Recap: While Swamp’s slip-ups are becoming a little too habitual, the South Carolina battler’s ability to dial up a variety of gritty/descriptive punchlines, raunchy/flexing personals and stinging gun bars/street darts are enough to beat back a pretty solid and witty at times Scotty in this close 1-rounder from Houston Bar Code.
Verdict: Swamp (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Swamp – “The clip in this bitch [holds out arm like gun] longer than a bus ride from school and you know you got a fucked up report card!”
Recap: Near upset here as a gritty punch game and some fiery Christian-laced darts from Tubbs almost gave him a win in this 1-rounder from Houston Bar Code versus Loso. But despite some topsy-turvy name flips and a few punches here and there that were below his usual standard, a slightly more condensed Loso scores with just enough hitting punchlines and piercing storytelling bars/personals to edge the win.
Verdict: Loso (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Loso – “It’s a difference between when you battling names at home and when you battling cuz you a household name!”
Recap: Aggressive with a gang of brazen punches/personals and bullish semantics, Chetta makes for a pretty solid effort in this 1-rounder from Our Society Battle League vs. First Lady Flamez. However, a more condensed and versatile Flamez, styling on her opponent with a consistent barrage of rigid name flips, fire wordplay, stifling punchlines, righteous banter and gripping set-ups/mayhem/gun bars, does enough to get the win here.
Verdict: First Lady Flamez (W) 1-0
Favorite line: First Lady Flamez – “Your punches don’t always have the forces they need, which makes sense ‘cuz big bitches known to struggle with speed!”
Recap: Capped by a gritty flow so sweet you’d probably pay to see him spout gibberish, a consistently punch-lit B. Magic puts on the breaks on opponent LL Coogi (who had his moments, but was mostly so-so here, esp. when using dated personals) with a boatload of haymakers to handily take this 1-rounder from The Rap Committee.
Verdict: B. Magic (W) 1-0
Favorite line: B. Magic – “Bitch, I’m something nice, still hot, Arizona summer nice, this will get your nephew’s fingers cut and your uncle iced!”
Recap: Bodybags are rare, but in this 1-rounder from Houston Bar Code Nu Jerzey Twork is able to score one. Nu Jerooz using some filthy wordplay, rambunctious gun bars and piercing punchlines/name flips to easily beat back a totally subpar with the punches, slip-up prone and eventually choking BC, who while handily getting beat, still managed to come up with the funniest line of the night with that “I’ve never lost a battle in Texas” finisher.
Verdict: Nu Jerzey Twork (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Nu Jerzey Twork – “They don’t even know you in New Orleans…but the mag on ya [Magnolia]!”
Recap: From The Rap Committee, pretty solid effort from N-Pose whose witty personals and piercing punchlines kept him competitive over the course of 3 rounds here against Charron. Still, despite a solid showing from his opponent, overall the Canadian vet would prove to be too much, scoring with self-deprecating humor, a couple of rare, mid-round rebuttals (and even some dope off-the-dome heat directed at someone in the crowd talking through his turn), some stellar name flips/punchlines and stinging wordplay/personals to take rounds 1 and 3 (call the 2nd debatable) for the win.
Verdict: Charron (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charron – “My food don’t have spice, but you better act like I’m seasoned!”
Recap: From URL’s Smack Volume 8, after a so-so-round 1 that was easily beaten by an elongated, but versatile and piercing Arsonal, a camera-friendly and brazen (“Deep down I’m what nobody wants to see…like Cassidy and Freeway!”) at times Loso ups the ante with a gang of hard-hitting personals, righteous storytelling and pointed/stinging punchlines to take the 2nd round before a debatable 3rd. For Arsonal, a couple (when he wasn’t throwing shots at Murder Mook) of impressive showings in rounds 1 and 3 showed that there’s still plenty left in the tank as throughout the bout the NJ vet scored with a variety of spicy punchlines, stinging personals of his own, some fiery wordplay, pent up heat and mocking religious burners that stayed away from the gaslighting trap many rappers who go up against Christian battle rappers fall in
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Arsonal – “Fuck a GoFundMe, after this they creating a GoFindYou!”
