Recap: From URL, out-barring opponent Snake Eyez at every turn, especially when it came to substantive street darts, similes, wordplay, name flips, storytelling, personals, set-up/punchlines and even (considering how aggressive Snake usually is) animated/mayhem-lit violence, an also much more condensed Rum Nitty scores more haymakers in each round and handily catches a 30 on Mr. One-Eye Willy.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Raise the heat, pistol whip, recognize features…like face ID!”
Recap: From Black Ice Cartel, a dope 3-rounder between Killa B and Rum Nitty sees the former (after getting edged to his slightly more haymaker-lit opponent in round 1) stick to a hard-hitting gameplan that ran the myriad of gritty name flips to nifty wordplay/similes to festive gun bars to stinging punchlines and fiery street lines, thus earning the hometown, Milwaukee, WI, rapper the edge in rounds 2 and 3 for a nice comeback win.
Verdict: Killa B (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Killa B – “So bro fuck it, who thought I couldn’t go toe-to-toe with buddy, think NBA in-season tournament…the flow [floor] is ugly!”
Recap: Putting aside the constant irritant of a seemingly drunk Smack interrupting the battle time and time again, it’s a fire 3-round battle from URL’s “Outside 3” card between Yunus and Rum Nitty. The former, utilizing some exquisite wordplay, fire punchlines/schemes, multiple cadences, stinging metaphors/name flips and witty/feelgood personals to stay in the mix. While the ever-confident Rum matched his opponent’s flex with a steady barrage of hard-hitting gun bars, gritty punches, wily (“Against Hansel you really did that, you was up there wilding on him, styling on him, but you’re an African, of course you had to go the extra mile for Water!”) personals and fiery wordplay/similes. Add to the pot some fly off-the dome darts by Yunus and you’re left with three rounds that were all close. Still, it’s the slightly more condensed and haymaker-lit Nitty who edged the opening round before an equally potent and debatable 2nd round which was then followed by the slightly more punch-crazy Yunus taking the final round for an overall tie.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Yunus – “You can’t turn up when I turn up, Dr. Jekyl, mister hiding, he thugging, piece booming, speed often, squeeze to him, like a Maury cameraman, you keep shooting!”
Recap: A bunch of sturdy 4-bar set-up’punchlines, rich similes and fly, assorted name flips allowed Real Sikh to edge round 1 of this URL “Bars & Politics” against Rum Nitty. And then it went all downhill from there. As while Sikh continued to deliver a solid punch game throughout, way too much filler and choice at righteous darts that weren’t always on the up-n-up kept the Jersey battler from staying close to a Nitty on his A-game when it came to steely gun bars, stinging punches and potent name flips/personals in the latter two rounds, which in turn gave the more efficient Rum the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You better get down fast, you ain’t gotta wait for ya boy, I’m straight to the point like an inbound pass!”
Recap: Even with a rarely seen/slip-up prone 2nd round that he chalked up to having written his rounds that same morning, Rum Nitty finesses with enough sturdy gun bars, stifling wordplay/name flips and piercing punchlines to take the 1st and 3rd rounds and get the win here over an earnest and gritty, but mostly pedestrian Quis in this 3-rounder from Rooftop Newz TV.
Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Fans asking if I’m gonna come in here and check Mark, I said you got it right!”
Recap: Another fine effort from Brooklyn, NY emcee Mr. Mann, who like he did in a recent 1-rounder against Tay Roc, held his own here with an aggressive style littered with brash, abtract raps and some hard-hitting punches. However, against a Rum Nitty making his debut on Gates of the Garden, the EFB battler more than impressed, utilizing a boatload of fiery gun bars, solid name flips, brazen punchlines and steely wordplay during a fittingly condensed turn to get the win in this competitive one-rounder.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I coudl send real life shooters at you, you better get alert, my killers work, they post up chilling, right where you hang Mann [Hangman] till you get the word!”
Recap: “1-0 nigga’s” is funny as hell. That said, in this ‘Queens vs. Kings’/Summer Madness matchup from URL, Rum Nitty and Viixen The Assassin both give it all and put on superbly for 3 rounds. Nitty with his usual palette of exquisite set-up/punchlines, killer wordplay, heated gun bars, mean name flips and even some solid/witty personals, showed his chops throughout. While when Viixen wasn’t promoting her OnlyFans account, the veteran Milwaukee battler proved she’s a problem on the stage with a gang of wicked gun bars, piercing punchlines, aggressive/flexing darts and cadence-switching/mocking personals. Competitive throughout, this battle would mostly come down to who was more efficient with their haymakers. And despite a crazy 3rd round from Viixen to top off two dope turns beforehand, it’s the more condensed and slightly more versatile Nitty who combats his more often elongated opponent and takes (call round 1 debatable) rounds 2 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You soft but you act brolic, I’ll do the Shotgun Suge special move…on ya back pockets!”
