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Murda Mook

Nu Jerzey Twork defeats Murda Mook

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Recap: From URL’s Homecoming 2 card, nonwithstanding surprisingly bringing out Brizz Rawsteen midway during his 3rd round in an ill-advised (considering the enigmatic Brizz hasn’t battle at all since we seen him and T-Top vs. Calicoe and Mook like 4 years ago) move that clearly had no effect on his opponent, Nu Jerzey Twork ends his 2023 with an impressive win against Murda Mook. The Jersey star using a versatile plate of crazy set-up/punchlines, some cold wordplay, ill street-themed raps, mocking personals, braggadocious darts and raucous gun bars/name flips to take both the 1st (that sublime ‘Young Dolph’ line was a nice precursor to what was coming) and 2nd rounds for the vic, before Mook (who was competitive and pretty solid throughout with a boatload of witty barbs, righteous punches, spicy schemes and piercing heat) came back with his best round of the match to salvage the 3rd and final round.

Verdict: Nu Jerzey Twork (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Nu Jerzey Twork – “They cut me from wide receiver, I just couldn’t get away from the corner!”

Bigg K defeats Murda Mook

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Recap: Murda Mook versus Bigg K, a matchup that pretty much came out of nowhere, gets the royal, blue light treatment from RBE and deservedly so. K, arrogant and fiery as ever, but almost always able to back it up with his modus operandi of steely back-to-back punchlines, hard-hitting personals and charming wit, did his thing up until getting sidetracked towards the end of his 3rd round by a heavy-on-the-personals ‘cop’ angle that seemed to be based on hearsay rather than actual facts. While Mook, always sly and aggressive with his raps, pontificating, punch-lit for the most part, scoring with some solid metaphors and of course, well-dipped when it came to jaunty personals and predictable race angles, kept it close throughout. Unfortunately for Mook tho, despite a fly showing of his own in round 1, K’s more steadily hitting darts would edge the former the opener, before one too many subpar joints from Murda to go along with a pretty lazy ‘A-B-C’ scheme in round 2, would help a punch-crazier and scintillating Bigg K get that round too for the win, before a wittier, spicy storytelling and slightly more punch-heavy Mook took the final round to avoid the 30.

Verdict: Bigg K (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Bigg K – “You was the best in the world when there was only 8 battlers!”

Murda Mook defeats Geechi Gotti

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Recap: The way Murda Mook kept reppin’ for NY throughout this battle, you just knew some of this showing was about getting revenge for Loaded Lux’s shellacking at the hands of Geechi Gotti last year in Cali. Well, that’s my guess (hell, Mook did bring Lux out on stage in round 3) anyway. That said, this URL Homecoming bout with the current ‘Face of URL’ going up against the ‘Face of the Smack DVD era’ was a close and exciting one, a definitive crowd-pleaser that was worth the price of admission. Geechi, with his aggressive combo of hardbody street rhymes, gritty punches, brash personals and solid freestyles (which helped him edge round 2) rarely let a turned-up Irving Plaza crowd rattle him. While a versatile and angle-rich Mook, when he wasn’t spouting a gang of fiery NYism’s with his raps to keep the listeners in tune, continuously scored with a bunch of straighforward but potent punchlines, witty personals, steely pontifications and boastful barbs. Surprisingly, what ended up deciding this battle was an elongated Gotti too often leaning on the same gun-centric themes we’ve long heard him spout as well as Geechi letting the raucous away crowd unnerve a little bit which at times effected his flow. And with Mook (outside of the constant crowd interruptions and some indirect shots at notables like NuNu Nells), coming off more condensed and slightly more haymaker-lit in both the 1st and 3rd rounds, it’s the Harlem great who ends up pulling out the win.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “Your fight with death, I bet that gonna be your last tussle, Funeral that always wins, you better ask Hustle!”

