Recap: From The Trenches in Philly, it’s all Eazy The Block Captain in this one. The former Gun Titles member taking advantage of a hitting at times, but overall very mid, surprisingly flow-challenged and apparently overbooked Ill Will with a trio of sublime rounds that displayed not only TBC’s level of veracity, but his versatility as well. Eazy hitting on all cylinders when it came to adeptly rebuttling the long-drawn out off-the-stage drama surrounding him and Chrome 23 chieftess Remy Ma, while also delivering a shitload of dizzying trap talk, fiery/righteous personals, stinging name flips, hard-hitting struggle raps and all-too gritty punchlines to handily earn a rare 30 over Will.
Verdict: Eazy The Block Captain (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Eazy The Block Captain – “I could tell y’all how my life changed, I don’t know if my mom took a percocet when she was pregnant, but I was made to fight pain!”
Recap: From RBE, Ill Will and Emerson Kennedy put on a dope one for 3 rounds. Each battler with plenty of gritty punchlines, righteous darts, witty/mocking personals and other whathaveyou to keep things close. However, a solid rebuttal/freestyle game employed by Will to go along with his wit, some nice angles and more condensed turns in each rounds as well as a spitfire 2nd by the Yaktown native, allows him to edge the middle round for the win in light of a debatable 1st and 3rd round.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill WIll – “You the only nigga that’s Black that wish he was Black!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from the Hunger Gamez, despite a pretty solid, competitive and gritty performance by North Carolina battler XO, a slightly more consistently hitting showing from Ill Will, featuring a sturdy mix of daunting gun bars, witty/flexing personals and hardbody punches, gets the Pontiac, MI vet the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “You not in the mix, I love this street shit, toolie gripping, no mivie scripting, but I play Ray, going in blind taking a risk [closes eyes and points fingers down like a gun] but I looked at the beauty in it!”
Recap: From the Smoke Room Battle League, as expected Ill Will versus Heavy Half for one round turns out to be a verbal slugfest as the two battlers fester in all sorts of mayhem-lit darts, bullish roundhouses, daunting street bars and gritty punchlines. And while Heavy Half also displayed some stirring gang talk and solid lyricism, one too many pedestrian bars from the Chicago spitter in addition to Will’s potent wit, fiery gun bars and plethora of haymakers gives the Yaktown native the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “But I don’t take shit, Heavy I’ll make your funeral music my playlist!”
Recap: From RBE, a 3-round battle that was a lot closer (well, except for round 2 which Will won handily) than either of its participants verbalized on stage, sees Ill Will come back from getting edged in round 1 to a more efficiently punch-lit Aye Verb and take both of latter rounds, what with a gang of boastful barbs, gritty punchlines, flashy gun bars and hard, aggressive set-up/personals, for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “That’s why we laugh at you guys, something packed in the ride that’ll have you staring at the back of your eyes, this the last Enterprise, semi folding shit up like Optimus Prime trying to get back in disguise!”
Recap: Ill Will, who’s been battling quite a bit lately, shows no signs of wear or tear as he uses an aggressive and versatile barrage of sizzling punchlines/name flips, gritty hometown references/bars, a couple of fly rebuttals and a gang of boastful barbs to handily take this LetsBeReal Battle League 1-rounder over a punch-lit at times, but a bit flow-challenged and not quite as efficient N.O.T.R.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Kapo hit my line, I said I’m down man, send the best my way, get this fruit chopped up on the road while he driving, make it a Chef highway!”
Recap: From Any Body Can Die Battle League, a bunch of hard street raps, some spicy rebuttals and fleeting trap talk makes for a pretty solid effort from Gunhood Zeek in this 1-rounder against Ill Will. But coupled with an elongated and reach-prone turn by Zeek, it’s a plethora of sublime 4-bar set-up/punchlines, witty barbs/personals and mayhem-lit darts that earns Will the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “If I’m fucking ya bitch, just get through it dog, I ain’t trying to break up the two of y’all, don’t get your body wrapped up in plastic over a booty call!”
Recap: In this gritty 1-rounder from Houston Bar Code, Ill Will uses an artful supply of killer 4-bar set-up/punchlines, raucous street lines, some dope ordplay and plenty of boastful barbs to score the win over an earnest and punch-lit at times, but mostly pedestrian Swav.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Get a grip and tell ya bitch Ill in the South, I wanna put something real in her mouth, I ain’t a plain [plane] nigga, but if she show me that landing strip…that’s when Will [wheel] coming out!”
Recap: Making his debut on Verbal War Zone over a trio of spicy beats against a clearly faded Fire da Misfit (hence all that overt aggression throughout the battle), when he wasn’t disrespecting his opponent’s birthday, Ill Will stays in tune with just enough gritty punchlines/jokes as well as a helping hand from FDM cutting both of his opening rounds short to get the win before FDM handily took the 3rd over an expeditious Will who by then almost certainly just wanted to get the battle over with.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Doper than that shit that ignited wars in Nicaragua, man I ain’t trying to fuck your bitch, I wanna meet your mama!”
Recap: From RBE, in a 3-rounder that featured a lot of gritty punchlines, steely gun bars, hard street rhymes and formidabke name flips from both sides, despite cutting short his 3rd round, Ill Will supplies more than enough heat to outdo an earnest effort from P.A.Y.N.E. and get the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “You got rhyme and flow, I mean but is it timeless tho?, these people know where my mind can go, you from the state that make marbles…boy I lost mines a long time ago!”
