’t matter how much gwap they got, two legends you’ve never battled before, like Hollow da Don and Dizaster, shouldn’t be doing one-round promo battles. And then to make matters worse, after he goes first with a sterling and uninterrupted 5-minute round, Hollow starts openly gesturing and complaining about Dizaster going past past his allotted time limit. But if you’re confident enough in your bars (esp. after hearing most of your opponent’s already), why spoil a good matchup by whining and even leaving the stage because your ego can’t handle the possibility of Dizaster upstaging you with a longer round? Granted, KOTD could’ve done a better job with keeping track of the time. But Hollow’s been in this game too long to be putting his ego before the fans. All that said, when it comes to the battle, killer lines (and dope rebuttals) aplenty by both dudes certainly enlightened the crowd and did enough to warrant a 3-round battle in the near future. But da Don’s over-the-top versatility and Diz’s penchant for filler (esp. at the start of his turn) ends up giving Hollow the win…despite his antics at the end.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “Sike I lied, nigga I got bars, I’m mad charming, make him feel at home with a desert [dessert] that’ll sand storm him!”
Recap: Scintillating, punch-heavy and aggressive rematch between Hollow da Don and Pat Stay gets decided by the only round that wasn’t a debatable: the 1st, as Hollow’s showmanship, fly performance bars (even if there’s some controversy over the originality of the ‘look like I’m backstroking’ haymaker), rich (“I’m just wondering, how the fuck you let me 3-0 you in a one-round battle?”) anecdotes and fire set-ups make hay of a mostly indirect/pedestrian round from Pat. So while Pat’s rebuttal game, exquisite (“I ain’t racist, nah, but my shank is, ‘cuz the blade tip brown from all the dried up blood that it’s stained with!”) bully bars and witty shiners would get him a tie with Hollow’s (“I could’ve said ‘deuces’, me getting back on this card is just pity Pat!”) well-rounded, personal-drenched 2nd and a pontificating, but (“But bro, we are your peers, we’re all we have in this business, you are the exact definition of everything you used to stand up against, man, listen!”) hitting with the personals Pat would do the same versus a slightly less fiery, but still solid 3rd by Hollow, it’s the aforementioned 1st round that gets Hollow yet another win over his always formidable opponent in this one.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “I live for this shit, nigga, I die for my ‘respeck’, I’m talking to all ‘tree’ of y’all!”
Recap: Another example of why it’s so risky to book big battles on smaller/new leagues. In what should’ve easily been a 3-rounder, somehow two of the best battle rappers on the planet, Hollow da Don and Pat Stay, get their much anticipated battle reduced to a one-rounder. And to make things worse, Pat for some inexplicable reason, gets his one round cut short by the timekeeper despite attempts by the crowd and even his opponent to let him keep going. Call it sloppy, call it disorganization or even blame the rappers failing to get their terms straight before signing the paperwork. Either way, it’s always the fans who get the short end of the stick. As for the battle itself, It’s Hollow’s versatility, that included everything from wild gun (“When I was young, I was a heat blower, revolvers with speed loaders, now it’s a drum and tommy gun, look like I’m [swings hands] swinging a leaf blower!”) bars, to wicked ‘knife bars’ to crazy (“The steel will erase his [racist] thoughts like the old Pat!”) wordplay to dancehall riddims to fly off-the-dome personals that outshined what was mostly the usual stupendous (“He’ll watch a porn like, ‘this guy ain’t even a real plumber'”, “Hollow da Don?…What’s your mother’s name, Donna da Mom?”) jokes and standard bully bars from Pat Stay. Still overall, a huge disappointment for fans and a battle that demands a 3-round rematch on either URL or KOTD.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “Oooohhh I hope you get Aids and Alzheiner’s, so you can forget you have Aids till all your ex’s start dying!”
Recap: A staggering 1st round filled with multiple derision’s on his opponent’s battle technique, witty punchlines/schemes and aggressive haymakers by Hollow da Don beats back a very solid, but less versatile and a little pedestrian turn by Charlie Clips. This highly anticipated battle is then decided by yet another superlative round by Hollow, going after Clips with a rich palette of jocular darts, crown-friendly punches, career/life tutorials, and heavy-handed personals that all hit their mark. In turn, after a dope 1st round that would’ve easily beat most rappers and during one of the biggest battles of his career, Clips literally goes off-track in the 2nd, struggling with his flow, dispensing substandard rhymes and strangely taking his focus off Hollow to throw shots at Cortez and D. Chambers who were each looking on from the stage. And while Clips’ focus would return in the 3rd with a fiery, personal and punch-heavy turn that got past a solid, but elongated round by Hollow, by the end it’d be too late.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “I ain’t saying your shit wack, but bro, it’s the same move every time you kick that, set-up/punchline, set-up/punchline, that’s how you spit that?…just a candy rapper with 4 bars, you a [Kit-Kat]…see how easy it is to predict that?”
