Sunday, August 19, 2012

Battle Breakdown - Summer Madness 2: Return of the Legends


THE LEGENDS HAVE RETURNED ...

Five years after battle rap has been resurrected and brought to heights its never reached before (a la SMACK, Grind Time, KOTD, etc), some of the names that helped pave the way for this current generation to shine finally return to the ring on of the biggest battle rap cards to date.  The following is a breakdown of the matches, including: background info, timelines, quotable's and my professional opinion on the outcomes.

*Waive your mouse over the links that appear throughout the "timeline" sections of this blog to see videos*

THE CARD

DNA vs E-Ness
John John Da Don vs Hitman Holla
Calicoe vs Loaded Lux
T-Rex vs Aye Verb
Charlie Clips vs Serius Jones
Murda Mook vs Iron Solomon


Let's Get Started ...

E.NESS vs DNA


DNA

Since his burst onto the scene in May of 2009, everyone knew DNA would be destined for greatness.  Unlike most battle rappers, he excels in all formats presented by the many different leagues around the world.  DNA has destroyed 2vs2 battles, three-minute rounds in SMACK format, one/two minute Grind Time rounds, and un-timed matches on multiple occasions.

At the ripe age of 21, DNA has made a career out of being the fierce underdog who will never back down from a challenge.  He is the poster child for overcoming the odds.

TIMELINE

May 2009: Debuted against Prophit and rocked the battle scene with an unforseen mix of freestyle, written and aggression.

Aug 2009: Helped revolutionized modern day promotion and marketing fo today's battle game by making an in-depth blog about Lil Farnum and their battle at Grind Time's Grizzlemania I.  After the blog's great success and an evengreater response to the battle, DNA became of the the first undercard's to push their battle past 100K views.

Sep 2009: Became the first emcee in Grind Time to battle a Canadian opponent (Loe Pesci)

Oct 2009: Proved himself as one of the world's best freestyle emcees when behind the scenes battle footage of DNA vsMike Flamez and Real Deal surfaced

Oct 2009: Defeated Rone (with a bomb strapped to his chest) in a must-win battle to prove who was the next top tier in the New York's battle scene.

December 2009: Had one of the biggest battle debuts/overall views in Grind Time history in his main event matchup with Rich Dolarz and destroyed a 2 on 2 matchup with Soul Khan vs ZM and Rone on the same day.



Aug 2010: Took 2nd place in Redbull and Eminem's national Emsee battle



Nov 2011: Battled Dizaster in front of Drake for the main event at KOTD's Flatline

May 2012: Battled the seemingly unbeatable Tech 9 on URL and further proved his top level            consistency on the battle scene

Jun 2012: Stole the spotlight from the main event battles at KOTD's Vendetta as he faced Eurgh in a classic match, which is arguably both emcees best showing

QUOTABLE

"I came to fuck up this event on some Dizaster shit/
They asked me 'Can-I-Bus' I told them trust, this Arsonal is Illmaculate//
I would give him this K Shine, but ill Pass cause im the reason this event is what it would be today/
So take out a pen and pad and try spelling 'VENDETTA' without a D-N-A"

- DNA vs Eurgh

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Battling rich Dolarz, which became one of Grind Time most viewed battles
- Arguably beating T-Rex
- Spitting a story in reverse against Oun P
- Battle vs Dizaster becoming KOTD's most viewed battle, at over 1M hits

E.NESS

The "Lochness Monster" aka Elliot Ness is definetly one of the best RAPPERS in the battle world.  His smooth flow and casual yet aggressive style of writing always seem to play to his advantage.  One of the few people to can win a battle off of pure "rap ablity."