Recap: From Smack’s Volume 8 card, unleashing nothing but lyrical warfare for 3 consistent rounds, a straight-stunting Aye Verb mixes in some righteous talk, rapid braggadocios banter and witty barbs/personals to his repertoire and handily beats back the hardbody, but too anecdotal and often nonsensical stylings of Head I.C.E.
Verdict: Aye Verb (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Aye Verb – “You nigga’s used to spit knowledge, drill and shake something, I killed a gang of y’all but I still pay homage through seances!”
Recap: From Juneau Rap Battle League, Real Deal uses a variety of spicy punchlines and stifling/mocking personals to handily take all 3 rounds of this 3-rounder versus a hot and cold EFA.
Verdict: Real Deal (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Real Deal – “You look like part of a disgruntled band who’s now on their 3rd bassist!”
Recap: Always able to rely on a nice rebuttal game, but also taking advantage of a 2nd round Lu Castro choke, after getting edged by his slightly punch-heavier opponent in round 1, a spirited A. Ward uses a boatload of fly set-ups, righteous/mocking personals, off-the-dome darts, rich storytelling, witty barbs and stinging punchlines/schemes to take round 2 and handily win the deciding 3rd for the vic in this 3-rounder from VLMG & Tha Kulture.
Verdict: A. Ward (W) 2-1
Favorite line: A. Ward – “Hey Lu Lu, you might be wild strong but I’m mildly athletic!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from The Word Sport Battle Groundz, Rio Nkosi raps twice as longer as his opponent and kicks a gang of gritty bars to go along with a mix of rigid personals. But a mostly subpar showing from Rio in addition to a brazen and condensed Tay Roc taking Nkosi to task with bountiful blasts of mayhem and stifling gun bars/punches, gives the Cave Gang capo a handy win.
Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Tay Roc – “You’re the load that your mother should’ve swallowed actually, your birth certificate is an apology letter from the condom factory!”
Recap: Debatable 3rd round, but in this remote, Covid 3-rounder from The Word Sport Battle Groundz, a solid punching Novate proves to be no match for the fiery schemes, street rhymes and fierce punchlines/gun bars from Chef Trez in both of the opening rounds.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “I don’t just rap, I [extends hand out like gun] draw and paint everything…I’m a real artist!”
Recap: A highly competitive 3-rounder from We Go Hard between Awthentic and Ru Bando features a lot of ill street rhymes, lucid boasts. piercing name flips, fiery gun bars and hardbody punchlines from both battlers. But after the two split the opening rounds (had Awthentic taking round 1 and before Bando came back to edge round 2), it’s the slightly more consistent and punch-heavy Awthentic who edges the 3rd round for the win.
Verdict: Awthentic (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Awthentic – “Peep the plot, same scenario, I got a got a mask on but the music loud, I had to [stretches arms out like a gun] Rey Mysterio!”
Recap: Pretty solid, gritty and versatile effort by Chuck Book, in this 1-rounder from GOTG, gets beat by a much more condensed, rebuttal-slinging, name flip/storytelling-lit, intricate and raucous punching Danny Myers.
Verdict: Danny Myers (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Danny Myers – “We could take it to the streets, but I got a group of men who voted to take Book out like the council of Nicaea!”
Recap: Aggressively punching from all directions with some mocking personals and rigid gun bars mixed in, a consistently lit Bill Collector handily gets the win over an earnest, but mostly pedestrian Darange in this 1-rounder from GOTG.
Verdict: Bill Collector (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Bill Collector – “See the drip?, I’m on stage with the extra glo, you Spanish, so you wear Team Jordans, kleats, boots and Sketchers yo!”
Recap: Yes, there’s battle rap in Alaska. As the Juneau Rap Battle League hosts Marvwon and local spitter Ra for 3 rounds of thrifty punches that the Detroit vet, using a spicy combo of braggadocious raps, witty barbs and gritty punchlines, gets the upper hand on by taking each of the opening rounds for the win before a debatable 3rd.
Verdict: Narvwon (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Marvwon – “My question is, how the fuck you from Alaska and you not cold!”
Recap: In this fiery 1-rounder from Ball Hogg Ent., a pretty solid Turk uses a gang of raucous punches (that Real Sikh line was crazy) and a versatile bars to keep it close. But a slightly more condensed, consistent, off-the-dome spicy, mayhem-rich, just as punch heavy and righteous when needed Danny Myers gets the edge here.