Recap: Seasoned rapper/artist versus Battle rap honcho? Well, if you’ve already seen the likes of Mr Fab vs. Arsonal or even worse, Canibus vs. Dizaster, you’d have a right to be skeptical about Hollow da Don taking on Eminem’s Total Slaughter stage regardless of all the hype that went into this battle going into it. But put aside all the mic issues, the horrible host that is Sway, a 10-minute plus intro, Hollow just looking weird in a wife-beater that was obviously worn to show off his flexing rams and Budden’s sporadic “reading from a book” flow and you’re left with a fairly decent battle that for first two rounds, was at least competitive with the two light-skin emcees splitting the first two rounds through the use of a nice range of fluid (Hollow: “He can’t escape, he a ho to me, he too/two bitch, Floetry, he get close to me…nah put up that Jagged Edge, I got 112 [1 .12] I want Joe to see [Jodeci]!” wordplay, witty (Joe: “Now why these labels never called you?, lack of hunger?, couldn’t find you?, ain’t have your number? defies all laws of gravity, it’s distorted, you the only thing that stay on Lean but ain’t support it [supported]!”) personals and nifty [Joe: “Said you had a clothing line, but that’s not clear, you putting an emoji on a shirt, nigga that’s not gear!”) punchlines. That said, call the 3rd round a huge let-down…at least for Budden anyway. Succumbing to a chorus of boos throughout what was bar-wise, a pretty lackluster turn to begin with, Joe literally gives up, dropping his mic to the ground before picking it back up after seemingly reminding himself that this much-hyped, flashy, over-produced event wouldn’t be a good look to his career if he cried foul and quit on stage. Still, for Hollow, who overcame an underwhelming 2nd round for a potent (“Third round! these bars gon’ stay with him, deadbeat dad, I ain’t got time to play with him!”) 3rd that was laced with scathing personals about Joe’s well-publicized history with women and showed guts for earlier going after show organizers for alleged money issues that occurred pre-battle, despite his opponent mailing it in at the end, a win of this magnitude certainly put him in another category when it comes to battle rap.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow Da Don – “I’m shooting like Craig Hodges, that arm strong [Armstrong] I ain’t missing nuthin’, and you Dennis Rodman, ‘cuz you nice around that mic [Mike}, but sometimes you a bitch in public!”
Recap: From U Dubb’s High Stakes card, Loaded Lux versus Hollow Da Don in a highly anticipated battle that really altered the game when it came to how much battlers should be paid (indeed, when first talked about, this top-tier match was supposed to be URL, but as the battlers asking price was deemed to be too high, U Dubb would swoop in and land the match instead). Lux, dressed in Black Panther garb that would prove to be a huge theme for the Harlem vet throughout the battle (tho Hollow would spout some dope freestyles in response during the matchup), would shine with a plethora of rich metaphors, stinging personals (esp. when it came to Hollow’s alleged fondness for lean), righteous pontifications and hard-hitting punches that also flexed his versatility. On the other hand Hollow, with an aggressive, personally belittling (esp. with the Lux impressions), witty, wordplay spicy and at times scheme-heavy palette, would stay competitive despite being hurt a bit after having both of his opening rounds cut a bit short due to time constraints (apparently the two battlers had already agreed to two 5-minute rounds before an unlimited 3rd round prior to the battle). That said, slightly helped by utilizing less filler while overall coming through a bit more intricate, condensed and more pointed with the bars/personals, an also more haymaker-lit Lux takes rounds 1 and 2 for the win before a debatable final round that’s noted for Hollow bringing Calicoe’s pops out on stage.
Verdict: Loaded Lux (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Loaded Lux – “Baby you a star, they love you the way you are, but I love you enough to not leave you the way you are!”