Recap: From RBE’s Max Out 3 card, a fiery and highly competitive blue room battle between Hitman Holla and Ill Will (with a surprising amount of rebuttals from each battler) ends up going Hitman’s way as after getting edged in round 1 (thanks to a blazing, versatile and more consistent effort from Will) Hitman’s plethora of hard-hitting braggadocious lines, piercing lyricism, agressive punches and gripping personals allowed him to score just enough haymakers and edge both the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the win over an opponent who while still scoring left and right with a boatload of witty personals, fierce gun bars and steely schemes/set-up/punchlines, just wasn’t able to match the blow-by-blow action that he came with in the opening round.
Verdict: Hitman Holla (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hitman Holla – “I’m not a walk over, I’m Hitman, I do walk-up’s!”
Recap: From RBE, against the introspective musings, mental health exorcisms and overall solid (bot often cryptic/nonsensical and elongated when it came to getting to the punch) verses/schemes from King Los, Ill Will stays consistent while scoring left and right with a shitload of gritty punchlines, witty barbs, clever puns, rich storytelling, slinging gun bars and hard-hitting personals to earn more than enough haymakers and take all three rounds for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’ll put your whole family in an obstacle, I’ll make him box, Jamie Foxx, al that acting out his chest gonna put him in a hospital!”
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: Add this RBE matchup for Battle of the Year consideration. Because that’s how fire it was. 40 B.A.R.R.S. with one of her most scintillating performances ever, dishing 3 fire rounds of exquisite wordplay, jaunty well-crafted punchlines, brash darts, strong sexual innuendos and dope name flips without missing a beat. While on the other hand an always confident Ill Will came through with a shitload of crazy set-ups, witty barbs, cold performance bars, gritty/aggressive punchlines, righteous pontifications, multifaceted name flips, fire gun bars and spitfire personals with steady abandon. A close, line for line potent and hotly contested battle for all three rounds, we got a slightly more versatile and haymaker-lit Will taking rounds 1 and 2 for the win before 40 returned the favor by taking the 3rd.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I mean you came from my rib, that’s making holy moves, you don’t even apples like that, you just wanted to do what you wasn’t supposed to do!”
Recap: Considering the weight of the names, a bit surprised that this 3-rounder from HOC Rap Battle League received such little promotion. Either way, while Head I.C.E. kept things competitive for two rounds with his parlance for gritty street talk, indirect but flexing punches and witty barbs, Ill Will’s persistent combo of rambunctious punchlines (esp. during a stellar round 2), stinging personals, fiery name flips and gripping mayhem/gun bars would in the end prove to be too much, thus giving the Yaktown native a well-earned 30.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m from Pontiac where we can turn babymamas into ransom notes!”
Recap: Making excellent use of some steely name flips, a couple of spicy rebuttals, hard-hitting punchlines/similes and piercing personals, in this 1-rounder from iBattleTV, Ill Will cruises to an easy win over a consistently gritty and earnest, but topsy-turvy J Geans.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Toolie grip, nigga this ain’t no movie script, when this Will got caught busting in the crowd, I ain’t have an uncle my mama could move me with!”
Recap: From RBE, against an Ill Will who clearly wasn’t on his A-game throughout this bout what with the amount of subpar bars and struggles with his flow, Rosenberg Raw spouts one of his most consistently bullish, punch-heavy and name flip-lit turns ever. The PA vet handily upending his opponent in round 1, before getting edged un round 2 thanks in part to a more condensed, potent and steady run by Will, but also via one too many pedestrian bars during a slightly elongated turn that would cost him in the end. The 3rd and deciding round as well as the battle would be won by a steadier-punching, boastful and haymaker-lit Raw, who after witnesssing a so-so effort from Will, overall was clearly more motivated for what was mostly a one-sided battle.
Verdict: Rosenberg Raw (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rosenberg Raw – “Who got the will pack, he getting smoked in this jawn, I don’t know what time his homies be on, I could tell you about me, broad day know the toasters is on, arm close to the body like I forgot to put deodorant on!”
Recap: Able to offset a gritty and often sublime-punching Reed Dollaz with a wicked freestyle game to go along with a barrage of hardbody punches/personals, fierce wordplay and stinging name flips/set-ups of his own in a more condensed and versatile 2nd round (after Reed took round 1) before handily the 3rd, Ill Will does just enough to get the win in what was a pretty dope and competitive 3-rounder from RBE.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “2 baretta’s, chop over the shoulder…like a masseuse!”
Recap: Only a 1-rounder, but a win over the likes of Ill Will is still an impressive one as despite a strong, brazen and punch-lit showing from his fellow Midwestern opponent, Fonz’s more consistently electric name flips, hard-hitting punchlines/wordplay, rigid personals and flexing bouts of mayhem equates to a few more haymakers and gets him the win in this competitive bout from The Rap Committee.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Fonz – “The way he been moving is real fake, how you on Smack, RBE, KOTD, but Mackk ain’t get no real plates?, I guess if they keep you stagnant, his position is real safe…nigga in a secret competition with Mackk [Mac] he Bill Gates!”