Recap: From URL, after years of outside chatter and speculation Rum Nitty finally gets his Loaded Lux battle and for the most part it’s a goodie. Lux with a bunch of boastful barbs, righteous darts, a gang of abstract punches that were hit-n-miss, solid name flips and feelgood personals stayed competititve throughout, but was hurt a bit by elongated rounds and some pedestrian/subpar punchlines. Nitty on the other hand stuck to his m.o., delivering a plethora of potent 4-bar set-up/punchlines, mocking personals, nifty wordplay, fly God-themed metaphors and stinging gun lines/name flips. That said, it’s the slightly more haymaker-lit Nitty who would take the opening round, before a more punch-heavy Lux dominated round two to even things up going into round 3. And while the final round was fierce on both sides, after a bit of a slow start it’s the more punch/bar efficient Nitty who comes back and edges the 3rd for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Y’all don’t learn, till you at his funeral service crying out the God so hurt, even the pastor gonna be choked up reading Genesis 1…that’s all first verse!”
Recap: Saynt has no one to blame but himself for losing this one (and judging from his reaction after the 2nd round he knew it too). Indeed, after getting edged in round 1 by a Rum Nitty too consistent and overwhelming with his variety of sizzling (“Dope boys, who I was impressed with, nigga wanted to be Scarface, since a baby…like a cleft lip!”) haymakers, Saynt refused to back down. The young Inglewood, CA, battler going ham with a wide variety of delicious metaphorical name flips, gritty punchlines and hard-hitting/aggressive lyrical swordsmanship (esp. during a sublime round 3 which Saynt handily won) during both of the latter rounds that would have gotten him the win except for one too many slip-ups during a close 2nd, thus allowing Nitty to take this 3-rounder from West World Battle Rap.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Saynt LA – “It’s not a game, but shit even if it was you know that Saynt an issue, like a sibling with a unplugged controller, little bro ain’t playing with you!”
Recap: From Mic Masters Alliance, that “condundrum” bar in round 3 by Quest Mcody was fire, but an elongated 3rd plus way too many reaches and subpar punches by the Detroit battler throughout this 3-rounder to go along with a Rum Nitty hitting on all cylinders when it came to exquisite 4-bar set-up/punchlines, fiery gun bars, hitting name flips and gritty wordplay gives the EFB vet the 30.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You gonna die quick, they already told him, you just ain’t getting the picture like a side bitch!”
Recap: Can’t recall a year where so many top tier battle rappers entered the ring so often. The easiest answer being that with so many of them having already battled each other, they’ve run out of big name opponent’s to face, hence giving up-n-comers a shot. Well, if the latter is the case with Rum Nitty (“I just put in an order for some new guns, I wrote down a list, the connect from India, I got Real Sikh’s [six] plug…like a power strip!”) taking on CJA for 3 rounds here on iBattle, good for Nitty and great for CJA, who clearly took advantage of his opportunity. The Rochester, NY, battler using a bunch of rambunctious punches and boastful darts to score a debatable (got Nitty taking round 1 and CJA the 2nd, before a debatable 3rd) over a Nitty, who after a blazing opening round, couldn’t quite get back on his A-game in the following rounds despite a solid enough effort that kept him from receiving an upset.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: CJA – “Why would I waste bullets on this prick?, you are 5-foot-6, I won’t need it, RBE security, I got this big-ass gun for no reason!”
Recap: From URL’s Traffic 6 card, extra amped getting to battle in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, Rum Nitty unleashes a trio of fire rounds that bar-wise ran the gamut from stinging punchlines to fiery gun bars to witty personals/roasting sessions to a gritty mix of dope name flip innuendo’s versus a pretty solid punching overall, but too often pedestrian Kyd Slade. The unanimous 3-0 decision in favor of the more haymaker-lit Rum Nitty here allowing “The Alien” to not only put on an exquisite show in front of fans upclose, but get off a shot at Smack for that controversial Footz battle.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You not exempt, they ain’t want me to take this at all fam, Nitty don’t lose to a snitch, it ain’t a smart plan, he a marked man, the last nigga’s couldn’t make a comeback after getting drugged, what makes you think a narc can?!”
Recap: From KOTD, in a 3-round battle that was certainly worth the price of admission, despite rhyming twice as long as his opponent in each round, the rarely seen Illmaculate’s solid rebuttals, head-ringing metaphors/name flips, clever punches, witty personals and systematic style breakdowns are efficient enough to handily take the opening round over Rum Nitty before edging the 2nd round for the win. However, never one to go down without a fight, in the final round Nitty would unleash a relentless barrage of fiery gun bars and stinging punchlines to edge the 3rd and avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Illmaculate (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Illmaculate – “You’ve been subconsciously leaving crumbs behind, subtle signs you’re becoming tired, was in a crew Writers Blocque, a blunt reminder your writing’s been uninspired!”
Recap: From the Riot, in a competitive and stirring 3-rounder between 2022 WOTY Jaz The Rapper and 2022 COTY Rum Nitty filled with plenty (from both sides) of gritty punchlines, flexing gun bars, searing personals, wily wordplay and co-host Tay Roc talking through both battlers rounds, thanks in part to an elongated (when it came to schemes and rounds) throughout Jaz also hurting herself a bit with a slow start in round 1 (thus helping Nitty to edge) before coming back with a more steady showing in the middle round to split things going into the 3rd, it’s the more bar efficient and slightly more haymaker-lit Nitty who takes the final round for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I won’t slide in the cover, but I’ll take sloppy action, she like ‘I can’t breathe!’, stop the acting, you either gonna suck or choke….why you out here lollygagging!”