Reed Dollaz defeats Murda Mook

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Recap: In this long-anticipated Summer Madness 11 matchup between a couple of battle rap legends, Murda Mook and Reed Dollaz, the duo would keep it close and competitive throughout via a gang of gritty punchlines and aggressive gun bars. Still, outside of a debatable 2nd round, it’s Reed who ends up earning the win. The longtime Philly rapper edging rounds 1 and 3 with a better overall punch game, that safeguarded his legacy when he wasn’t ironically styling on Mook’s contribution to the game, challenging his opponent’s street cred (as did Mook) and celebrated his city’s chapter in battle rap history.

Verdict: Reed Dollaz (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Reed Dollaz – “Snub pop, gut shot, watch his abs devour, funny how we in the congregation, but you still couldn’t pass the Dollaz!”

Murda Mook defeats Tay Roc

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Recap: At his best when he’s rapping with a purpose (instead of just trying to out-rap you), deftly breaking down his opponent, tossing in some dope sports flips/4-bar setups and dropping nimble gems within his rapid-fire punches, Murda Mook serves up a consistent, personal-lit and fiery mix of all three to beat back (we score it as a debatable 1st round, followed by Mook edging the 2nd and 3rd) a dope, gun-bar heavy and also personal-driven Tay Roc in this much-anticipated and competitive battle from URL.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “The hammer clap, ’til the handle burn like candle wax, Tre on your hat, you don’t even get a Chance to rap, dead rappin’ better promotion, see his fans react, I told Smack, ‘I need chicken’, he sent the Family pack!'”

Murda Mook defeats Street Hymns

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Recap: RBE Social Distancing 1-round battle with a different twist as judging from their rhymes Murda Mook and Street Hymns clearly had no idea they were battling each other. A good battle nonetheless with Street getting 3-dimensional with the visuals, while kicking some introspective bars that were backed pretty well when it comes to adept wordplay. But a never-lacking-for-confidence Mook, battling in a project playground which metaphorically speaking perfectly suited his brazen bars on the state of battle rap, his stamp in the game and other what-have-you’s on competition and critics, gets the edge in this one.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 1-0

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “Let’s take it back to when it was no rules, ain’t no you who’s, nobody had moves to mark y’all calender’s, my whip’n old school, I’m from where you couldn’t afford to dodge no challengers, now let’s see y’all caliber’s!”

Aye Verb defeats Murda Mook

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Recap: For his comeback Murda Mook should’ve took Tsu Surf. That’s really the consensus here after watching this hour-and-a-half long battle between Mook and Aye Verb that was not only way too long, but drenched with filler and littered all over the place with pedestrian bars from both participants. Then too, besides Mook making his much-heralded comeback and a couple of old battle vets finally facing off against each other, what was the point here? Especially what with Mook’s continual narrative over the years stating that he can hang with the new guys…again, he should’ve battled Surf.

As for the battle itself, competitive by default with an undoubtedly record-setting 3rd round from Mook and way too much extra shit what with all the touching and machismo going on throughout it. And tho frequent bouts of elongated schemes, mediocre bars and quite a few reaches would hurt the match, for the most part the crowd (esp. Jaz the Rapper) was into it. And both Mook and Verb would dazzle at times with fiery punchlines, wily personals, braggadocio shiners and many a provocative dart. Verb, at his best when he flexed with stinging personals and rich storyline bars, would easily surmount his opponent on haymakers to take round 1, before Mook, aggressive and never lacking (“Yeah, I’m feeling myself like I don’t know where my phone at!”) for confidence throughout despite 3 inconsistent rounds, would match Verb on overall potency to make the 2nd round debatable. And despite Mook delivering 10-15 rounds of bars in one overlong 3rd, after a bit of a slow start it’s Verb who gives Mook a searing talking to, via a gang of fierce set-ups, schemes and mocking (“I was reading your transcript and it said, you got a problem with Math, well it’s ok, just don’t let it beat you over ya head!”) personals, to handily take the round and win the battle.

Verdict: Aye Verb (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Aye Verb – “It’s time to eat, I’m a throw noodles like a college student!”