Recap: As challenging of a performance that Tsu Surf put on here, overall, Hollow da Don used experience and plenty of variety to do did him one better. But then that’s you’d expect from Hollow, nevermind the long absence, in this battle Hollow not only proved that he still has it, but that he belongs in anyone’s Top 5. More importantly, Hollow easily proved that he deserved a shot against Loaded Lux at the next Summer Madness. Sure, the first round was fire on both sides, with Hollow making a statement and spitting some ill bars (surrounded by some aggressive filler and weird moments like the ‘making it rain here’ show and literally sniffing on his opponent to make a joke), but the edge here goes to Surf what with an ill freestyle to start things off coupled some mean (“Your mom probably was a whore and your daddy didn’t love her, kids by a another nigga, so your brother probably wasn’t your brother, walk up in her room dumping, shooting straight for the cover, [makes like he’s fucking] I felt just as bad as your father…putting a hollow in your mother!”; “A thirsty nigga in the club, I’m trying to hit everything standing, it got a kickback when it shoot, so when it aim you gotta slant it, want your life?, crawl for it, trying to see the gates and access granted, on the block with something Deandre size, one way to explain that night?…Brandon!“) schemes, personals and punches that all landed hard. Still, Hollow’s 2nd and 3rd round clearly gave him the win here. In the 2nd da Don stepped it up and just bodied an (“He ain’t about that Gunplay, so why lay [Wale] hands on him?”) alright, but mostly underwhelming turn by Surf with feening (“Damn, you was locked like Pac, but Surf wasn’t there to bail you out?!”) personals, ill (“I said anytime, it’s an open invitation, you could come to a nigga’s hood, my address is 19 22 I Wish A Nigga Would!”) set-ups, crazy name flips and standard jokes. While in the 3rd, it was just more (“Every day I’m in the hood, tapped up with the cop, KD/Dwayne Wade…I wake up to the block!”) haymakers from Hollow, complete with battle rap 101 bars and stinging punchlines/personals that easily beat another solid, but not-nearly-as-nice round from Surf.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “But since his man gave him the charge he’s been on the low, dodging imprisonment, hoping it gets better playing Chris Webber trying to forget about that timeout in Michigan!
Recap: Need a reason not to pit two battle rappers against each other who are cool with each other outside the ring? Then look no farther than here as Hitman Holla and Hollow da Don face off in a battle that can best be described as listless and uneventful. Struggling to really diss each other (they both went the usual routes without getting too personal) or spit their best bars in front of a crowd that was clearly weary from a long day (this was a main event battle and thus the last one of the night), even Hitman and Hollow’s best lines were met with lukewarm applause. With Hitman clearly winning round one with better bars and Hollow clearly taking round 3 (on the fake dap alone), it’s round two that decided this one and despite an energetic and nice round by (“…chopper knock his section down, grab him by his neck and unload that whole second round”) Hitman, Hollow edged it out with nicer (“You’re about as useless as a hitchhiker with a broken thumb”) personals, solid rebuttals, steady aggression and dope performance (“Take his girl, poke her [poker] face, I’m not bluffing”) bars.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “I Brewed her, I Boozed her, you woulda thought the Bulls was playing, I mean, I ain’t Know Her, but when that D Rose, she was like, ‘Dang!’” (All references to the Bulls 2011 roster)
Synopsis: Ok, while overall this was a dope and competitive battle, a couple of things really frustrated me about it. First, there was Hollow’s man, clearly high as fuck with his constant interruptions that could’ve easily wrecked his man’s flow. Then, of course, there’s Goodz choice in round 3 to get upset at a heckler in the crowd and forfeit a match he had a chance at winning, since I had the batted tied (Goodz edging the 1st while Hollow, in what was a sublime turn, clearly took the 2nd) going into the final round. Also, significant in this battle IMO was Hollow calling out Hitman Holla at the end of his 3rd round, which showed how much respect Hitman was getting after beating Arsonal. As for the battle itself, ultimately it’s Hollow’s stronger punch game (he even had a fire rebuttal in the middle of his written’s during the 3rd), consistently and versatility that gets him the win here as after a bullish (“You lost to Arsonal….clearly, no debating!!!”) 1st, Goodz’s bar potency really went downhill in both of the latter rounds.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Best line: Hollow Da Don – “His man Charlie Clips did one battle and he thinks he’s Top 3 now, how we supposed to believe Charlie got clips when we only seen three rounds?!”
Synopsis: Hollow got the win here, but this battle was a lot closer than people give it credit for as Big T’s round 1 and 2 was pure fire and he definitely provided Hollow with some comp throughout. Still, tho it’s Hollow’s rebuttals, sublime bars (his 3rd round is an undeniable classic) and obviously the fat jokes that kept da Don lit. But then too Big T’s round 3, while equipped with a few shiners, was overall just too long, bland and repetitive (you could say that 7 times).
