Battle of The Year. Bar none. Any league. No debate. Instant classic. When I think of what Hip-Hop and battle rap have become, the phrase I keep using is “Spoken Word meets pro-wrestling.” (Re: Daylyt :: Mankind.) Or in some cases, it’s more like boxing. I’ve been tryna write a poem for a while now dedicated to modern battle culture where I say something like, “Everyone knows the best part about Muhammad Ali wasn’t so much the fights as the trash-talking. / Now imagine a world that’s NOTHING BUT trash-talking.” My friends and I talk about battles the way some talk about boxing matches or sports events. But I’m a nerd. I never really got into sports. I like words, and rhythm, and cadence, and allusion and other poetic devices. At the first Olympics, there was a poetry completion. Before medals, competitors received laurels – where we get the term “poet laureate.” Think about that a second: A poet is a verbal and linguistic athlete. A poet or rapper who trains in his / her skill has a brain flooded with wrinkles, as as cut and polished as Michael Phelps or Bruce Lee’s body. I believe that rap leagues are the future of Poetry. I believe Daylyt and Jaz The Rapper are two of the greatest poets alive. I believe 100 Bulletz’s second round against Bamalam is one of the greatest poetic achievements of the 21st century. The thing I love about Hip-Hop – the music as well as the culture – is how other nations took an American creation and ran with it and mutated it according to the slang and habits of their own region. Producers from Europe, Asia, and Australia make tracks with rappers over beats that are more Two-Step, Dubstep, and House than traditional 808. This, likewise, influenced the beatboxers of those same regions. The same thing happened with the modern battle structure when leagues popped up in Canada and Britain (King of The Dot and Don’t Flop, respectively.) This battle took place in South Africa. It marks a historical moment for battle culture, perhaps the biggest hallmark on the timeline since Lux v. Calicoe. This is to battle rap what The Thriller in Manilla or Rumble in The Jungle was to boxing. This is Ali v. Frazier: Two verbal and mental athletes in their prime. Future generations will be talking about this bout for years to come for several reasons, not the least of which being the abundance of freestyle rebuttals. I’ve often said Chilla Jones v. JC was like two cranes fighting in that both opponents were masters of their own style; like two martial artists practicing different styles of Kung Fu. Ness Lee v. Tumi is two titans clashing, hurling fire and lightning. This is Godzilla v. Tumi. Listen to that crowd. That’s all love. It’s all love for Hip-Hop. Best of all, I can’t decide the winner. Ness is a legend, and though they both had haymakers, I’m now definitely a fan of Tumi. In the third he says, “I will father you ‘til it’s apparent I won, son – like China do.” Madness. If I can’t get Shane Smith into battles after Tumi’s Round 1, featuring a ridiculous Chess scheme and an Illmatic reference, I officially give up. Acey Wasuto Sarah Jilao Carl Woods II Noir Jente Shanyce Boom Andrea Vocab Sanderson Isaac Folch Jordan Elijah Keyes Breeze Ilifethis ThePoet Joshua Carrasco Moses West BeautyFull Mind David Marsh Tim Rumsey Brendan OHalloran Devery Broox Daniel Brown Brian Artofvandelay Donalds Aasen Bloe Robbi Ramirez Javon Johnson Asaan Swamburger Brooks Justin S. McDonald Mckendy Fils-Aime Billy Tuggle Elizabeth Straight-Wilt Megan Rickman Brok Tryst Kerbrat Logan Anderson
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 11:31:18 +0000
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