Murda Mook defeats Loaded Lux (Rematch)

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Recap: Much-anticipated rematch between Harlem legends Loaded Lux and Murda Mook gets the polished and production-lit reception it deserves in front of a packed crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York as the headline to the Total Slaughter card. Too bad the battle itself wouldn’t live up to the hype. As after Lux dished a consistently gripping round 1 loaded with righteous punches, some vivid storytelling and wily personals to beat back a momentous and witty at times, but inconsistent turn by Mook, the “Talk Dirty” emcee’s normally virtuous rhymes would disappear into a pool of pedestrian bars and personals with very little bite, helping him to eventually lose this battle. And while Mook would start to land with more punches as the battle proceeded, continue to call out his opponent for allegedly being a hypocrite when it comes to his more preachy lines, spit a nice rebuttal in the deciding 3rd round and instigate a Lux vs. Busta Rhymes (who was in the audience) beef by playing a tape of Lux sneak-dissing Busta (a ploy that worked out really well when you consider the weak attempt by Lux to use a coat as a prop during the top of the round), it wasn’t like Murda, who was often spotty here, was ever on his A-game either. Although one can agree that the higher-ups could’ve let Mook finish the verse he wasn’t able to deliver in time in a final round that with the many breakdown’s on his opponent, he won pretty decisively.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “All of this dressing up like different people, that ain’t for niggas from the block, the only time we in disguise when we fin to get the drop!”

Murda Mook defeats Iron Solomon

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Synopsis: Sorry, but this battle doesn’t get near enough credit for being pretty damn good. Yet that’s clearly due to all the Mook haters out there who refuse to give Mook props even when he brings his a-game. In addition ($30k combined non-withstanding), there’s plenty of plotlines and subliminals at play here to keep you entertained throughout. Like why it made much more sense for Mook to battle Math (or even Cassidy) here. Or Mook’s ingenious schemes. Or the 5 rounds being “too much” for a “legend” who hadn’t appeared on a battle stage in years and clearly had a lot of shit to get off his chest? Or how during the battle Cassidy crosses over from Solomon’s side to Mook’s. Or how disappointing Iron’s performance was here (tho he did have his moments). Or how Mook came at Smack in round 1. Or how Mook seemed to really be mad how Iron treated E. Ness in their battle not too long back. Or Mook adequately addressing all the haters and fellow battle rappers in round 4. Or all the borderline racist punchlines throughout. Or the biased crowd. Or the skittles. Or Diddy throwing in the towel after round 3. Or how Mook broke down Iron’s whole overrated career…which ended up getting him the W here, the personals were just too much.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 5-0

Best line: No so much a line, but Mook bringing this epic fail up during the battle was a lesson on how important it is to do your research on an opponent.

Instant classic: Mook telling the whole world that Solomon has one testicle.

Murda Mook defeats Dice

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Recap: Judging from this battle, life appears to be pretty good for Murda Mook, esp. what with a huge supply of braggadocio bars, a ‘chick whose pussy always like Summer Eve’, plenty of cake from that street life, all the while making hay out of opponent’s like Dice, who started off well in this 3-round battle, but wilted as the bout went on in the face of Mook’s rampant heat.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 3-0

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “My flow’s a crime scene, in the booth I put up yellow tape!”

Murda Mook defeats Cardi

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Recap: While Murda Mook distractors can point to this battle versus Cardi as an example of Mook’s straightforward style not amounting to anything but simple rhyme (“You, a trash can in the winter, you’re cold garbage!”) patterns and repetitive angles, Murda’s rich (“You and your people’s like brothers? [crosses arms on chest] y’all could sleep with each other!”) performance and storytelling bars are not only potent, but easily enough to beat a (“ill turn ya hood into a ghost town, it’s like I stole Christmas, pushing white off the strip like a snow plow”) game, but clearly outmatched opponent whose basic lines shouldn’t have warranted an OT despite edging the 2nd round.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) OT

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “His bitch is a dummy, no wonder why she cheat on you, she could step in shit you’ll put her feet on you, I bet if she had a dick you’ll let her skeet on you!”