Verdict: Danny Myers (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Danny Myers – “Me and your bitch, just like that coin flip, I got head twice!”
Recap: Perhaps Dunsh, but other than him dare you to say there’s a more entertaining battle rapper these days than Hollaluyah Jones. The Queens, NY battler singing, exploiting his Wyclef connection, getting spicy with the personals, providing boisterous and witty storytelling and spouting a gang of piercing name flips/punchlines towards opponent Lootchi (who gave a subpar at times, but earnest, aggresive and hardbody effort throughout his turn) for one round on We Go Hard and earning the win.
Verdict: Hollaluyah Jones (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Hollaluyah Jones – “And your bitch a thot too, I really, really, really popped it, you need to really, really stop it, big pussy hole, felt like putting my hand in a hoodie pocket!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from The Rap Committee, a solid, mayhem-lit performance from Panorama with flashes of off-the-dome heat gets blown away by Real Deal’s consistent barrage of fiery name flips, stinging wordplay, syrupy punchlines and witty personals.
Verdict: Real Deal (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Real Deal – “Battle rap’s gonna call for a change when we start dumping nickle’s at this bum, the real question’s is can Pan handle it!”
Recap: After being warned by his opponent about there being ‘levels’ to this shit, a gritty with the punches Scripture gets off to a hot start in this Hit List Battle League 3-rounder. But some subpar bars and a slip-up by the small league star in the latter rounds to go along with First Lady Flamez getting extra spicy with the mayhem, name flips and gripping punchlines, would prove the Richmond, VA, spitter right in the long run and win her the battle.
Verdict: First Lady Flamez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: First Lady Flamez – “I know the truth, first lies I viewed came out of Scripture!”
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: Witty and scheme-heavy on both sides with A. Ward also flexing with a handful of spicy off-the-dome theatrics and Charlie Clips getting busy with a gang of fiery 4-bar set-ups and hard-hitting, Christian-laced personals, this dope 1-rounder from The Rap Committee comes down to the slightly more consistently lit and more haymaker scoring Clips edging it in the end for the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Do you got space on your squad for a nigga like me?, ‘cuz I ain’t join nobody camp in awhile, I coudl change my name to Charlie Horse if you want…but then that’d be cramping my style!”
Recap: From KOTD’s Season 1 tournament, a gang of raucous punchlines and upright personals by Bill Collector combined with a slick-talking and witty, but overtly flow-challenged Gauge gives the Norristown, PA, vet rounds 1 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Bill Collector (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Bill Collector – “Yo, Hitman/Showoff bars, they be the worse rhymes, you said if you and Hutman were in the same building, you’d make me get my get-back on Hitman, why?, he ain’t do shit the first time!”
Recap: ‘Boulevard’ was dropping some gems and may need to make a few more appearances. But other than Street Hymns getting his Steve Urkel/Steffon imitation on in round 2 of this 3-rounder from RBE, the 4 Horseman’s struggles with delivery, reaches, topsy-turvy punches and more condensed schemes coupled with a Bonnie Godiva raining down haymakers from a variety of angles that included a boatload of mocking/spicy (‘Christian Ghetto-Gaggers’…LOL!!!) personals, spicy name flips and some flexing wordplay/punches,, gives the Yonkers, NY, rhymestress a handy 3-0.
Verdict: Bonnie Godiva (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Bonnie Godiva – “I bet ya momma just wish she could start again, but real bitches don’t speak on mistakes, we swallow them!”
Recap: Taking advantage of Real Sikh’s mostly pedestrian schemes and punches (as well as one too many personals on his opponent’s last battle against K-Shine) in both the 2nd and 3rd round, after a versatile and spitfire opening round 1 from both battlers that made the opener debatable, Pat Stay uses with a gang of mocking/hard-hitting personals, braggadocios punches, some stinging wordplay and piercing name flips/wit to handily take each of the latter rounds for the win in this Drake-sponsored, URL/Til Death Do Us Part card.
Verdict: Pat Stay (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Pat Stay – “You got a lotta punches but you’ll never have a stronger impact, that last round fucked him up! I was hopin’ you’d get mad!, I’ll smack the fuckin’ dishrag offa Sinbad’s bitch ass!”