Recap: From URL’s Summer Madness 13, a highly entertaining 3-rounder between Rum Nitty and Ace Amin comes down to the latter unleashing a wide array of tricks (including a righteous, URL-friendly and classic 3rd round) and fiery wordplay throughout the battle. While Nitty’s mostly sublime punch-game, gritty name flips, performance-rich lines (and shoulder bumbs) and stinging gun bars proved again why he’s one of the best in the game. A definitive crowd-pleaser with both battlers on their A-game, this one comes down to the slightly more condensed and steady Nitty edging rounds 1 and 2 for the win, before Ace reversed the V in the aforementioned 3rd.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I get to tripping out the gate, I told Beas, send direct payments this man dead, I’m a hit the gun store for an SK and a Mac 10, vest plate and I grab lead, I went tool shoppin’, like a hardware store, then I left Ace with a flat head [flathead]!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from Capital Battle Grounds, Dre Dennis kills it with a dope flip on his opponent’s infamous ‘M.O.P. your ante up’ line, but with one too many reaches and not nearly enough haymakers, the mostly gun bar slinging Gates of the Garden co-owner just couldn’t keep up with Rum Nitty’s much richer combo of stylistic gun bars, fiery punchlines, piercing personals and stinging wordplay.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “One shot, he know he not gonna make it, it’s a Hack-a-Shaq!”
Recap: From West World Battle Rap, in a battle that was competitive throughout while featuring a gang of slick wordplay, blistering gun bars, savage boasts and scintillating set-up/punchlines, after the two split (had Rum Nitty edging round 1 before Yung Griz returned the favor in round 2) it’s a more bucket hat/personal-lit, condensed and haymaker-friendly Rum who takes the deciding 3rd for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “If I send my shooters he fo sure dying, they get off the drugs and get more violent, before they go sliding, they probably sniff a little white girl…like Joe Biden!”
Recap: A dope 3-rounder from iBattle sees Oppa with a gang of astute lyricism, standout wit and piercing punches keep it close. But with a slightly steadier and more condensed bag of head-ringing gun bars, gritty wordplay, crazy set-ups and obscene punchlines, it’s the veteran Rum Nitty who edges rounds 2 and 3 for the win after a debatable round one.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I’ll get dude smoked, acting like he one of them one’s, this muthafucka is a bum, have you ever seen a cokehead lining up a hit in their upper lip?, you just bumping your gums!”
Recap: From URL’s ‘Outside 2’ card, in a fire and competitive battle with very little letdown and a shitload of gritty punchlines, fire gun bars, potent name flips and twisted wordplay from both battlers throughout, it’s a slightly more condensed and efficient Rum Nitty who takes the deciding (had the slightly more haymaker-lit Nitty taking round 1 before Saflare Sole reversed the V in the 2nd) 3rd round for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I don’t know what the fuck he thought but I really dump shit off, I’m not the one at all, I’ll get a gun involved, you better go toy with somebody else Sole (soul), like a Chucky doll!”
Recap: Not much for ‘Battle of the Year’ conversations, but for 2022 Rum Nitty versus Fonz has gotta be mentioned. A blazing back-n-forth between two of the best punchers in the game, this URL Civil War matchup, which also featured a bunch of crazy name flips and fiery schemes, was punch-drunk from the jump. Fonz, ever aggressive and bullish throughout, earned his paycheck with a gang of fire ‘Rum/4th quarter’ flips, steely 4-bar set-ups/punchlines and flippant personals/gun bars that were only negated by a few reaches here and there as well two elongated rounds (the 2nd & 3rd). On the other hand Nitty, outside of a few dry spots, came correct with a rich palette of animated/sublime punches, fly similes, potent set-ups as well, flagrant gun lines and a shitload of gritty/electic darts that kept your head nodding. Close all the way through, the deciding factor here was basically who was more efficient with their haymakers, thus we got Fonz edging round 1 before the more condensed Nitty edged both of the latter rounds for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I’m ’bout to send a nigga to hell with this lead, close range, shell to the leg, shell to the head, when the spirit leave the body it’s like T.I., you can tell when he dead!”
Recap: Having just signed a 2-year contract with URL, the feeling here is that Bill Collector’s success on Smack will largely depend on his ability to display the same kind of consistency and mettle that we saw during the recent Season 1 KOTD tournament that he won. Easier said than done of course, but it really comes down to how bad Bill wants it. As besides showing more consistency, for Bill it also means more performance-lit bars, clever wit, hard-hitting personals, no more recycling bars and a strong freestyle game. Lanes of which Bill showed pockets of (esp. to start his 3rd round) here in this 3-round Traffic 5 battle vs. Rum Nitty, but once again exhibited an air of apathy (in this case too many weak name flips, subpar punches and reaches) that often times plagues his pen, thus leaving him with very little chance of beating the likes of Nitty. The Gun Line King using a plethora of sizzling metaphors, rich similes, sterling set-ups/gun bars, piercing wordplay, fiery personals, hitting punches and stellar name flips throughout to earn the 30.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Scope on him, got me squinting through the lens…it’s an eye exam!”