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Best line: Hollow da Don – “You could ask my NYB niggas, I’m hot like Jay flow is in Marcy, and you gonna take the L like you about to go to Canarsie”
Synopsis: In your face personals, bars, schemes, rebuttals, punchlines, total disrespect…from the opening coin toss it’s all there as Hollow took this one with relative ease. Especially nice when you consider he went up against a guy who usually plays so well for the home crowd.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Best line: Hollow da Don – “I said I don’t think his English superb, he weak with the nouns and flow lame with the verbs, [so] if you go back to his name it refers….he just ok (Ok) with words (werdz)”
Synopsis: Passwurdz gave Hollow a worthy battle here, but to think Hollow flipped his name so well here that Pass would later change it–then too is the fact that to many of Passwurdz average lines got gassed up by the hometown crowd. Take in the boatload of dope rebuttals by da Don on display here too and he definitely got a road win here.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 3-1
Best line: Hollow da Don – “Ignore his dickriders, they gonna hype him up like he tough. he’ll rhyme ‘hollow’ with ‘swallow’ and they’ll be like ‘Whoooo!!! How does he write this stuff!'” and “Last I heard he was a wack nerd that ain’t been seen since Chap shirts, I’m like y’all that’s normal, y’all ain’t supposed to see him, he’s a password”
Recap: Classic matchup between Aye Verb and Hollow da Don in St. Louis, sees a more direct Verb go at a somewhat coy and less versatile Hollow with aggressive punches and hardbody personals to take the 1st round, before Hollow returns the favor with a fire, condensed turn that featured a couple of nice rebuttals and (“You just about as real as them two glass rocks in your ear!”) freestyles along with adventurous set-ups and stinging punchlines that combined to beat back a less stirring turn by Verb. With only two rounds, call this one a tie.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Aye Verb – “You wouldn’t Murder Inc. Hollow, you couldn’t kill an instrumental!”
Part 2 Synopsis: From Grind Time, a classic 3rd round by a punch/personal-lit Hollow Da Don that featured a crazy Hulkamania impression gets the Queens, NY battler the win. But let it be noted that Illmac practically gave it up this battle with some wack freestyling after edging round 1.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Best line: Hollow da Don – “So why you wanna battle a street nigga?, stick to the computer thugs, cuz you come thru the hood, I’ll smack you down, pat you down…then roof your drugs!”
Recap: A judged battle with $2K on the line sees Hollow da Don use an aggressive template of gritty punchlines, gripping personals and a few dope rebuttals to easily beat a pretty substandard Amzilla.
Verdict: Hollow da Dow (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “Nigga heard Jeezy tracks, talking about you go through blocks…I’m like nigga please, you sold two rocks!”
Synopsis: Da Rebel at his best: loud, aggressive, cocky, disrespectful and a few Hulkamania leg drops to finish off Hollow da Don and get the 3-count. Really, did Hollow just underestimate Arsonal or was he just unprepared? Perhaps both. Because that stunned look da Don got on his face throughout this battle reminds me of the same look Tay Roc had against Charlie Clips. Why this battle even went to overtime served as just another reason why Fight Klub had to go–tho unfair to Arsonal, it did give him a reputation for recycling bars when it should’ve never went to OT in the first place
Verdict: Arsonal (W) 4-0
Best line: Arsonal – “Last week I saw your rap sheet, you had one charge…wandering”
Recap: Yung Ill with the heated gun lines and some nice set-ups. Hollow da Don with the fiery punchlines and witty barbs. However, it’s a nice rebuttal by Hollow in the deciding 3rd round that makes the majority of the difference here in this Fight Klub battle.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “This nigga have to be a bitch ‘cuz he sweet like Sara Lee!”
Synopsis: Good battle, but frustrating to see a vet like Swain talk over Hollow’s bars like that. Always nice to see Hollow’s rebuttals, but Swain’s “It’s Dad” scheme was pretty nice and funny too. Overall, way more punches, bars and freestyles from Hollow to get him the win.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 3-1
Best line: Hollow da Don – “Naw I aint no wrestling dude, that k come out, chest chop, that’s a wrestling move”
Synopsis: Did Jay Focus really think he was going somewhere with this style? Appreciate Hollow’s freestyle’s here in what was a punch-heavy and totally one-sided affair.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 3-0
Best line: Hollow – “Your girl pussy free like school lunch!”
Recap: Even an average Hollow da Don has enough is his tank to take out Young Cyph’s mostly lame written’s in this 2-round Friday Freestyle Battle from BET.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “You a funny dude, what the Chronic do?, forget 106, take him to Comic View!”
Recap: Lotta Zay had some nice (“I’m the nicest on the set and I’m like Mike Epps, I’mma be here Friday After Next!”) written’s in round 1 of this Freestyle Friday Battle from BET, but Hollow’s buttery freestyle (“He couldn’t afford a shirt, so her recycled his long john!”) game edges it. Round two sees Zay’s attempts to freestyle fail miserably, leaving the way for Hollow to elicit more crazy off-the-dome bars and garner an easy win.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-0
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “Speaking of feet, yeah them shoes quite cool, I’m 22 and I had those in high school!”