TIMELINE

2003: Battled Young Money's Jae Millz for MTVs & Diddy's Making The Band 2: Da Band

Feb 2006: Infamous street battle with Hollowman was leaked to the internet

Sep 2008: Won against NYC rap legend Mysonne in the World Series of Hip Hop



QUOTABLE

"Cut off his oxygen, Sugar Ray Robinson/
or Allen Iverson, cross him out his wally moccasins//" 

E.Ness vs Iron Solomon

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

Out-besting over 40,000 emcees for a spot on Making Da Band
- Facing off against Young Money's Jae Millz
- Beating Mysonne
- Comeback performance vs Iron Solomon

SYNOPSIS

DNA is the clear favorite to win this bout and is not the underdog for the first time in his three-year career.  Coming off of three of his best performances (Dizaster, Tech9 & Eurgh), he will definitely be in top form for this match.  E.Ness can win, but he will need to revert back to the same person that killed it against Mysonne in New York if he wants a shot.  He must include personals, jokes, bars, flow, freestyle ... basically every skill in Ness' arsenal must be exercised to pull off the win.

MY PREDICTION

2-1 in favor of DNA: He will come out with an overwhelming amount of punchlines, but E. Ness will finish strong, gaining steam in the 2nd round.

HITMAN HOLLA vs JOHN JOHN DA DON


JOHN JOHN DA DON

John John is the BEST emcee of battle rap's third generation.  He has the complete package that any promoter would want in a star battler.  After DESTROYING 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, he finally gets his chance to shine against a highly regarded opponent and boost his name through the all time battle rankings.

TIMELINE


Feb 2010: Battled Passda of the popular asian hip hop group, Yellow Boyz

Apr 2010: Faced off in a match against P-ro in GT's Florida vs Georgia


May 2010: Went toe to toe with GTEC's Troy Brown in his first main event match


Jan 2011: Clashed with Brixx Belvy in a classic match that was seen as one of the best matches of 2011

Feb 2011: Won his rematch against Lotta Zay in another classic bout


Oct 2011: Faced off in his final classic Grind Time battle vs Money Bagz - this was seen as one of the best battles in GT's history

Apr 2012: Faced Bill Collector in a highly anticipated match between fan favorites

QUOTABLE

"Body you, then ya mans get it after/
They'll find ya dog lyin' bear in a box ... animal crackers//"

- John John Da Don vs Brixx Belvedere

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

-Winning Rematch battle vs Lotta Zay
-Classic matches with BrixxLotta Zay & Money Bagz on Grind Time
-Entering URL's Proving Ground in classic fashion vs B-Magic

HITMAN HOLLA

Hitman always has two things in his favor: an unmatched amount of raw aggression and energy & some very vocal celebrity fans.  He understands one thing that a lot of battle emcees don't: how to carry yourself as a top artist and make the right career decisions.  Every time I have doubted the man's ability against some of the best in the game, he always rose to the occasion.

TIMELINE

Summer 2007: Main event vs RemyD during Fight Klub's trip to STL

Feb 2008: vs Birdie (as Yung Holla) on Word War

Sep 2008: Rematch vs RemyD on Word War

Jan 2009: vs Cashola on Word War

July 2009: vs  Rich Dolarz on Street Status




Aug 2011: Achieved Main Event status on URL's Summer Madness I vs Hollow Da Don


Mar 2012: Classic match vs Aye-verb to determine the king of the St. Louis battle scene


QUOTABLE

"Its alotta weapons i can slay yall with/
The black gloves, rubber grip wit the radar chip//
I come in one of Verb parties with a ar clip/
And shoot soon as I get in like im JR Smith//"
* Proceeds to remix line*

- Hitman Holla vs Aye Verb

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Highly Debatable match vs Cortez
- Beat Arsonal and became URL's first 1M view battle
- Cosigned by Nelly (bet $50K with Drake) during battle with Hollow Da Don
- Match with with Aye Verb was one of the best battles in history as it reached 1M views in a few months and became one of the most viewed battles in history.