Recap: No disrespect to Geechi Gotti, who’s certainly put in the proper amount of work to earn a shot at Loaded Lux. But with the likes of JC on record been wanting to battle Lux or–if we’re going to do the West coast thing–wouldn’t a Dizaster/Lux matchup make more sense than this one? Especially if we’re not just looking to make Lux that secret bonus round you get when you’ve finally conquered your favorite video game. I mean, we got legacies to protect here. That said, despite a mostly solid (except for round 3 where he had a couple of slip-ups), heavy-hitting at times and ever-righteous 3 rounds from Lux, this URL/Til Death Do Us Part bout was all Gotti, who when he wasn’t theratneing to beat up someone in Lux’s entourage for talking through his opening round, outshined the Harlem legend in each round with an aggressive barrage of hard street rhythms, stifling punchlines, piercing name flips, mocking personals, some steely pontifications and flexing mayhem to get the win.
Verdict: Geechi Gotti (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Geechi Gotti – “If I say, I’m gon’ kill you, I’m gon’ kill you, I don’t give a fuck if it’s right or wrong, only thing I’m contemplating is, ‘Do I kill the kids too?’ so you ain’t gotta die alone!”
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: Highly anticipated, but long in the making, Tay Roc vs. Nu Jerzey Twork (with the vet Roc helping matters by putting plenty of pressure on Twork to come with 3 clean rounds) on URL lives up to the hype with the two battlers dishing a trio of rambunctious and competitive turns that kept the crowd lit. Twork, equipped with a gang of mocking/witty personals (esp. at Roc’s gf Lady Caution), fierce gun lines/name flips, some killer wordplay, brazen (esp. that 2nd round Mook/Party Arty line) punchlines, righteous darts and yes 3 ‘Strapped In”s, showed once again that when prepared, he’s one of the best in the game. On the other hand Roc, consistently scoring as usual with a barrage of stifling gun bars/name flips, graphic mayhem, some rigid personals and rapid, but head-shaking punches/4-bar set-ups, more than did his part to make sure this battle got its just due. However, with the more steadily hitting Roc clearly taking round 2, while a slightly more haymaker-lit Twork took round 3, a fire on both sides opening round comes down to a slightly more versatile and slightly more bar-heavy Roc edging the opener for the win.
Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Tay Roc – “Clips is gon’ blaze, you’ll turn up dead, I’ll burn the lead, you my brother, I can’t watch you die, so I turn my head!”
Recap: Mean set-ups/punchlines, stifling performance bars, piercing personals and a variety of head-ringing name flips, it’s all there as Fonz handily beats back a solid and gritty at times Grandaddy Purp in this 1-rounder from Ball Hogg Ent.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Fonz – “But if you think that fame done went to my head then bitch chance it, and they gonna see me sit a Purp [perp] down like Chris Hansen!”
Recap: Spouting a rapid-punching and brazen flow that combined with a sterling mix of hard-hitting personals, searing braggadocious 4-bar set-ups, wily name flips and street-laced rhymes that more than flexed their grit, in this URL/Till Death Do Us Part rematch against Calicoe (who won their 1st battle in Jersey), a versatile Tsu Surf delivers 3 rounds of pure, consistent heat to get some payback on his Detroit rival (who besides a stutter-step or two or three in round 3, was pretty solid throughout here, including enough hitting darts to make for a debatable 1st) and continue on what’s been a mind-blowing run since he ‘un-retired’ from battle rap.
Verdict: Tsu Surf (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Tsu Surf – “Death is what’s served for you, life is what you make it, Mine’s? ducking slo-mo from agents, the plug still in the back of my mind like The Matrix!”
Recap: Hitting all relevant topics from her 9-1-1 day job to her prior ‘dealings’ with QP to her time away from battle rap, while also delivering an aggressive, versatile and altogether blazing performance mixed with fire set-ups, mocking/witty personals, some stinging wordplay, banging name flips, fierce punchlines and a shoulder bump to remind you that she does this, Jaz The Rapper also takes advantage of a mostly pedestrian punching and much less witty than usual (tho she did have a dope round 3) Gattas to complete her return to the battle rap stage and handily take this URL/Till Death Do Us Part 3-rounder.