Recap: In a dope battle between two of Michigan’s finest, after a slightly more versatile, witty and consistently hitting Qleen Paper edges round 1 of this RBE matchup, Ill Will gets on his bullshit with a gang of head-ringing gun bars, brazen punchlines, fiery name flips and high-octane/rich storytelling personals to take both of the latter rounds over his still solid, but less lit opponent and get gain the win for Yak-town.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Choppers on display, with a llama on the way, Qleen [clean] all over the house like ‘Shit, my mama on the way!'”
Recap: Th3 Saga and Ill Will meet up on One Shot Battle League and as to be expected it’s a goodie with Saga spouting a gang of fire (“Coke so white, it started a mega-church!”) punches while also declaring that the days of opps dishing ‘masturbation bars’ should be over what with his recent marriage (yeah, good luck with that). Still while Saga rapped a little longer in this 1-rounder and via a choppy flow to start things off didn’t help his cause, the ever-brazen but uber-witty and personal when need be Will would also spit a bunch of fierce punches to score at whim and combined a more condensed turn, edge this one here.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I go way back with the malice, stay back with the challenge, I’ll start a fight in Indiana…who want they payback from the Palace!”
Recap: Sizzling name flips, hard-hitting personals, fiery wordplay and raucous gun bars/punchlines, it’s all there for Ill Will and he’d need them all to score enough haymakers and beat back a strong performance from a brazen and witty at times LL Coogi in this competitive 1-rounder from The Rap Committee.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I wouldn’t put on Coogi if I was Biggie in ’93!”
Recap: This was unfair. Whether it was a spitfire, personal-lit, touching at times, but also rowdy 3rd round or a gang of stellar set-ups/punches, wily gun bars and mocking personals in the earlier rounds, for 3 rounds Ill Will (who overall, wasn’t even at his best here) dominates the loud and aggressive, but consistently basic bars from Jag. Indeed, even the Atlanta crowd were riled by this bodybag what with the West-coast battle rapper displaying an extreme lack of intricacy to his bars that by the final round just became hard to watch. And when you consider how much hype went into promoting this battle. you might be better off re-watching the faceoff, yunno when Jag still stood a chance to win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m forever ready, Pontiac got my back very heavy, they just know me as Will, the lights make me ill…like epilepsy!”
Recap: Some nice set-ups and gritty punches from Chris JR. But in this competitive 1-rounder from Organyzed Cryme Battle League, Ill Will’s greasy combo of boastful barbs, hitting name flips (which included some spicy usage of his own moniker), raucous punchlines and flexing wordplay/gun bars are enough to earn the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “You know you can’t fuck with me, Everybody Hates Chris, but it’s backwards, little dude from across the street gonna get a buck from me!”
Recap: Competitively speaking, Ill Will and A. Ward bring the heat to this 3-round RBE battle that was highlighted by a handful of spicy freestyle’s/rebuttals on both sides. Yet, for all the racial shenanigans, personal shots at Loso, Christian-laced darts and righteous punches by Will to go along with the mocking imitations, hitting personals, fierce schemes and solid name flips/punchlines by Ward, with a surprising load of mediocre lines, a few reaches here and there and quite a few dry spots from both battlers, although this bout was both entertaining and close throughout, I wouldn’t say that either Will or Ward brought their A-game (which in Ward’s case could be due to him battling so much of late). That said, after A. Ward edged round 1 and Will returned the favor in the 2nd, a still spotty at times but also condensed and more consistently hitting Ill Will edges the final round for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “These white boy’s get in the game and think they us, that’s what changed duke, why the fuck would I give a fuck about Regulators when we still seeing Strange Fruit?!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from Organyzed Cryme Battle League, despite ahandful of run-it-back’s, Sick makes for a mostly solid effort via a gang of spicy gun bars and righteous punchlines. But as he’s consistently shown, no matter what platform he’s on, Ill Will would prove to be too much, beating back his opponent with uproarious mix of rowdy name flips, gritty punches/stroytelling, piercing gun lines and in a rare move for WIll…a couple of extra dope freestyles/rebuttals just in case the versatility escaped your mind.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’ll let this .16 beat you on your bitch tracks…and since your man wanna be in the background [BWOH!] he’ll get an ad-lib!”
Recap: It’s not complicated. If you’re a mid-tier battle rapper complaining about not getting bigger plates, when one comes your way, you have to take advantage of it. Really now, ‘cuz say what you want about a Holmzie Da God or a Drugz, when they go face-to-face with a top tier, the effort is there and at the very least they show up with 3 full rounds. Unfortunately, the same can’t said about Don Marino as unforced errors continue to be his downfall. That being the case here in this 3-rounder against an Ill Will, who besides a killer 1st round loaded with fiery punchlines, brazen gun bars and witty personals, could’ve been beat with a standout showing. But after a pretty solid and punch-heavy at times 1st, Don, while continuing to score with a handful of spirited punchlines/set-ups, just couldn’t avoid the slip-ups in round 2 (which helped a versatile and punch-heavy Will take that turn), before starting off his 3rd pretty rigid, getting little past midway and succumbing to a choke.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Little flare, any wrong move the 5th will [ap]pear, pistol so close to Don…it’s a consigliere!”