SYNOPSIS

Battle fans around the globe seem to be split up over this match.  Some say that Hitman Holla is battle tested against some of the greatest of our time and will not loose to a rookie on the main stage.  Others say regardless of experience at big events, John John will kill Hitman.  John John has to put on his best performance ever: not only to beat Hitman, but to prove himself as a solidified top tier.  This is the battle he has been waiting for his whole career.  Hitman, on the other hand, took this battle to shut John John up and and dig his grave once and for all.  Both have A LOT on the line.

MY PREDICTION

2-1 in favor of John John Da Don: I honestly believe John John is one of the best battle emcees on the planet at this point.  An A+ performance from JJDD might equal three of the best verses we have heard in the last 5 years.  However, don't mistake my judgement; Hitman Holla can beat almost anyone with the right game plan and only 50% of his total energy.  If Hitman does not prepare properly or takes John John Da Don too light, this could be the biggest body bag of Summer Madness II.

CALICOE vs LOADED LUX


CALICOE

"There's a difference between metaphors and real rap" seems to have grow to be more than just Calicoe's slogan.  It has become the blueprint by which many battle emcees now right their lyrics.  Calicoe has proved that in todays battle world, rhymes backed up by actual facts may have more of an effect on opponents than great punchlines.  He is the prince of the Detroit battle scene.

TIMELINE

May 2009: Debuted on worldstar vs Prince Lord in the much hyped Chicago vs Detroit battle






Dec 2012: vs Shotgun Suge on URL in a highly controversial match that saw Suge disrespecting Detroit legend Proof(RIP)



Oct 2011: vs Math Hoffa in a much hyped underdog match on URL



QUOTABLE

"Ill catch him at the red light, blast the ten/
First 48 will be like Ray J - on camera gettin' brains off that car-dash-he-in"

-Calicoe vs Heartless

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Had one of his best early performances vs Nu Born
- Killed the K-Shine battle
- With the odd against him, beat Math Hoffa at Summer Madness I
- Put Detroit on his back in the Arsonal battle & earned over 1M views

LOADED LUX

After only two battles, the whole world new Loaded Lux was one of the best.  The man may have some of the most complex rhymes in rap period; not just battles.  Lux has an unprecedented amount of charisma to go along with his knack for structuring outstanding bars, which makes him three times as deadly.  His battles on 106th and Park proved his delivery could be fixed to please a commercial crowd without dumbing down his lyrics; a feat many of the greatest lyricists dream of.  Loaded Lux was truly ahead of his time, as all of his verses would be considered great by todays standards.

TIMELINE

- Year Unknown: vs Dee (aka Shirt-N-Tie)

- SMACK DVD Vol. 5: Battled Murda Mook in an instant classic; in a lot of peoples eyes, this was the first time Mook lost

-SMACK DVD Vol. 12: Faced Young Miles.  This match proved Lux was one of the best in the battle business

-2007:  Won 7 Weeks on BET's Freestyle Friday segment of 106th and Park and was retired into the hall of fame.  While on the show he faced the likes of: Relentless, Nase Felon, Cess-Lo, Mike Louch, J Biz, Precyse and Nu Born

QUOTABLE

"You prolly thought this was a bright idea, who hit the light switch?/
Hype shift, this is where it looks like the fights fixed//
Tight fist, beat you with the hand that I write with/
Punchlines that remind Rodney King of the nightsticks//"

- Loaded Lux vs Nase Felon

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Classic battle vs Murda Mook on SMACK
- One of the best single performances in history vs Young Miles
- Freestyle Friday Hall-Of-Fame run
- Founding Lionz Den battle league and paving the way for SMACK to make a comeback

SYNOPSIS

Calicoe's strengths are his wordplay and ability to expose and break someone down.  Loaded Lux (most likely) has barely anything to be exposed for, so this battle automatically becomes a match of bars and entertainment value.  Calicoe has great wordplay from time to time, but Loaded Lux scores an A+ almost every time in flow, delivery, and lyricism.  I can see Calicoe doing well if he stays away from trying to out-rap Lux and focuses on breaking down his personal character and style by making observations about his many appearances on camera.