Murda Mook defeats Jae Millz

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Recap: A true classic, this matchup between a young Murda Mook versus street battle rap legend Jae Millz is responsible for a lot of people becoming battle rap fans and a lot of heads becoming battle rappers themselves. Going toe-to-toe for 5 fierce rounds uptown around Harlem’s infamous 125th street, spicy quotables along with a gang of braggadocios heat, gritty gun talk and witty personals are aplenty here. Still, it’s an ever confident Mook, more versatile with the set-ups, raucous when needed, fiercely (“Go ahead, turn around if you’d like/’cuz through the grapevine, Millz, I heard that’s how you ask for the pipe/don’t get trapped in the hype, homeboy, you ain’t real/I don’t wanna hear no mess about how you spray steel/’cuz in the pen, they told you to stay still/twenty nigga’s in the shower, waiting to Jay Millz!”) storytelling here, stronger with the wordplay and clearly landing more haymakers in the 1st, 3rd and 4th rounds (a more condensed Millz [“All that bullshit you talking, I ain’t hearing it and you ain’t gotta tell me about your deal ‘cuz (looks at his wristwatch) I’m wearing it!”] does enough to make the 2nd round debatable, before getting more multifaceted with his raps to easily taking the 5th round) who shines best for Harlem on this day and takes the win at the end.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “His career? It’s on a treadmill/yeah, he getting run, but he ain’t going nowhere!”

Murda Mook defeats Loaded Lux (1st Battle)

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Recap: Harlem legends Murda Mook and Loaded Lux go at it for 8 epic rounds in one of the truly most influential battles of all-time. A mostly competitive bout, a testament to lyrical endurance (Mook: “I spit till my body ache!”) and a sign of a times what with Mook cutting off Lux a couple of times the second Loaded took too long to start another verse, the battle was also highlighted by plenty of stunting, flossing, nifty personals and piercing (Loaded Lux: “And that shit you got weak, what you trying to save grams?, he couldn’t tell that shit a rock to a caveman!”) punchlines throughout. Lux’s more potent punches and wordplay easily gets him round 1, before a more condensed and consistent Mook edges a 2nd round that was equal on haymakers. Rounds 3 and 4 also went to Mook what with Lux’s rampant punches dipping a bit on efficiency while also becoming more and more filler-prone. On the other hand during the two rounds, Mook turned it up on execution, while also displaying a bit more versatility to his raps. The ever boastful Mook went extra hard with the (“I got a disease, I can’t let go of the steel .9, I’m so thirsty for a murder, trying to kill time!”) bluster in round 5, while Lux (who had some moments) still struggled to get his groove back. A more condensed and suddenly lit again with the punchlines (“I don’t know how he chill, this nigga pockets is like pre-paid phones, that nigga ain’t got a bill!”) Loaded edged round 6 even tho Mook had a strong round as well. Lux then came back with another dope turn in the 7th round, stepping up his wordplay and dishing out some robust heat. And with Mook up 4 rounds to 3 going into the 8th and final round, it’s Murda who gets the vic and avoids a tie with a turn that was littered with moxie and more stinging (“I leave a nigga jail bed stiff, and bury him with his weight bench so he really can dead lift!”) haymakers than his opponent.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 5-3

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “Ease up, or feel more heat than twenty perms, half your hammers don’t exist like Missy curves!”

Murda Mook defeats Party Arty

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Recap: If this was your normal 3-round battle Party Arty (RIP) would’ve had this, as for the first two rounds anyway, Arty’s gritty, braggadocio (“The haze that I smoke come in pickle bags, this still chipping in for nickle bags!”) punches easily beat back Murda Mook’s less potent bluster that included a few recycled raps. But stamina being part of Mook’s forte, going 5 rounds only works to his advantage. Thus, it’s no surprise seeing the Harlem battler get edgier, wittier and more consistent with his punchlines as the battle continued, taking the 3rd and 4th round before a deciding 5th round, while a bit complacent on both sides, is still edged by Mook’s more robust and consistent hardbody bars.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 3-2

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “I could see this nigga far from Smart, I bet he think a stereotype is Sony, Panasonic or Sharp!”