Verdict: Jaz The Rapper (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Jaz The Rapper – “See, the Jaz changed since she started fucking jokes?, I don’t mind it, but whoever mad that I lost my virginity?…nigga, go find it!”
Recap: With his bullish ethos and heavy bag of bruising punchlines, Ultimate Madness 1 winner Fonz can be a problem on any given day. More reason why Lu Castro, still feeling the love and momentum from his first Summer Madness 11 appearance a month ago, probably shouldn’t have taken this battle. Well, not so soon anyway, as in the first couple of rounds of this URL App exclusive match, while the wit was consistently there for Big Lu, the punches? Not so much (till the 3rd anyway, his best round). And for Fonz, banging the drum throughout the bout with a plethora of hard-hitting punches, stinging/mocking personals, banging gun bars and steely wordplay to take both of the opening rounds for the win before a debatable 3rd, it’s proof again that he has enough smoke to take on all comers.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Fonz – “You know who else wild strong? Pall bearers ‘cuz they dead lift!”
Recap: Continuing to put on for the small, local leagues around town, here against a gritty Carolina Phat, Swamp struggles a bit with his flow, but still delivers enough fiery punches, cool name flips and witty barbs to beat his more elongated and topsy-turvy opponent in this 1-rounder on The 1 Battle League.
Verdict: Swamp (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Swamp – “This the type of nigga that’ll tell ya his teacher said he ain’t gonna amount to shit knowing damn well she ain’t say that shit!”
Recap: From RBE, outside of a couple of slip-ups in round 1 (and a witty impression of his opponent in the latter rounds) that against an ever brazen, at times wordplay-lit and heavy with the gun bars/personal hitting, but elongated (for all 3 rounds) and not as steady afterwards O-Red, B. Magic sticks with his m.o. of consistently spicy punchlines and score score with enough haymakers to edge both of the latter rounds and get the win.
Verdict: B. Magic (W) 2-1
Favorite line: B. Magic – “Magic been good in the hood like Penzoil!”
Recap: Seems like we haven’t seen Shotgun Suge on a battle rap stage in quite a minute, so it’s only right that his return takes place at his home league, Block City. And in this competitive 1-rounder against a turned up, pretty solid and gritty throughout, but elongated (as in rapping twice as longer as his opponent) Jus Cuz (who also had a handful of run-it-back’s while struggling a bit with his flow), Suge wastes no time, getting busy with a gang of flippant personals, solid name flips, stinging punchlines and piercing bully/trap talk to earn the win.
Verdict: Shotgun Suge (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Shotgun Suge – “You’ze a nobody, you shouldn’t see me once, what your back end is, you can’t buy me lunch!”
Recap: SMH. Not to get on a soapbox, but as a huge battle rap fan all I want to do is see you display your talent and rap. All that extra shit? After the battle, take it outside, go around the block and do ya 5 minutes. Or if it’s really that deep and you can’t separate words from feelings then either join the MMA or go fill up an application at UPS (RIP Biggie). That said, from what I’ve gathered online, the story here is Coffee Brown was never that interested in battling Ms. Hustle…and vice versa. Hustle also had to cancel and postpone the battle due to a car accident some months back. And both Hustle and Coffee felt that the other person crossed the line going after each other’s kids (amongst other gripes) online while promoting the battle. Of course, each battler has their own version of what caused them to act so unprofessionally during this battle (so much so that it was cut short near the beginning of Coffee’s 3rd). But damn if we couldn’t just get 3 rounds out of them. And to the naysayers, with two top tier female’s at their behest, it’d be ass-backwards to blame URL for wanting to get this potentially classic battle done even with all their personal beef. But either way in what was lyrically a pretty raw and fiery back-n-forth, thanks in part to Hustle (in what was a close bout) choosing to cut both her rounds short, it’s a slightluy more consistently-lit Ms. Brown who gets the edge here.
Verdict: Coffee Brown (W) 2-0
Favorite line: Coffee Brown – “I won’t fuck this event up, by stealing on you naturally, so to protect by back end, I’m a let you touch me first…so I could beat your ass on a technicality!”