MY PREDICTION 

3-0 in favor of Loaded Lux: If this battle was in Detroit or another state, Calicoe would have a strong chance of winning, but Lux is one of the most beloved battle rappers in the histroy of New York City (and everywhere else.)  Many may argue that Lux has never performed in front of a crowd of 5,000 people before, but I believe his style is custom made for the big stage.  CALICOE HAS TO COME CORRECT or he will not survive the match.


T-REX vs AYE-VERB


AYE-VERB

As the founding father and king of the St. Louis battle scene, Aye-verb has put in as much work as any top battler in history.  Verb is a very smart person and has the ability to understand what the fans want to see and when he should alter or upgrade his style/approach.  From the entertainment value of his hilarious blogs to his top notch pen game and delivery, Aye-Verb seems to have everything down pat.

TIMELINE


Mar 2009: vs SB in the streets of NYC after his battle with Head Ice ended up falling through.   Even though this was raw footage, it helped spark Verb's buzz nationally

July 2009: vs Hollow Da Don on Street Status.  This close bout proved Aye Verb was worth of the top tier status

Oct 2009: vs Marv Won was Aye-Verb's Grind Time debut.  One of the first battles to escalate the "bars vs jokes" debate, as Verb refused to change his style while switching leagues

Feb 2010: vs Young Miles for his URL debut, which was in classic fashion

Jun 2010: vs Math Hoffa on URL for another highly debatable classic match



Jan 2012: vs O-Red on URL

Mar 2012: vs Hitman Holla for the unofficial "King of St. Louis" title on URL.  Both emcees put on a classic and the video instantly reached 1M views

QUOTABLE

"He's such a bitch ass nigga, we can't tell if he's sweet or not/
Ill show up with two hammers on me even if we agree to box//
Now try that Math Hoffa shit - swing, ima weave the shot/
Then these niggas give you that same treatment that Jesus got//"

PIVOTAL CAREER MOVES

- Close match vs Hollow Da Don, in which the winner is heavily argued til this day
- Classic match vs Math Hoffa
- One of the best performances in battle history vs Hitman Holla

T-REX

Rex is a legend, but I think he solidified it during this generation.  He may have the best delivery available to a battle rapper. Rex's strength has always been the ability to take a line that no one else could say and make it hot.  Now with his "grown man bars" campaign, Rex has started to separate himself from the pack and further add to his legend.  Just when you think you know T-Rex he does the unexpected, whether its throwing on a kangol against Okwerdz or his crazy performance vs Math, Rex is ready for anything.

TIMELINE

Feb 2003: vs Omar in his first taped footage from High School

SMACK DVD: vs Un Kasa from Dipset in his first SMACK battle






Jan 2011: vs DNA in a one round promo for Time in Money







QUOTABLE

"I can get a lil kid to murk you/
Cause you father's a snitch - you was raised by a rat like a Ninja Turtle//"

- T-Rex vs Un Kasa


PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Battling twice on SMACK DVD and starting the "Dot Mob" with Murda Mook
- Featured (alongside Jim Jones) on Ron Browz' "Pop Champagne" remix
- Arguably beating Math Hoffa in his URL debut
- Signing to Battle America and destroying all competition across the US

SYNOPSIS

The thing that makes this battle so interesting are the blogs that were filmed to promote the match.  T-Rex traveled to St. Louis and claimed that no one has ever heard of him in his own town.  Aye-Verb responded with (fake?) pictures of t-rex partially nude that he had apparently obtained from a girl Rex met online.  Both rappers claim to have a lot of dirt on each other, so this makes the match very interesting.  Besides Mook and Solomon, this may be the most even matchup on paper.  With the information each claims to have on the other, someone may get exposed or embarrasses off of the stage.