Recap: In a competitive and rambunctious battle littered with fiery punchlines/4-bar setups, swirling mayhem, rigid gun bars, piercing personals and boastful barbs, after the two split the first couple of rounds, a sublime ‘inter-sexting universe’ scheme (a crazy dope flip on Danny Myers noted ‘Parallel Universe’ bars) by Ill Will in the 3rd round allows Will to take the deciding round for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Acting fearless, knowing I done scared more nigga’s than court dates!”
Recap: Can’t front, I was looking forward to seeing a version of that ‘Squad’ scheme Your Honor has made famous. And while we missed out on that, The District’s favorite did give us a newfound (and hilarious) way of talking through your round when you’ve forgotten your bars, as he did here vs. Ill Will in the 3rd. Not that better preparation would’ve mattered much as outside of a dope opener to force a debatable 1st round, this one was all Ill Will as Yak-town’s finest pulled off yet another sublime display of stifling punchlines, raucous darts, sizzling name flips and festering personals that more than left their mark to handily take the latter two rounds for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Already killed John John, now I’m putting Honor amongst thieves!”
Recap: While a brazen, hardbody showing here by Ms. Miami (her 3rd round being her best) here should warrant her receiving more plates from battle leagues in the future, a battling-for-the-second-time-in-one-day Ill Will not only impresses with his rife for spitting bars, but also with a barrage of braggadocios sexual exploits, head-ringing punchlines, witty/boastful darts, piercing name flips and festive gun bars, giving Will, more importantly, enough distinguished and consistent heat to take the first 2 rounds for the win in this Born Legacy bout from URL.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Your name is Ms. Miami from Queens, what’s the reason?, Hi, my name is Mr. Oklahoma from Cleveland!”
Recap: An aggressive lyrical warfare through and through with some rigid personals here and there from both battler’s, a slightly more consistently hitting, name flip/mayhem-rich, witty at times and wordplay/punch-lit Ill Will takes both of the opening rounds of this URL/Summer Madness 10 matchup vs. John John Da Don for the win, before an angle-bent and spicy when needed JJDD edged the 3rd to avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m the Michael Jodran of this shitm ‘cuz I’m the only one who can get out of space and still ain’t animated!”
Recap: Getting in a battle a week before Summer Madness, Ill Will isn’t quite able to bring his A-game. But in a 1-rounder versus a solid-punching, but elongated and dated at times Dallas Cash, Will’s pedigree for strong set-ups, rambunctious punchlines, witty darts and stirring mayhem/gun lines still hold’s up enough to gain the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I click and clap, gun butt, this side of the serial [cereal] ain’t nutrition facts!”
Recap: Solid turn by Shotty Horror, but Ill Will just runs circles around the UK rapper here, using some dope wordplay, blazing gun bars, scintillating name flips and a gang of righteous personals/punchlines to score a pretty easy win in this 1-round Social Distance battle from RBE.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Pale Nazi, I ain’t believing your quotes, white boy be cooking but he ain;t got enough seasoning tho!”
Recap: Flexing his comedic side and singing ability along with some witty character development, a still gritty Ill Will easily takes this 1-round iBattleTV (COVIDeo battle) matchup against a tried and true, but much less potent Sha G.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m a savage ‘cuz I’ll take ya burner and slap ya man’s, you a savage ‘cuz you be doing that Meg The Stallion dance!”
Recap: My guess is that Ill Will had someplace he needed to be in a hurry as he ends this HanknationTV 1-rounder against a gritty, but a bit flow-challenged and topsy-turvy King Chi early in his round, using some mind-numbling name flips and gun bars to deliver the kill before settling back with more fiery punchlines, witty screeds and scattered boasts on his way to an easy win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Gimme my fee, it ain’t a nigger in battle rap realer than me, and I’m a jealous guy, I’m mad Corona out here acting like it’s iller than me!”
Recap: Getting downright mean, disrespectful and personal with a host of fiery gun bars to back him up, a menacing and more versatile Ill Will beats back what was essentially another gun-heavy, mixtape verse from T-Rex in this 1-round Social Distance match from RBE.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Nigga, I seen all things, from triple to all beams, dog fiends, coke so white it’s the captain of the lacrosse team!”
Recap: Regardless of the verdict here that has Ill Will winning this battle, theoretically there’s really no losers here. And that speaks to how nice 40 Cal. was. Making his decade-plus long return to battle rap, the Harlem “industry” rapper did what most of his peers before him couldn’t do: put on a quality and competitive show. Indeed, from the opening round, via some pretty solid (“You playing pretend and don’t know my story truth, when on the back of every Henny Yak bottle say 40 proof!”) punchlines, gritty boasts and greasy personals (that esp. came together in a witty 3rd round that 40 edged), all the while using a slower and pronounced flow that stayed steady throughout the battle, for the most part, not only did 40 Cal. do really well here, but he made Ill Will earn the victory. And utilizing a steadier trope of stinging punches, raucous (“But I burn shit, learn shit, closed casket or urn shit, it’s apparent [a parent] I’m Dwyane Wade, soon as I raise the tre [3] I knew he’ll turn bitch!”) heat, biting personals and flexing performance bars, a more consistently fire and versatile Ill Will does more than enough to take both of the opening rounds and attain the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’ll show up where ya people be, iron on me got me feeling wrinkle free!”