Recap: From WestWorld, a dope back and forth for 3 rounds between Rum Nitty and Emerson Kennedy sees the two stay competitive with a gang of clever punchlines, spicy similes, meandering mayhem and stinging wordplay. A bout between two of the West-coast’s finest that surprisingly took this long to happen, after a 1st round debatable, it’s a slightly more rim-rocking Nitty who egdes both of the latter rounds for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I Answer with the fade like Georgetown Iverson!”
Recap: Who knows if the day will ever come that sees A. Ward grace us with his talents on a URL stage. But the feeling here is that if Ward (who’s clearly out to prove that he doesn’t need an appearance on the URL to solidify his battle rap career) continues to go after top tier ‘URL battlers’ (which he is wanton to do) his resume would warrant much more credibility if he did 3-round battles on the likes of Geechi Gotti’s The Riot league then say 1-rounder’s in front of a garage door. That being said, a dope 3-rounder here between Ward and Rum Nitty, littered with a plethora of sizzling punchlines, fiery gun bars, righteous name flips, filthy Godspeak and well-oiled wordplay by Nitty versus a gang of fiesty rebuttals/freestyles juxtaposed over the course of 3 rounds with some flexing punchlines/personals, witty barbs, aggressive schemes, rigid wordplay and stinging boasts/name flips from Ward (who did have reaches here and there) makes this a competitive matchup with the more haymaker-lit Rum taking round 1 before Ward, helped by his off-the-dome aptness, edged round 2. Tied going into the 3rd, it’s a more steadily hitting, intricate and innovative with the pen Nitty (despite a crazy latter half to his round from Ward) who takes it in the end.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Disrespect, I’ll shoot a Christian with a nail gun!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, one of those out-of-nowhere matchups that feels like their names were picked out of a hat, Rum Nitty versus Gattas, while earnest, competitive and aggressive throughout, suffered a bit from a somewhat lackluster crowd as well as Gattas leaving her noted wit at home. The Chicago vet instead delivering 3 rounds of mayhem, some stifling lyrical darts and esp. during round 2, a gang of hitting personals. But outside of a topsy-turvy mid-round that his more consistent opponent managed to edge, a turned-up Nitty armed with a barrage of hard-hitting name flips, fiery gun bars and sizzling punchlines who takes rounds 2 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Off top, you know I’m a shoot, but I pulled up to the wrong event…I had a Chrome 22!”
Recap: Participate in battle rap long enough and rematches are bound to happen. Still, while many heads consider Rum Nitty’s battle against Iron Solomon to be amongst Rum’s finest, for me it’s Rum’s 2013 battle against Danny Myers, a spitfire KOTD classic and was littered in sublime punches from both sides, that’s often overlooked and should be at a million views by now. Either way, with Danny battling like every week these days (and even calling himself now the ‘King of Rematches’), Myers vs. Nitty receives the sequel it didn’t need. And while Part 2 (aka the headliner from URL’s To Live and Die in L.A. card) is a goodie (and thankfully didn’t feature as much dapping as the 1st match did), it doesn’t come anywhere close to matching the consistent, punch-lit performance of its predecessor. An aggressive. off-the-dome spicy and punch-heavy Danny (who’s clearly changed up his battle rap blueprint ever since his Frak battle) offering up a sublime turn to handily take round 1 before Rum steps it up and just gets downright gully with it in the latter rounds, hitting on the rebuttals, fiery gun bars, witty/mocking personals, gritty mayhem and stifling wordplay/set-ups to take rounds 2 and 3 over a much less hitting showing from Danny to earn the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Reckless, I’m a bury him. embarrass him, take the metal and crack his face till it start to Cave like I’m from Maryland, no comparison, they just don’t get it, till somebody die…like inheritance!”
Recap: In what was arguably his best overall performance since his Your Honor battle (tho his matchups against NJT and Ace Amin are also standouts), a more versatile, angle-lit, gritty, witty at times and personal/punchline spazzing Swamp flexes with 3 straight rounds of mostly (a couple of slip-ups in rounds 2 would help him get edged there) consistent heat to take rounds 1 and 3 and beat back a pretty solid, simile-spicy, gun bar/name flip fiery, but not as steadily hitting with the punches Rum Nitty in what was a dope battle from URL’s Summer Madness 5 tournament.
Verdict: Swamp (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Swamp – “EFB full of manure, we liked y’all better when it was kahlua, when Geechi and Rum came with Coffee in it!”
Recap: Rum Nitty, a last minute replacement for Nu Jerzey Twork in this first round URL Ultimate Madness 5 matchup against Real Name Brandon, serves up a plethora of consistently fiery name flips, sizzling wordplay and stinging punchlines to get past a pretty solid and gritty effort from RNB and get the win in a battle that was shortened to one round due to Rum having only 5 days prep.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “This some shit to be mad for, ‘cuz they put me out this bitch with 5 days notice…I can’t wait to run into the landlord!”
Recap: Dope 1-rounder from URL’s Banned card sees a lyrically spicy, punch-lit at times and versatile (including a solid rebuttal) Nunn Nunn give one of his more consistently jarring rounds to make things competitive. Yet, for all of his opponent’s heat, a well-equipped Rum Nitty would have an answer. The Phoenix, AZ, vet using his turn to deliver a barn-burner of potent set-ups, stinging name flips, fire similes and hard-hitting wordplay/metaphors.personals to score more than enough haymakers for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Nothing nice, you fittin’ to get smoked, y’all think this nigga lit bro?, whole career a fuckin’ joke, even spell his name with an innuendo!”