MY PREDICTION

2-1 in favor of Aye-Verb: After watching his performance against Hitman Holla, it has become apparent to me that Verb is one of the best performers and lyricists in the history in battle rap.  Both him and T-Rex have top notch delivery and flow, so that may not be as big a factor in this match.  It will come down to punchlines and exposing information.  They can both drop big lines, but Verb does it on a more consistent basis.  After watching the blogs to promote this match, it seems like Verb may have some hurtful things to say to Rex, but he never get's bodied; T-Rex will win at least one round.

SERIUS JONES vs CHARLIE CLIPS


CHARLIE CLIPS

Spitfire punchlines, amazing crowd control, crazy freestyle ability and properly timed jokes - these traits all belong to Charlie Clips.  He has a vintage set-up/punchline/deliver approach to battle rap that may be outdated to some, but Clips gets his points across quick, allowing him to easily dismantle opponents.  He has one of the greatest debuts in battle rap history under his belt, along with the (greatly shared) opinion that he may have never lost a round, let alone an entire battle.

TIMELINE

Apr 2009: vs Tay Rock in his battle debut Lionz Den.  He caught one of the biggest bodies in battle history and started his career being hyped as one of the best

Sep 2011: vs Aye-Verb debuted on URL at Summer Madness I.  This was rumored to have been a  another body bag, but the a lot of fans feel as though the crowd was unfair

Apr 2012: vs X-Factor on URL, Clips had another deadly performance


QUOTABLE

"Im the controller - I leave squares like you so dead/
so if X plan to try angles like Verb, he'll get an L2 and have to battle O-Red"

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Active member of Camron's "U.N." imprint
- Debuting on Lionz Den and instantly being hailed as one of the greatest
- Had the most hyped performance of Summer Madness I
- Classic performance in one-round battle vs X-Factor

SERIUS JONES

As the master of the slow flow and articulation, Serius Jones has alway had a way with words.  His style has been watched by many, but successfully duplicated by none; from the signature nose grab and hand waive to his famous opening line, "I said yo!"  Jones won 12 consecutive battles in the Fight Klub and gained national exposure, as his battle with Jin for the Fight Klub title was released on television.  In a world full of aggressive rhymers competing in a street area, Jones' calm, funny, and well-paced style has always been a breath of fresh air.

TIMELINE

Early 2000s: 9 unreleased Fight Klub battles against unknown opponents (besides Math Hoffa)

Fight Klub: vs Big Ace


Fight Klub: vs Moonface

Fight Klub: vs Jin for Fight Klub championship and $10K


SMACK DVD: vs Murda Mook in one of the most highly anticipated matches in battle history



QUOTABLE

"You broke, that's why you wanna come back and battle over here/
But you been wack your whole career//
Ain't there two billion people in China?/
You can't even go platinum over there//"

- Serius Jones vs Jin

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- 12 battle win streak in Fight Klub
- Destroying Jin (first loss) for the Fight Klub championship
- Signing with DTP in 2006

SYNOPSIS

A lot of people seem to think that Charlie Clips has the upper hand due to recent battle experience.  The word is the that Serius Jones is going to get killed and should have stayed retired.  Jones seemingly over-cocky attitude may seem naive to some of his peers, but Serius knows what he has gotten himself into.  This matchup can go either way, based on both emcees' game plans.

MY PREDICTION

2-1 in favor of Serius Jones: A few days ago, I told myself that Charlie Clips was the safe bet, but after thoroughly watching a lot of footage, I believe Serius can win the crowd, it just may take him a round or so to warm up.  His complex setups (and overall well put together verses) and should finally get the attention they deserve, especially against an opponent who will most likely choose a different method of setting up punchlines.  Clips could catch fire and kill Serius 3-0 or Jones could come back in classic fashion and do the same.  This is the only match I had trouble predicting; can't wait to see what happens.