Recap: Slinging a whole lot of mayhem with the bars in addition to a gang of gritty punchlines, Primetime makes for a solid effort here in this Renegade Rap Battles 1-round matchup versus Ill Will. But with the ability to score more consistently with the punches, extra diverse with the heat, condensed, witty and much nicer than his opponent when it comes to name flips, Ill Will easily wins what was altogether still a competitive showing.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “You was just a waterboy, Bobby Boucher, I’m showing you, I’m your father today, big machete, get Time in a half…that’s holiday pay!”
Recap: Each battler living up to their top tier status in the game, Chef Trez and Ill Will put on a spitfire display of bar efficiency in this 3-rounder from RBE. The Chef, after a pretty solid, gun-centric and punch-heavy showing in the first round that only gets beat by a turned, set-up lit, (“I’m the stupidest one, two arms to both sides of Chef, like he waiting for the food to get done!”) performance-stunting and name flip/heat-a-blazing turn by Will, edges the 2nd round with else?…a fiery, room-shaking toss of 3 of them thangs, plus more eccentric (“Let him play, fuck all the hype games, knife swing, dirty blade…something rusty around Will, old bike chain!”) punchlines and other sizzling polemics and personals that in lieu of yet another fire turn by Will, he’d need to tie things up going into the 3rd round. Both battlers would dish plenty of stinging mayhem, searing punchlines and well-loaded (Trez: “When I cook, I’m too seasoned, hope you wasn’t expecting a lazy Chef ‘cuz now you gotta face the Chef, I’ll blaze the Tek, bullets at this leg, got him taking baby steps!”) gun bars in the deciding final round, but with an equal amount of heat from both sides, this altogether fiery and competitive matchup would end up as a draw.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Ill Will – “But the 5th will twirl, Nick ya son, hit ya girl, once I get in the range, miss the games, send the Chef to a different world!”
Recap: Nice of Illmaculate to finally show up in the 3rd round what with a punch and rebuttal-heavy turn that was certainly crowd-pleasing. But before that, this KOTD 3-rounder was all Ill Will, the Yak-town battler bringing nothing but steady heat via potent name flips, fiery gun bars, witty A. Ward barbs/personals and raucous punches in the opening rounds (while Illmac was rich-deep in mediocre schemes and punchlines that were hit-n-miss) to earn the win before a debatable 3rd round prevented a shutout.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “But bruh, you ain’t been the man in almost 15 years, still bringin’ up Scribble Jam, Fam’, the nigga that created Scribble Jam don’t remember Scribble Jam!”
Recap: With all those hard-hitting personals Ill Will was throwing at Ave and his Cave Man clique throughout this dope URL/Born Legacy 8 matchup, one can’t help but wonder if it had any say in the Norfolk, VA, puncher leaving the Cave not too long afterwards. Either way, complete with the type of competitive energy that you’d expect from two of battle rap’s best, after the slightly more condensed, fire gun bar spitting, brazen and witty at ttimes edged the opening round and the consistently boastful and punch-lit Ave took the 2nd, Will’s high battle rap IQ would come to play in the deciding 3rd. The versatile Pontiac, MI, rapper comically exposing Ave’s tendency to be an albeit great, but sometimes repetitive puncher while spouting a versatile round littered with piercing 4-bar set-ups, stinging name flips/personals, some head-ringing wordplay and his own unique brand of aggressive/raucous punchlines to take the 3rd for the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “This is cool, but the hood my reality, if I’m ridin’ down on Ave wavin’ the 5th, that’s just good hospitality!”
Recap: Pretty solid URL Banned Legacy 3 battle between Geechi Gotti and Ill Will served up a gang of explosive gun bars from both sides, wicked sexual hijinks to go along with witty banter from Will, some spicy rebuttals from Gotti, mocking (Ill Will: “You be doing hair, you know what? I ain’t gonna debate about the nonsense, you a fag, I don’t know one nigga Straight Outta Compton!”) personals, graphic street tales and gritty name flips/punchlines. The best combined round, the 1st, gets edged by a more condensed and haymaker-lit Gotti, before Will came back with an altogether blazing 2nd round to tie things up heading into the 3rd. And tho Gotti had another nice rebut to combine with one more haymaker in the final round Geechi’s pen game just wasn’t as consistently lit as was his opponent, making this one a draw.
Verdict: Debatable
Favorite line: Geechi Gotti – “Nigga, this .9 mine [Bawh! Bawh!], Mackk you better check ya man [Bawh!], I just gave him another shot, everybody deserves a second chance!”
Recap: Gritty, competitive 1-rounder between Ill Will and Blaxkface sees the latter score with some fierce punchlines here and there. But a demonstrative Ill Will, extra nice with the name flips and flagrant gun bars, mixes in some piercing punches of his own to go along with a fleet of witty personals to get the win.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Coming at Ill, but you won’t beat him, and anybody can die the same day, competition? I don’t see ’em, they wanna see if you gonna sit in Will chair or a wheelchair…don’t cheat ’em!”
Recap: Good one between Pass and Ill Will on the KOTD stage with the former kicking a variety of fierce punchlines, nice name flips and nifty braggadocio lines that his Oakland hometown crowd more than appreciated. But Pass’ bent for filler and oft-pedestrian bars throughout his rounds combined with Ill Will’s gritty, performance-adept, rambunctious, satirical, gun bar savvy and personal/name flip heavy rotation of bars, no matter the round gives the Pontiac, Michigan rapper a well-earned 30.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I learned at a young age when you pushing that rock, nigger’s will run and shoot and post up against you, that’s why it’s easy to put two arms to ya chest Pass, I know fundamentals!”