Recap: Needs to come more steady with the bars in the future, but still a gritty and at times punch-heavy turn by Pry The Great would make things competitive, before the fiery storytelling, trap talk/wordplay-lit and brazenly set-up bent T-Top gave The Bear the win in this 1-rounder from The Campout.
Verdict: T-Top (W) 1-0
Favorite line: T-Top – “Bro, we all had chicken, but I ain’t know about now shake and bake, my whole life was backwards, guess that’s why I added bake to shake!”
Recap: Handpicked battle from actors Idris Elba and Jonathan Majors on URL, between Chess and Charlie Clips, gets its own special location at Chris Brown’s crib and as to be expected turns out to be a goodie. Clips, with a bunch of fiery schemes, witty personals/punches, piercing 4-bar setups, standout name flips and offhand jokes mostly at NuNu Nells expense, did what he does while keeping the crowd (and his opponent) entertained. On the other hand Chess, taking a minor break from going after all the ‘New Era’ battlers, does his thing with a gang of street-laced lyrical shiners, streams of intricate wordplay, brazen punchlines, hard-hitting personals and stinging schemes/mayhem. Competitive throughout, after getting slightly out-punched by Clips in round 1, the more direct and comsistently-lit Chess takes the latter two rounds for the win.
Verdict: Chess (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chess – “You stand too close, I’m a separate ya bean like ordering a lucnch special from Spanish folk!”
Recap: From SYS Battle League, for three rounds a turned-up Chef Trez uses a steady barrage of off-the-dome wizardry, fiery gun bars, roundhouse punchlines/name flips, some gripping trap talk and fleeting braggadocios bangers to handily beat back a witty/punch-heavy at times and storytelling-friendly, but overall pedestrian Boss Jay.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “Real shooter, caught him by surprise like the Melo trey!”
Recap: In this URL/Super Fight 5 matchup, a couple of slip-ups by Swamp in the final round vs. an elongated, but cleaner turn by Serius Jones cost the South Carolina battler the 30. But by then this one was all Swamp as the down South spitter used a versatile, personal-lit, witty and punch-heavy opening round to take the 1st (which also featured a super awkward moment when Jones pulled out a diamond tester as a gimmick early in his round, only to have it malfunction on him which in turn led to Serius slipping up a few times when attempting to get back to his bars) before using a set-up rich, righteous at times and wordplay/name flip/personal-crazy 2nd to gain the win over an opponent who while making a game comeback in the 1st, followed that up with a mostly pedestrian middle round that took away any chance he had at winning.
Verdict: Swamp (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Swamp – “Hey URL, y’all really gotta stop trying me homie, I said nothing about Serius Jones, I think I said serious inquiries only!”
Recap: In a salacious-at-times battle between a rapper known for stellar wordplay (C3) and another known for her punching power and relentless mayhem (Viixen The Assassin), despite some light struggles with her flow here and there, it’s the slightly more set-up rich and haymaker-lit Viixen who edges both of the opening rounds for the win in this URL/QOTR No Holds Barred 3 bout, before a righteous-talking and personal-lit C3 took the 3rd.
Verdict: Viixen The Assassin (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Viixen The Assassin – “One shot will fuck up her features, I’ll leave this shit a cold case, Ice-T daughter, the baby got the whole face!”
Recap: From iBattleTV, overall a solid showing equipped with resident wit and some heavy punches from King Jables. That said, this one was pretty one-sided as Loso’s frenzied wordplay, stinging name flips, rigid Christian-themed darts and brazen set-ups/punchlines/personals were consistently lit enough to take all 3 rounds for the win.
Verdict: Loso (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Loso – “They make you battle for free and I still think you’re overpriced!”
Recap: In this URL/Super Fight 5 matchup between Cortez and Jey The Nitewing, Tez’s standard spurts of mayhem and daunting gun bars fail to pack enough heat to keep up with Nitewing’s wide array of mocking/witty personals (which included a stellar impression of NY street discourse in round 2), stinging name flips and righteous wordplay/darts/screeds, thus (outside of a debatable 2nd) giving Jey the 1st and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Jey The Nitewing (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Jey The Nitewing – “The closest he ever been to field nigga’s is crying in the whip!”