Murda Mook defeats Verse

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Recap: Here’s the only known released footage of Murda Mook vs. Verse from their Fight Klub battle. Not much to see here besides Verse’s mundane fast-rapping, while Mook compares lifestyles with his usual charismatic flair. A judged battle–with Mook still around and Verse M.I.A., I think it’s safe bet to say that Mook got this.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W)

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “That’s what my life ’bout, never chose the right route, you see me in D.C. pissing on the White House!”

Murda Mook defeats Yung Hot

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Synopsis: It’s easy to forget that Murda Mook’s (along with braggadocio rhymes on how nice he is) forte has always been about breaking down nigga’s. And here he does just that against a clearly outclassed Yung Hot, using menacing personals, funny storytelling and wicked bars to take out his frustration on having to face a “3rd-string replacement”.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 3-0

Best line: Murda Mook – “And I do think I’m the greatest, I believe in the hype, that’s why every time you hear me I compare me to Mike, example, remember A.I. crossed Mike out his sneakers?, it seem so much worse cuz’ we ain’t think Mike had a weakness, offa’ that one move A.I. gothis fame, [but] they forgot Jordan had 35 and still won that game!”

Serius Jones and Murda Mook [DEBATABLE]

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Synopsis: Instead of the Lux vs. Mook rematch, it’s these two who I’d love to see square off again. That’s how close this legendary battle is, as Serius Jones and Mook showcase not only their tremendous talent, but their serious (no pun intended) dislike for each other. Jones’ first round is classic: storytelling, personals (“Your government name is Johnathan Ancrum/He went to Fordham Prep Catholic, that’s a private school”) and righteous snaps. But Mook brings it right back with aggressive bars, hilarious anecdotes (“Smack called me [while] I was getting some head, [said] we got a victim and it might involve you getting some bread…”) and noted Harlem swag (backed up by the entire 116th block that he apparently brought with him). The fun continues in round two as the two rappers continue to spit dope lines (Mook: “He probably ain’t wanna battle, just wanted to meet me in person”) while showcasing their competitive fab at times by finishing off each other rhymes. The last round has Serius continuing to go hard while showing off his infamous free-style ability, afterwards Mook continues to air out Serius’ street cred. However, while Serius’ rebuttals, nasty bars (“If you wanna get his bitch to run a train, just get her a sandwich from Subway and a Metrocard”) and off-the dome barbs are straight sick, it’s Mook’s closing “dot” scheme that will live on in infamy. I got the 1st round as a tie, Mook edging the 2nd and Serius taking the 3rd. All told, a classic battle.

Verdict: Serius Jones and Murda Mook (TIE)

Best line: Murda Mook – “We got barrels so long, you see ’em you pledge allegiance” AND Serius Jones – “Talking about coke?! The last time this nigga’ shaved an onion he was in his kitchen on Thanksgiving making stuffing”

Murda Mook defeats Joey Jihad

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Recap: First posted back in 2006, someone recently put together these 4 rounds of Murda Mook battling Philly’s Joey Jihad. And while one can argue about Mook allegedly recycling bars here or Jihad’s exceptionally rapid flow, even for a battle taking place in the mid-2000’s, where intricacy mattered little, 90% of Joey’s (“I’ll have everybody trying to hit you like the lottery!”) fall in the category of being pretty basic. To be fair, Mook also came with a plethora of pedestrian lines, but his ability to mix in some wit, fiery braggadocio lines, nice performance bars and fiery wordplay/personals throughout his 4 rounds, got him this one…easy.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 4-0

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “Fuck your life, lacing your Jordan’s the only time you touched the Mic [Mike]!”

Murda Mook defeats Weeze

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Recap: As seen here Murda Mook’s always been nice with his handle. Breaking down adversaries, spitting fluorescent punchlines, storytelling and burying opponents with a flurry of exquisite bars, Mook’s regimen for delivering bodybags was honed at an early age on the streets of New York…just ask Weeze.

Verdict: Murda Mook (W) 2-0

Favorite line: Murda Mook – “I got an Asian bitch, Ms. Chin all I get is face”