Recap: In a battle that came together out of nowhere, Ill Will validates there being different levels to this shit with a consistently hardbody, verbal luminary, personal-savvy and performance-heavy showing versus Scotty. Somewhat competitive at times with the Houston battler showcasing the ability to display wit and even drop some shiny haymakers now and again, unfortunately for Scotty his pen game would be prove to be unreliable in light of so many subpar punches and very basic schemes. For Will, who added in a handful of nice rebuttals in the match and clearly did his research on his opponent, ruthlessly mocking Scotty’s rap persona as well as his Proving Grounds loss to Loso throughout the battle, this 30 was well-earned.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I did this for the money my nigga, I just saved the day, this ain’t even a real meal, this a little cookout, that’s why it’s just a paper plate!”
Recap: With a boatload of vigor, fire name flips, sterling (IW: “They wondering how much that belt cost, I’m wondering of it’s bulletproof!”) punchlines, dope (Red: “I got options, I could turn this to an O.J. scene or just hang Will [wheel] from a tree, like a homemade swing!”) wordplay, stinging personals and visceral heaters, through 1-and-a-half rounds Ill Will versus O-Red displays the potential to be a classic. But then the inexplicable happens and Red literally loses his voice mid-battle and eventually has to forfeit the middle round (a round he probably would’ve lost anyway when considering Will’s haymaker-drenched turn) after multiple attempts to get his vocals back. That would cost Red the battle after one or two more haymakers by Will in the 1st gave the Michigan battle that round. And while to his credit Red would get enough of his voice box back to dish a versatile, sizzling (and winning) 3rd round (with verses from his 2nd), by then it was too late.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Give his head a shot, you ain’t gotta ask if he dead or not, mama viewing the body as if she colorblind, don’t know if it’s Red or not!”
Recap: A last-minute replacement for Ill Will, credit to Serius Jones for only filling in and showing up for this battle, but really showing up. That is, making it competitive for all 3 rounds with the kind of aggression, (“You see, I done ate salmon on a yacht and I done ate tuna in a can, but I ain’t a legend because of what I did, I’m a legend ‘cuz of who I am!”) boasts and seismic punchlines/gun bars that made Serius a household name in battle rap in the first place. Still, against the likes of Yak-town’s finest, an opponent usually needs more to stand a chance of winning. And tho he dropped his penchant for dated bars throughout the battle, when it came to elongated turns, reaches, pedestrian bars and out-of-nowhere lines on the infamous Math Hoffa punch (which ironically would serve as an ideal set-up to Will’s personal-heavy 3rd round) from years back, Serius’ would end up hurting himself. But ultimately, a spitfire throughout Ill Will, confident, vigorous, entertaining, fire the (“I got split personalities my nigga, you can meet one, like you got Will in your face, then your mama read one!”) punches and extra witty with the personals was just on another level here.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Bru, you still here?, well, be still here, we used to gun-butt niggers and let the steel go at the same time…can you still hear?!”
Recap: Granted, he got an able assist from Mackk Myron towards the end of his elongated turn. But even without the tag-in, Ill Will scores with enough fiery wit, ill schemes, steely gun bars, pointed name flips and righteous punchlines to beat back what was an overall solid, but not as consistently punch-heavy turn by Pyrex.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I did shit, something used, on sight…Craigslist!”
Recap: Long-anticipated matchup between two of Michigan’s finest, Calicoe and Ill Will, finally goes down…in of all places, a parking lot in New York on RBE. But fortunately, the somewhat sordid setting didn’t get in the way of what was a dope and competitive battle with Calicoe’s aggressive bully bars, elaborate street ethos style of rap and flexing personals going head-to-head with Will’s more punch-heavy, gun-centric, witty and also aggressive flow. Plenty of disses towards each other’s hometown’s also added plenty of fuel to this tension filled battle. More condensed than his opponent throughout the battle, after losing the first round to a more (“Dumb Tech’s, this bitch come easy like drunk sex, .45 still stratching like Funk Flex!”) potent Will, Calicoe comes back with a more cerebral, consistent, (“This nigga ain’t even got no fans, it be my fans that fuck with you when I go missing!”) mocking and bullish round 2 to get the edge there, before also edging the deciding round 3 (after a slow start) with more righteous heat, that along with some surprising wit and an elongated/inconsistent Will, gave Cal the win.
Verdict: Calicoe (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Calicoe – “Let me hear they trying to slide on me, before you know it, ladder dropping out of the chopper, this bitch heroic!”
Recap: In a battle of two former UFF champions, Ill Will uses ear-ringing name flips, hitting personals/schemes, a barrage of aggressive mayhem, spicy hometown references and witty/fiery punchlines to easily beat back a solid overall, but seemingly none-too-motivated-with-the-pen T Top. Indeed, energetic throughout, backed by a sterling performance and galvanized at showing a festive Houston crowd who the real champ is, it’s a virtuoso showing from Will that could’ve equated to a classic if Top hadn’t come with raps that were seemingly originally left on the cutting room floor.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I riddle nigger’s, every time I hit these stages, my buzz get a little bigger, spread all the rumors you want, I been sick of nigger’s, Benjamin Button, I been 100 since a little nigger!”