Recap: From URL’s Traffic 4 card, after a somewhat flat showing against Fonz, Lu Castro comes back with a strong and entertaining showing here against Rum Nitty. The Bronx, NY emcee delighting the crowd (and Nitty) with a bunch of witty ancedotes, fierce/aggressive punchlines, and brazen darts/name flips throughout the battle to keep him competitive. But add in some filler here and there along with a few reaches in the battle by Lu to a Nitty who just almost never let up, scoring with stifling punchline after punchline, mocking personals, graphic set-ups and fiery gun bars/name flips/wordplay in 3 slightly more condensed turns to earn the 30.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You think you equal but you not fam, I’m a hundred steps ahead…like a Travis Scott fan!”
Recap: From URL’s Drake Til Death Do Us Part card, a so-so 2nd round (where the similes were a little perplexing) and even a 3rd that while pretty solid, still didn’t quite live up to the standard we hold Rum Nitty. But either way, thanks in part to a mostly pedestrian T-Rex (who really needs to display his humor and storytelling more) as well as a personal/set-up lit and mayhem-rich round 1 from Rum that was his hardest turn, in this rematch from their Snoop Gladiator School battle some years back, Nitty delivers enough heat over 3 rounds to get the win and some long needed paypack.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – ‘This shit wild…you wasn’t no Crip when we battled the first time!”
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: Much anticipated 3-rounder from West Coast Elites between Rum Nitty and his younger, lite-skin, performance doppelganger NXT lives up to the hype with both battlers sporting an aggressive variant of fierce punchlines, tough name flips, popping wordplay and head-ringing gun bars. Add to the mix a mutual respect for fire bars and some worthy personals, a competitive bout gets edged by the more condensed and more consistently punch-lit Nitty who takes both of the opening for the win before NXT serves up a nasty and seismic 3rd to avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Run Nitty – “I give a fuck how you spell your name little nigga, you will not ease [E’s] your way outta this!
Recap: Both a part of the EFB battle crew, for the second time in 3 years Rum Nitty and Geechi Gotti put their friendship aside for 3 rounds of hardbody punchlines, sick gun bars and gut-wrenching/witty personals. With the two meeting up this time for the URL/Ultimate Madness 4 tournament crown, both West-coast battlers would put on a fire show that was drenched in haymakers. However, outside of a debatable round 1 that deftly set the tone for what’s to come, it’s the slightly more consistently-lit and versatile to go along with righteous-bent Gotti (who also added a dope freestyle in the top of the 3rd) who edges both the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Geechi Gotti (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Geecho Gotti – “Listen, I don’t give a fuck if you the best puncher in the world, that aint something I wanna hear, nigga your job’s at Walmart made that very fuckling clear!”
Recap: No disrespect to Cortez who came through with a solid, if not gritty effort, but even without the slip-ups, he wasn’t beating Rum Nitty here in this 3rd round UM3 tourney rematch. And that’s just a testament to the level of verbal acumen Nitty was on here, the Phoenix, AZ, battler going ham with spicy after spicy name flip, sizzling gun bars, spitfire punchlines and incredibly rigid wordplay that coupled with some hitting personals all combined to handily move Rum to the finals.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “This shit is over, I’ma lift it on him, no mask, show up bare [bear] faced on Cort’ (court) like the Grizzly’s logo!”
Recap: From the 2nd round of URL’s Ultimate Madness 3 tournament, Rum Nitty uses a barrage of sizzling punchlines, rigid name flips and steely personals/wordplay to handily beat back a personal-loaded, but overall spotty Drugz (who ironically seemed to do better against Nitty in their 1st bout).
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “The first time I took Drugz, I ain’t play no games…I’m Len Bias!”
Recap: From the 1st round of URL’s Summer Madness 3 tournament, even with Serius Jones dialing up the best round the battle (a punch-heavy, versatile and sublime 2nd) and Rum Nitty not quite on his A-game throughout this contest, it’s the gun bar lit, name flip savvy, personal-witty/mocking and more punchline intricate Nitty who edges out the 1st and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Rifle, on a tripod, I use it to shoot straight, I put the stand up and got serious [Serius] like I’m losing in 2k
Recap: Leave it to Rum Nitty to hit on something I was already thinking going into the 3rd round here: how strange it was seeing Holmzie da God take on an angle of criticizing Nitty for being a gun bar/name flip rapper (not that Nitty isn’t also one of the best punchers in the game) when Rum has taken what’s works for him and turned it into becoming a Top tier battle rapper. Yeah, that just doesn’t make much sense. And neither did Holmzie getting way too diligent in round 3 and tracking down his opponent’s YouTube views to use as angle. Yeah, that was a little much. Other than that, a mostly one-sided here as outside of a punch-heavy at times, but elongated final round, overall Da God struggled to keep up with Rum’s versatile array of stinging punchlines, rugged name flips, fire set-ups, mocking personals and flashy gun bars/wordplay for all 3 rounds.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “But you done done, I brung out a .50, 16 in the clip, plus one…I’m taking somebody with me!”