Recap: The rare (or possibly the only) opponent who didn’t use a single Tay Roc bar on Lady Caution since she started dating the ‘Gun Bar King’, Fendi proves her lyrical mettle again what with a gang of word association arm-twisters and other flexing punchlines/name flips to score more than enough haymakers for a the win over her heat-spicy, but less consistently lit opp in this 1-rounder from She Go Hard.
Verdict: Fendi (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Fendi – “Your name Caution?, Fendi flow dangerous, puts a whole new definition to warning labels!”
Recap: From KOTD’s Season 1 tournament, a solid-punching effort from F.A.T.E. (esp. like that ‘body…Hide-n-Seek’ line in the 3rd), gets beat back by a notably brazen throughput, versatile, metaphor spicy and consistently punch-lit showing from the vet Pass, who even after not battling for over a year and serving as a last-minute for Chubby Jag in this tourney, barely showed an ounce of rust on his way to a 30.
Verdict: Pass (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Pass – “My mind intricate, two minute rounds, boy I need 5 minutes, why you trying to limit it?, I’ll kick that hour glass over sideways, my time infinite!”
Recap: From IBattle, with only two days prep still a dope and competitive showing here between Drugz and Chef Trez. The two splitting the first two rounds (had the slightly more versatile punching Drugz edging the opening round before a mil-centric and gun bar lit Chef took the 2nd) and then a fiery and raucous 3rd by both battlers gets edged by the rebuttal savvy and set-up/brazenly punch-lit Trez for the win.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “Drugz you don’t hold weight for real, I can tell, I’m on a different scale!”
Recap: Couldn’t keep up with how many times Mannor Boy mentioned that he was in college. But damn you if you don’t believe him. And in this 1-rounder from SEBL, the South Carolina battler put on a pretty solid show with a gang of righteous at times, witty and personal-lit bangers that kept him competitive. However, his opponent Swamp would prove to be too much here. S.C.’s finest using a plethora of bruising bully bars, mocking personals, stinging punchlines and aggressive heaters in a more condensed turn that ended up outpacing his adversary for the win.
Verdict: Swamp (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Swamp – “I know you might be a male stripper but I fucked your bitch and she told me I’m the one who know how to work the pole better!”
Recap: As per usual, E. Ness’ rambunctious, old-school cadence and barrels of wit kept the crowd entertained and scored him a few haymakers here and there. But in this dope 1-rounder from Step Your Ink Game Up, it’s a consistently-lit, gun bar blazing, wordplay/name flip spicy and personal/punch crazy E. Hart who cooks up more than enough heat to earn the win.
Verdict: E. Hart (W) 1-0
Favorite line: E. Hart – “So many guns in the car, the nigga Reed will get mad!”
Recap: Despite a pretty solid effort (thought his best round was the 2nd, which with a slightly more condensed, but just as haymaker-lit as his opponent turn, I had him edging) here in this semi-final round of URL’s Ultimate Madness 4 tournament, NXT’s controversial run in this tourney comes to an end as the young, lite-skin spitter loses out to Real Name Brandon’s stifling storytelling bars/schemes, righteous darts, boastful bully talk and wicked punchlines in the 1st and 3rd rounds to get the win and move on to the finals taking place at Summer Madness 11.
Verdict: Real Name Brandon (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Real Name Brandon – “I don’t take threats lightly, all that tough talk?, that shit bore me, last nigga that said he had a plot for me, didn’t live long enough to tell the rest of the story!”
Recap: No breaks in the action here as 40 B.A.R.R.S. and Casey Jay put on a consistently spicy barfest for 3 rounds on the QOTR/No Holds Barred 3 card. Casey, scoring in bunches with flagrant gun bars, sizzling name flips and hard-hitting personals/punches kept it close and competitive throughout. While 40, openly slighted by Smack calling her opponent the ‘face of female battle rap’ sometime back, used the league owner’s assessment to her advantage with a barrage of well-themed boastful darts, fire schemes, fiery wordplay, heated personals and head-ringing 4-bar setups. A dope battle with no room for error (and neither battler had a single slip-up), it’s the slightly more haymaker-lit 40 who edges rounds 1 and 3 to gain her first win over a Bardashian.