Recap: Resorting to too many nonsensical gun sounds and weak name flips, even if you want to give a way-too-anecdotal Big T the benefit of the doubt and credit him for some so-called ‘over-your-head’ bars (Ya gotta catchup!), the funny Team Homi disses and other unorthodox punches, this version of Ill Will, flexing throughout with exquisite bully bars, mean schemes, wicked personals and righteous wordplay/punchlines might have proven too much for Big Terrence to deal with even if he was on his A-game, which he clearly wasn’t here.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “You good T, but I think they feeling Ill more, I could shoot him, or run up on T and swing, like Happy Gilmore!”
Recap: When your opponent even admits that this is the best version he’s seen of you, there’s a good chance that you got the battle won. Indeed, that’s the case here as Math Hoffa takes it back to his Marvwon and Arsonal days with a barrage of spitfire punchlines, witty (“People think that you a grimy dude, and honestly it might be true, but the only evidence we got, is you always dressing like it’s ’92!”) personals and hitting bully bars that, for two rounds anyway, put a serious hurting on a solid, but less potent and sometimes redundant Ill Will, who from the aforementioned salute to Math, clearly underestimated the strength of his opponent’s pen. Thankfully for Will anyway, a boisterous, (“I’m in his building, on the 3rd floor, arms waving, when I pop locks…I call it Turbo!”) gritty and consistent return to form in the final round was enough to force a debatable and avoid getting 30’d.
Verdict: Math Hoffa (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Math Hoffa – “The crowd ducking, security like ‘How he get the Larkin?’, I cheated, I had my bitch carrying [carry in], I’m Tristan Thompson!”
Recap: A fire battle that was close throughout, a slightly more resourceful, (“What the fuck is on dude menu? look like your mama used to just open you up and put the food in you!”) witty and spitfire Ill Will takes the 1st and (“Guy on the couch, they thought I was asleep before I extended the arm to smoke something!”) 3rd rounds here to beat back a (“If you even look like you wanna fight, you see these Grape street nigger’s?…you can get initiated tonight!”; “38. revolver, classic, that old dirty bastard, chin shit!, he gonna have to snap his neck to fit him in his casket!”) combative and aggressive-dart throwing Shotgun Suge on this Traffic 3 Smack/URL card.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m supposed to give him respect, not in here, fuck him, Tyrese scandal, Will ain’t giving nobody that’s dropping tears nuthin!”
Recap: The ski mask’s end up deciding this one as after Daylyt surprisingly spits a fire, (“Think pilgrim beef, in the end [Indian], I do Ill wild and y’all was trying to tell me that Will da beast [Wildebeest]?!”; “99’s over all…he the hoodie Melo!”) punch-heavy 1st round that edges a dope and heated turn from Ill Will, Will returns the favor with a even more aggressive and (“Revolver?, half-loaded, I got it by the left leg, 3 of then thangs left your dome…I got it from Chef Trez!”) potent 2nd round that easily beats back a reaching with the words and pretty standard round from Daylyt. Final round is where we see the ski mask’s come out on both ends and while Daylyt spouts a solid, conscious-themed round that made it competitive, its Will’s mask that wins the day with a trio of standing haymakers and feelgood punches.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “The .9 milli, it’s easy to fit nigga, I like the Hollow’s, the bald heads ain’t cool on the low, like Beasley and [points at ARP] this nigga!”
Recap: Good shit between Mr. Mills and Ill Will in this lively one-rounder from Midwest Alliance that featured plenty of heated gun bars from both battlers. But with the ability to display more personals, some funny jokes and a plethora of fiery punchlines, a more versatile Ill Will, who apparently ran into some drama with po-po on the way to this battle, at the very least leaves with a victory under his belt.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “…let him owe me, I’ll fire a shot in the middle of Mills [meals] like Frank Lucas at lunch!”
Recap: After a hot start by Ill Will in the 1st round that edged a (“If you heard I don’t play, you better believe that shit, my nigga will break ya neck for a dime like [turns head]…’Bra, did you see that bitch!'”) haymaker-drenched, but dry spot-littered turn by Nu Jerzey Twork, the latter gets in his bag of fiery unorthodox polemics rich with finite (“[throws punches in air at Will] You see these get Ill-lit-er-ate [bwoh!] couldn’t read or write!”) performance bars and jaunty wordplay to spark a ferocious comeback. Indeed, Twork’s comeuppance would equate to a salacious round two that was made even more dominant by a stunning 2nd-round choke by Will. Tied going into the 3rd, a slow start by the Yaktown rapper, despite a load of steely histrionics later on in his round, would allow for a more consistent and frenzied Twork to do just enough for the win in what some could call an upset.
Verdict: Nu Jerzey Twork (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Nu Jerzey Twork – “Restless, I guess that gives your name less significance, well you can rap with God, I hear he got the best deliverance!”