Recap: Assisted by a middle round choke from his opponent during round 2 (credit to Nitty for letting Don Marino make an attempt to complete his turn, which he still ended up cutting short), but scoring at will with a host of fiery punchlines, mocking personals, deft wordplay and flaring gun bars, Rum Nitty handily takes the first couple of rounds for the win in this Super Fight Matchup from URL. A fire, personal-lit 3rd round from Marino combined with a still solid Nitty choosing to go mostly indirect during the same turn allows the Mexican standout to avoid getting shutout.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I’m a do you Shady fast…it’s a Rap [wrap] God!”
Recap: In this Kings vs. Queens battle from URL, C3 uses a gang of spicy personals, well-executed schemes and fierce punchlines to keep it close against Rum Nitty. But Nitty’s wide range of blistering gun bars, boastful shiners, meaty name flips and downright nasty personals are more than enough to take rounds 1 and 3 (call the 2nd a debatable) for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I can’t stunt, I’ve been itching to lace fronts, one of these bitches gonna get it in they head Smack, let’s rap!”
Recap: Really dope 3-rounder from West Coast Elites between Da Kid Clutch and Rum Nitty sees Clutch go crazy with a versatile showing of fire personals, gully street darts and rigid name flips/punchlines while Nitty (outside of an extremely short 1st round that he seemingly called quits on due to forgetting his bars) did his part in making this battle sublime with a gang of exceptional gun bars, piercing punchlines and a bit surprisingly (for Nitty anyway) hitting displays of witty barbs and rankling personals. Altogether a close one with Clutch taking the first round and Nitty taking the 2nd, a crazy-on-both-sides 3rd gets edged by a slightly more punch-heavy Nitty to earn the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Torture, lift a stick, blizzy drip, this the last time you gonna see him on the mic [Mike]…’This Is It’!”
Recap: Here in this gritty matchup from URL’s Summer Madness 10, Philly legend Reed Dollaz goes back to ‘Rambo’-mode, utilizing a barrage of piercing name flips, boastful vet talk, raucous heat and some wily personals/punchlines to take the 1st and 2nd rounds (before a debatable 3rd as they both got equally busy) for the win over a gun bar-lit, but not as consistently spicy with the punches Rum Nitty.
Verdict: Reed Dollaz (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Reed Dollaz – “Out the trenches, ain’t nobody where I’m from safe Rum, what the fuck is a gun bar to a real gun case?!”
Recap: URL/Ultimate Madness 2 matchup between two gun line extraordinaire’s, Rum Nitty and Drugz, stays competitive for 3 rounds with plenty of back-n-forth action and heat. However, despite a pretty solid effort from The Gun Show, it’s the slightly more versatile, condensed, set-up/name-flip lit and intricate punching Nitty who edges each round for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Razor blade, cut him, the wound will heal up, NBA bubble, you better play it safe!”
Recap: Rum Nitty pulls an Illmaculate, battling twice in one day and doing what Nitty does best: a plethora of blistering gun bars and fiery name flips over the course of one round to beat back an also gun-heavy and pretty solid overall, but elongated and not as consistently punch-heavy LL Coogi.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Fuck a 30, I’m trying to drop a .40, like Caine in the liquor store!”
Recap: Can’t help but think of what this battle would’ve been like had gun line feen Rum Nitty been around during Cortez’s Grind Time days, when the Brooklyn rapper was known almost exclusively for his rapid flows of mayhem. That might’ve been interesting. Nonetheless, an easy decision here as Nitty’s explosive punchline game, matched up with some stinging name flips and of course, a plethora of perpetually hazardous gun lines that always seem to be on a killing spree in the first two rounds easily beats a solid, but at times flow-challenged showing by Cort. A more versatile and punch-heavy Cortez did put together a clean and more potent 3rd round to avoid the shutout, but by then his opponent already knew he had it in the bag.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Check the scoreboard, Warlord, , fucking with the kid is suicide, you ever seen a Tek-9 Cort?!”
Recap: 1-round URL Quarantined battle between Rum Nitty and Mike P features strong performances from both battlers as Mike’s aggressive, (“Rum got me fucked up, there’s something about me and dark liquor!”) punch/personal-lit and brazen oft-performance-rich bars stay toe-to-toe with Rum’s fire gun bars, fierce set-ups and stinging wordplay. A goodie with little breaks in the action, a tie here sets up what could be a dope 3-rounder down the line.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Do not try me, you a nobody…the head detective!”
Recap: B. Dot’s socially-conscious polemics garner the most attention, but when it comes to his raps, we often forget what an efficient puncher he can be. And just in case you needed another reminder, from breaking down his opponent’s mostly two-dimensional rap style to dishing some dope wordplay/gun bars/schemes to using some exquisite personals on Rum Nitty’s life outside of battle rap, Dot’s punch game was pretty persistent here and helped by a Nitty who didn’t always give a full effort, gives Dot the 1st and 3rd round’s for the win.
Verdict: B. Dot (W) 2-1
Favorite line: B. Dot – “The shit that I’m on, I’ll turn your head to a convertible roof if I blast shots you had the bandana wrapped around your hat, well I took it as a sign…nigga rag tops!”
Recap: Pretty close Quarantine battle as Bill Collector’s punches were more spicy than not. However, some dated bars from Bill along with an always-on-go Rum Nitty squeezing out a consistent barrage of fiery gun bars. fierce name flips and gritty punchlines/wordplay, gave the Phoenix, AZ capo the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Chopper blaze, this shit take care of Bill as soon as it hit…I got Auto Pay!”