Verdict: 40 B.A.R.R.S. (W) 2-1
Favorite line: 40 B.A.R.R.S. – “I’m here to bring static over Smack feedback, I mean that!”
Recap: Against a flow-challenged Lady Caution who may need to put as much diligence into her preparation as she does her wardrobe choices, on this No Holds Barred 3 card from URL/QOTR Yoshi G puts forth her most versatile, consistently spicy and pissed off effort ever. Everyone’s favorite thot getting busy from jump with an elongated, but scorching 3 rounds of rigid wordplay, fiery schemes, mocking/biting personals, killer name flips (on Caution and her bf Tay Roc), prideful/salacious thot bars and aggressive/hard-hitting punchlines to land a 30 piece on an opponent she’d long held a grudge against.
Verdict: Yoshi G (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Yoshi G – “You bitches bore me, ‘You need to stop doing thot bars’, then you out-whore me!”
Recap: Styling throughout on his opponent’s battle rap legacy with a bunch of mocking/dismissive personals, but also scoring with a gang of hitting name flips and piercing punches, in a Skytier Northwest battle that outside of round 1 wasn’t really close, Jey The Nitewing handily beats back The Saurus, who after a punch-heavy opening round, went downhill pretty quickly afterwards when it came to bar efficiency.
Verdict: Jey The Nitewing (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Jey The Nitewing – “They call you legendary, well bitch I’m lack intolerant!”
Recap: Embracing his sight disability with both self-deprecating and fiery bars, but most of all impressing throughout with an aggressive and flexing punch game that also contained a slew of witty/hard-hitting personals and boastful barbs, a long-winded at times, but consistently lit Snake Eyez handily takes this RBE 3-rounder from a solid and gritty, but overmatched Dev The Demon.
Verdict: Snake Eyez (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Snake Eyez – “You a pair of shorts at the 99 cent store…no pockets!”
Recap: In a competitive 3-rounder from Gates of the Garden that was dominated by spicy wordplay/punches/personals, glad-handing and a Mr. Biscuit trying too hard at times to imitate his opponent, the more condensed, witty and freestyle/rebuttal-friendly Quantum Physics does just enough to edge rounds 1 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Quantum Physics (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Quantum Physics – “You get friend-zoned, I get yunno, fuck buddy!”
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: In this 3-rounder from IBattle, Marvwon dismisses opponent Sha’s aggressive/witty punches with a boatload of granular set-ups, piercing punchlines and steely personals that outside of a debatable 2nd round, edged the Detroit vet rounds 1 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Marvwon (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Marvwon – “If you have one Marvin Gaye [gay] bar, I’m gonna be the reason for my son’s death!”
Recap: Spouting a gang of sizzing name flips, but also scoring left and right with some seriously bruising punchlines, fiery wordplay and witty personals, in his 1st battle on iBattle, Yung Griz gets the win over an aggressive and mayhem-lit Chvnk, who after a subpar round 1, did manage to earn some points by making things competitive in the latter rounds.
Verdict: Yung Griz (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Yung Griz – “Built like cattle, now ya life at stake [steak], ya heard [herd] chump?!”
Recap: From SDBL/UBL, while the mostly hardbody street rhymes from Klutch made their mark and make this 1-rounder competitive, a more versatile punching Fonz, lighting up the scoreboard with a gang of sizzling gun bars, potent name flips and wily punches/personals, just proved to be too much in the end.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Fonz – “Your wife next, your whole family could get murdered today, and it start with them and stop with Klutch like and emergency brake!”
Recap: I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that the normally clock watching Bigg K had too much respect for Charlie Clips to complain about time limits despite his opponent’s elongated rounds (esp. the 3rd) throughout this battle. But then, maybe even K appreciated the sometimes lacking Clips taking him seriously and bringing 3 full rounds with him. Nonetheless, a goodie between these two vets here on RBE comes down to Clips’ sizzling schemes, witty/rigid personals (even when he did the race angles) and versatile punches out-working a mostly punch-heavy, but not consistent and subpar/redundant with the personals K in both of the opening rounds to give the Harlem battler the win, before a still fiery and condensed K edged the final round.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Y’all know damn when there’s beef, the only thing white people raisin [raising] is teh potato salad!”