Recap: A certified classic, that’s Brizz Rawsteen versus Ill Will. And that’s saying a lot in an age where popular battles are too often labeled ‘classic’ and fail to live up to the standard because popularity doesn’t always equate to a bout that will live on in infamy. Then too, classics aren’t just about two top tier battlers being on their A-game. Granted, Will’s ability here to spit a versatile array of spitfire bars via gritty (“.45 under the bed, I’m cheating on wifey wit’ a cougar bitch!”) punchlines, flexing (“Raw? Raw nothin’, if the Ross dumpin’, Raw runnin’, arm across his chest like, ‘Hold on bro, a car comin’!”) personals, dope storytelling bars, nasty gun lines and witty barbs/schemes (not to mention a killer Loaded Lux impression in the 2nd round that featured this banger: ‘Let me be honest, if you text out every hoe that I’ve stretched out, it’ll be nuthin new, just a double shot of smooth for ya boo and ya crew and I never have a bad drought, y’all niggas came here on planes…cool, y’all gotta go the hotel route, they didn’t even book my niggas rooms, I told ’em Brizz mama givin’ head out!”) for 3 consecutive rounds stands out, but having a heavy load of punches is what makes the Pontiac, Michigan rapper one of the best to do it. But it’s what Brizz does here that makes this one such a memorable battle, the Dark Side spitter surprisingly matching his energy, dripping mayhem and (“Aye Jaz, you want a Gucci purse? well you gotta give me some coochi first, it’s April 8th, how you feel about June the 1st?, I’m just puttin’ that in the universe!”) over-the-top wit with one of, if not his most consistent display of potent (“Live, In Living Color and sit ya face on the table like the Head detective, [BAOW!] I blow the brains everywhere, I mean, I’m not sure if you heard but that’s how I spread the message!”) punchlines along with a gang of fiery personals with little filler. And tho Brizz ends up losing the battle (I got Rawsteen edging the 1st with Will edging the 2nd and 3rd), with such a superb effort to go along with so many quotables/haymakes and an exceptional opponent who seemed to understand what an epic moment in time they’d both created, does it really matter who won?
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Brizz Rawsteen – “‘Cuz I’m a get Get Rich Or Die Trying and this .50 don’t Back Down, these serve all day, catch a MAC round, I’ll have his body hanging halfway out the bag like a hash brown!”
Recap: Nice, close battle between Charlie Clips and Ill Will that could’ve been a lot better if it weren’t for some recycled bars/dry spots by Clips and plenty of filler from Will. Things started off great in round one with both battlers bringing their A-games. A cohesive Clips came nice with feisty set-ups/schemes and dope (“I be in my crib with all types of guns, in a heavy zone, today should I go with the .4 or the .9, I feel like Jerry Jones!”) punchlines that scored aplenty, while making up for a couple of recycled bars from his battle with JC. But the always aggressive Will came one better, starting out with an ill rebuttal to Clips’ ending ‘Kermit’ line and despite a handful of pedestrian bars, more than enough haymakers to take the round. Round two was more of the same…from Will, crazy performance bars, intense (“I’ll let ya uncle feel [Phil] the right, nah he don’t want these hands, then you’ll see Clips from Will’s pops like Why he don;t want me man!“) wordplay that hit hard and feelgood (“Why did you become a vegan awhile ago and you getting fatter?!”) personals that more than rubbed the funny bone–easily enough to beat a mostly dry turn from Clips and take the first two rounds. Thanks in part to Will Smith (who would’ve loved this battle considering how much his name and career was toyed with steady throughout) and an inconsistent Will, Clips managed to avoid getting 3-0’d, returning to basics with fiery schemes and potent (“Is Yaktown in this bitch? [points to dude in Will’s crew], you stand behind him because that’s your family nigga, well nigga’s die every day behind the wheel [Will] B, that’s word to Brandy nigga!”) bars to salvage the round and battle.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Hit him with a cig, ‘notha cig like you need the cancer, if I come knocking with a lil Roscoe, you better let Gina answer!”
Recap: Great job by Smack predicting a dope one before the battle as Rum Nitty and Ill Will came through with three fire, highly competitive, aggressive and haymaker-drenched rounds to not only warrant the URL league owner’s faith in them, but makes this one an arguable classic. That said, under normal circumstances and in a nod to how (“I was up in the hotel, loading rounds for cousin, big rounds I’m stuffing, they say Ill in the lobby, I grab the nose running, I’m coming down with something!”; “Steel out, hop out the van with that flying, the stick bodying Will [stick body in wheel] that’s a handicap sign!”) exquisite he was with the gun bars and mayhem (and even a few wily personals) throughout this matchup, Rum Nitty wins this battle. But clearly motivated and hyped (a little too hyped actually what with that strange 3rd round faux ‘press conference’) during the entire battle, a more versatile Ill Will, stunting with his own barrage of head-twisting (“Foldin’ yo’ whip, .22 to your daughter, .44 to yo’ bitch, then I give you a ring from another number like, ‘Bro’ I let my phone in your whip!'”) heat, piercing name flips/schemes, well-finessed wordplay, dizzying personals, witty darts and raucous (“My nigga Ray, from Finkle, Dan Marino bullets, accuracy no leeway, shit got his head hangin’ out the window while he driving…Ace Ventura on the freeway!”) punchline after punchlines with very few dry spots in-between, somehow manages to edge (call it a classic) a sublime-on-both-sides 1st round as well as an almost-as-spicy 2nd to get the win, before a debatable 3rd that was partly due to Will being a bit longwinded with his raps.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Come outside and stack in my face, I’ll let a shell burst, break your hands and turn them C’s the other way…[turn to] Jaz you want a Chanel purse?!”