Recap: A close 1st round, but afterwards not much of a contest. That’s the summary on Rum Nitty versus O’fficial from the URL/QOTR Royalty card as while O’fficial proved to be a worthy puncher and mayhem-dishing spitter that could give Rum some comp, overall Nitty’s much slicker wordplay/name flips, elite gun bars, performance-enhanced punchlines and witty personals along with redundant name flips and too much filler (esp. in the latter rounds) from O would do her in despite a mostly solid effort.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You the one dying, you poking ya chest out…with nuthin’ to back it up, come try it, and it’s gonna be an Offcial body…one-sided!”
Recap: The stifling gun bars will always be there, but it’s really the tremendous bite and originality of Rum Nitty’s punches that make him so good. As seen here against a pretty solid punching (esp. in round 3, which he took) Jerry Wess in this competitive Genesis card battle from URL, Nitty’s ability to consistently spout prototypical darts and land haymakers with them are what makes him no ordinary rapper, while also allowing him to take both of the opening rounds here for the win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Aye, I used to rob niggas, pull a strap if I need that, you’ll lose everything if I go back to my old ways…factory reset!”
Recap: Rambunctious with the punches, electric and performance-heavy enough to edge the 1st round, Big T gives Rum Nitty all he can handle in this 3-round, App Event 1 battle from URL/Smack. But assisted his opponent’s usage of old personals in the 2nd round as well as a lack of consistency with his bars in the latter rounds, Nitty’s continuous flexing via rapidly fierce punchlines, stifling name flips and an over-the-top paunch for sizzling gun bar recourse, would garner the Phoenix, AZ vet wins in both the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the come-from-behind win.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Free gun smoke, I tell a nigga come see ’bout me, all gun lines, every chance I get I’m a speak my piece [peace]!”
Recap: As expected, Chilla Jones versus Rum Nitty turned out to be an incredible battle with all the booming haymakers, ringing gun bars, stinging (Chilla: “I’m a gun fanatic, follow the guidelines of Chill, if you Rum, then I’m vodka that’s five times the steel [distill]!”) punchlines, fiery schemes and stunted wordplay one could ask for during 3 highly competitive rounds. Ironically, while some might call it fitting that this bout ends up as a draw (we’re calling the 1st round debatable before Chilla took the 2nd and Rum took the 3rd), one can’t help but think that as electric as Rum was with his crafty bag of righteous heat, performance-heavy zingers and sublime punches, with the history of these two former Writer’s Bloque members, Rum choosing to pass up on almost any personals (as opposed to Chilla, who went there quite frequently with some hilarious effect) could’ve made a difference between winning. No knock really on Run as personals aren’t his forte, but still. Then too Chilla, a rapper’s rapper, but long known for elongated rounds, may’ve won this battle here if he was able to keep his final round a little more condensed. Nonetheless, when two top tiers go at it like this, you can be sure that you got your money’s worth.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You don’t got it this nice, you can see the effect when I punch like a comic book fight!”
Recap: Surprised, as I write this, that no one has set up Barz Major versus Bankhead yet as the two battlers so similar in skin tone, aggression, flow, screw faces and what have you. That said, Barz gets an ‘A’ for effort here, rapping his heart out and staying competitive with a host unorthodox punchlines, steely name flips and fiery personals/gun lines. But as they say around the water cooler: they’re levels to this shit. And with a condensed Rum Nitty consistently boasting a load of exquisite heaters, jaunty name flips and lofty wordplay throughout this battle, no matter what Barz did here, he stood little chance of success.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Keep playing, get hit with something sharp that’ll lay you flat, what it’s gonna be, Major?!“
Recap: From the URL Update 2.0 card (an app only event), a more versatile than usual Rum Nitty adds a gang of witty personals and provocative zingers to his customary palette of spitfire punchlines and steadily ringing gun bars to edge a close round 1 over a dope, but a little filler prone turn from Th3 Saga. That’s before Rum would easily take the 2nd round with a more condensed and consistently punch-heavy go-around that beat back an opponent who while solid throughout, was hurt by one too many thematic name flips and some mediocre punchlines. In the 3rd round, an introspective and more intricate with the punches Saga gets past a still-scoring-with-the-heat Rum via more overall potency within his raps to avoid getting shutout.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Heat shot, his legs kept moving tho…the nerve of ’em!”
Recap: A bit reach-prone at times, but still a hella dope performance by a (“One leave ya cheek, this bum be deceased, no Amish tradition, but y’all see Rum spring a [Rumspringa] leak!”) punch-heavy King Jables gets beat a superior showing by Rum Nitty who along with dishing fluorescent gun bars, scores a gang of more intricate {“Stupid haircut that you got, gonna make me chase you out the spot, or gun butt you with the Glock, the rebuttal gonna make your bangs [Bangz] go off the top!”) punches, some fiery name flips and a ridiculous amount of visceral darts to earn the 30 in what was still a competitive 3-rounder from iBattle.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I hit heads [Bwoh!], whoever told you I misled [missed lead] gave you the wrong idea!”