MURDA MOOK vs IRON SOLOMON


IRON SOLOMON

One of the most influential pioneers of this modern day battle scene.  Iron Solomon was the first battler to cross over from battle competitions over beats into the street format successfully.  He has faced top competition on all sides: from Australia's Justice at Scribble Jam to Math Hoffa on SMACK DVD.  If there was a top ten greatest battle lines list, Iron Solomon might have five of them.  His wordplay, metaphors and punchlines are unparalleled - he hast the most (consistent) bodies in battle history.

TIMELINE


2004 Scribble Jam: vs Elfamail

2005 Scribble Jam: vs Nocando

2005 Scribble Jam: vs Zeale 32

2005 Scribble Jam: vs Passwurdz

2005 Scribble Jam: vs Justice

Apr 2007: vs The Saurus on Jumpoff TV (based off of what the many believe the '05 Scribble Jam final should have been)

Apr 2007: vs Mic Assassin on Jumpoff TV (arguably biggest body in battle history)

Underground Sessions: vs Madness

Underground Sessions: vs Flamez

Underground Sessions: vs Shirt N Tie (battle where people started calling Solomon the greatest of all time)

Detroit's "Who Wanna Battle": vs  106th and park retired champ, Avalanche

Fight Klub: vs ZM


SMACK DVD: Classic match vs Math Hoffa - one of the most debated battles in history


QUOTABLE

"Back in highschool, I smashed his chickiddity/
To cut, she cut science class to visit me//
We had the chemistry, attracted physically/
Taught her sex ed. and woodshop, now Math is history//"

- Iron Solomon vs Math Hoffa

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Destroying 99% of his competition in 2005 Scribble Jam
- Bodying all of his opponents on underground Sessions
- The infamous bodybag vs Mic Assassin on Jumpoff TV
- Classic match with The Saurus
- Became Fight Klub champ and stopped Jin short in his comeback
- Classic SMACK battle vs Math Hoffa

MURDA MOOK

Mook IS the founding father of the battle scene as we know it today.  He debuted against battle legend Jae Millz, in a match that would spark the fuse to todays battle scene.  Every one of his matches has seemingly been a classic.  With his last showing against Young Hot, he proved why he was still the king of battle rap.  MOST IMPORTANTLY, Murda Mook is the reason why people say, "EASY!" at the end of their verse.  A true pioneer.

TIMELINE




Fight Klub: vs Cardi

Fight Klub: vs Verse

Unknown: Wave of unreleased battles in the midwest, featuring a classic vs Marvwon





QUOTABLE

"So when he do spit his shit and say something okayish/
Its goin' sound ten times better, cause its going against the greatest//
I do think Im the greatest - I believe in the hype/
Thats why every time you hear me, I compare me to Mike//
Example: Remember when AI crossed Mike out his sneakers?/
It seemed so much worse cause we ain't think Mike had a weakness//
Off of that one move AI got his fame/
They forgot Jordan had 35 and still won that game//

- Murda Mook vs Young Hot

PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENTS

- Classic Debut vs Young Money's Jae Millz
- Surprisingly great performance vs Serius Jones
- Epic return to battle rap against young Hot
- Signing to Ruff Ryders

SYNOPSIS

This is the greatest possible match of all time; the battle we have been waiting for since Fight Klub couldn't get it to happen years ago.  Even though I have my prediction, there is no clear cut-winner.  The crowd will pay ultimare respect to these two emcees and will be dead quiet for five long rounds, to catch every single line.  If this is both of their best performances, it could go down as the best battle in history, as both emcees will retire with their legacies fulfilled.

MY PREDICTION

3-2 In Favor of Iron Solomon: Iron's whole battle career was based on this moment and he will not let it slip.  He consistently spews out THE BEST lines in battle history, whether it be written, premeditated, or freestyle.  Murda Mook is going to have to be three times better than he was against Serius Jones to get the clear win.  In the event that one emcee ends up bodying the other, it may be worse than Canibus pulling out the notebook; we want a CLASSIC.  These are the most prepared emcees in history; the show will be amazing.  5 Rounds is a LONG time.

- Drect

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