Recap: Both T Top and Rum Nitty have built up such stellar and consistent careers in battle rap that the two top tier vets finally meeting up could only be a goodie. And neither disappoints here, splitting the first two rounds (Top edging the 1st before Rum came back to take the 2nd round) rounds with blistering gun bars, a shitload of banging (T Top: “Nigga you punch, I vacuum seal, we rap [wrap] different, you throw up C’s, I put up G’s, we stack different, you wear brims, I know brims, the hat different, you owe Troy, I sold boy, we SMACK different!”) punchlines, finessed wordplay/name flips, spinning (Rum: “We cool, but I’ll split ya shit, serious YNW Melly…not the one to get too friendly with!”) metaphorical bangers and some mocking personals thrown in. And Rum, coming off a spitfire, haymaker-drenched middle round, had no reason to think that yet pretty solid, lyrically acute 3rd wouldn’t put him over for the win…that is until Top came through with one of the most innovative, hilarious and personal turns you’ll ever see in battle rap, building a superly-executed hybrid between his opponent’s alleged past employment at Walmart and today’s more notorious ‘Gun Line King’. And with a barrage of witty angles, stinging punches/personals, jaunty storytelling and a Walmart vest outfitted for good measure, an altogether potent, crowd-pleasing and classic turn by T Top in the deciding 3rd gets him the win.
Verdict: T Top (W) 2-1
Favorite line: T Top – “Say it wit’ me ‘Self check out!’, the cashier taking all day, ‘Self check out!’ like hotels after a long stay, ‘Self check out!’ like doctor visits on an off day, ‘Self check out!’ like Tech-9 before the court date!”
Recap: Overall, more direct than his opponent, dishing a boatload of fiery punchlines/name flips, a dunk, feelgood wit. stifling set-ups and some nifty personals, even with some elongated turns (and one too many mention’s of NJT), a more versatile Charron does enough in the first couple of rounds to beat a fierce and gun/punch-heavy, but also a bit watered down and not as consistent Rum Nitty in this electric 3-rounder from KOTD.
Verdict: Charron (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charron – “I’m the opposite of my mom’s food…I’m too seasoned!”
Recap: While there are certainly others to blame as well for exploiting the narrative over the years, most of the onus on Rum Nitty chiefly being a ‘gun bar’ dude falls on Nitty himself. The self-proclaimed ‘Gun Line King’ (going back to one of his earlier battles against Tycoon Tax) deceiving us all by making it seem he’s so one-dimensional in various battles and interviews, all the while chasing Tay Roc for the notorious title. The nerve of the guy, fooling us all in this URL/NOME 4 battle with a gang of prolific verbal heat that included a flawless 2nd round here against K-Shine, with more than just stifling gun bars on the menu, but also a steady proliferation of nasty punchlines, daunting wordplay, rich metaphorical zingers and sublime name flips on the entrees as well. Indeed, another reminder that Nitty’s versatility with the heat keeps getting overlooked and only makes him more dangerous. Not to knock anything Shine did here, the performance-heavy NWX capo delivering 3 dope rounds of gritty darts, frenzied anecdotes, piercing name flips/personals, raucous punches/gun bars and some witty barbs. All the while lacking the consistency to keep up with his opponent in the first couple of rounds, before a rare trio of slip-ups by Nitty in the 3rd helped Shine avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “You know I’m clapping, stone-face savage, so the pole I’m packing, go over heads…with no reaction!”
Recap: Take out Shotgun Suge struggling a bit with his flow at times and a 3rd round that didn’t quite meet the mighty high standards set by the previous rounds and you have a spitfire, dunkfest of a battle between Suge and Rum Nitty. 1st round was crazy and performance-heavy on both sides with Suge in his bag kicking hard bars mixed with super grit, (“I’ll kill your whole family, you already know, one word and I’ll drop your niece off at a R. Kelly show!”) wit and surly aggression. On the other hand, Nitty came just as nice with a plethora of rigid (“So let’s get one thing straight…your vital signs!”) punchlines, potent gun lines and some fire wordplay/name flips. However, for being slightly more condensed, the edge in the 1st goes to Suge. Round two was an imitation of the 1st with both battlers staying on their A-game via the aforementioned bellicosity as well as visceral schemes and more fiery punches with Run edging the round with an equal amount of haymakers in addition to a couple of nice rebuttals. The deciding 3rd round was still solid, but a little flat for both battlers however, but with Suge having to cut his round short due to a memory gaffe, a more flow crispy and punch-centric Rum takes the round and the battle.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Just got a little mo’ Hawks [mohawks] in, Indian in the cupboard, don’t even start him, Nina sparker [BAOW!], get a giant bald head…Tiki Barber!”
Recap: Surviving some reaches here, a pretty solid Bay-area legends scheme as well as a bit of a flow-challenged 1st that got overwhelmed by a versatile and (“They banking on you to beat the angry farmer…I’m the goat-puncher!”) hard-punching turn by Bigg K, Rum Nitty dishes enough otherworldly punchlines, sizzling (“I’ll get a lane popped, raise Glock’s, light on a pole, that old Kendrick…give K dot’s!”) gun bars, mocking personals and fiery wordplay to easily take the 2nd round before edging a close 3rd with more consistently potent ammo and make for a victorious return to KOTD.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “I pop the clip and give you afterburner…Harvey Dent!”
