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OK, it’s time for the second installment of the 3 Round Roundup, in which I pick the weeks 3 favourite rap battles from across the globe. Out of all the ones I watched, these are my favourite ones in terms of wordplay, jokes, delivery and sheer nastiness of the insults being flung. If you don’t agree with the battles I’ve chosen, feel free to leave a comment below. This week* we have two from the UK’s biggest league Don’t Flop and one from Canada’s King Of The Dot.
*(Please note that this feature was first submitted at the beginning of August, with all the battles featured being uploaded during the last week of July, but due to technical issues it has only just been uploaded. Apologies for the delay, and from now on this will be a weekly feature.)
First up is a scorching battle from two relative new comers to the Don’t Flop league that took place at The Hunger For More 2 event at Concrete in London last month. Villun had a lot to prove after a less than average performance against Agent in Bristol, and in this battle he brings the fire. Although small in stature, he is formidable in the battle arena, coming with inspired wordplay and interesting angles.
Jai-90 made an impact on the scene a few months ago when he released an SBTV Warm Up Session, and gives Villun a run for his money with his animated and rhythmical delivery. Just a few days ago this battle was voted ‘battle of the month’ on the Don’t Flop website. Watch below and you’ll see why.
Here we have another one from Don’t Flop, this time from a pair of veterans. As well as experienced battlers, these two are both accomplished recording artists. Verb T has long been on the UK hip hop scene and has released countless records both as a solo artist on Lowlife records, aswell as guesting on tracks by Kashmere, Braintax and Jehst. More recently he released the album Natures Greatest Mystery as part of the group The Four Owls.
Matter, on the other hand is making a name for himself aspart of the new generation of UK hip-hop recording artists, namely as one third of the Leeds three piece Verbal Contact, whose album Blue In The Face is due to drop next month. He can also be seen freestyling on the WY Cypher videos.
Both rappers go in hard in a battle that showcases all the best elements of battle rap: Lyrical dexterity, scathing personal attacks and of course, some pretty funny mum jokes. A slight slip up in the 2nd round doesn’t stop this from being a top quality battle all round.
Finally, we go across the Atlantic for one of the quarter-finals of the King Of The Dot Grand Prix, featuring previous KOTD champion Kid Twist against relative newcomer 100 Bulletz. Having disposed of Charron and Uno Lavos respectively in round 2, Twist and Bulletz battled for a place in the semi-final. With a $5000 prize up for grabs in the final, it goes without saying that these two battlers both put in top-tier performances. Kid Twist gives his usual display of clever angles and sophisticated penmanship, whereas 100 Bulletz displays some dazzling rhyme schemes.
Mark Grist Vs Scroobius Pip (???)
Mark Grist is an English teacher and poet who first gained notoriety on the battle scene due to his ‘teacher vs student’ battle on Don’t Flop which reached over 1 million views and was featured in The Guardian. Scroobius Pip is an international touring artist with a string of singles and albums under his belt. He recently did a drunken freestyle calling out Mark Grist while backstage with Eurgh from Don’t Flop at Latitude Festival.
Mark Grist responded a few days later with his own video dis.
Since then the pair have each released another response each, with each one being even more scathing than the last.
If you haven't yet seen the hilarious back and forth between the two most intellectual rappers in UK hip-hop, here they are:
*(Please note that this feature was first submitted at the beginning of August, with all the battles featured being uploaded during the last week of July, but due to technical issues it has only just been uploaded. Apologies for the delay, and from now on this will be a weekly feature.)
Villun Vs Jai-90 (Don't Flop)
First up is a scorching battle from two relative new comers to the Don’t Flop league that took place at The Hunger For More 2 event at Concrete in London last month. Villun had a lot to prove after a less than average performance against Agent in Bristol, and in this battle he brings the fire. Although small in stature, he is formidable in the battle arena, coming with inspired wordplay and interesting angles.
Jai-90 made an impact on the scene a few months ago when he released an SBTV Warm Up Session, and gives Villun a run for his money with his animated and rhythmical delivery. Just a few days ago this battle was voted ‘battle of the month’ on the Don’t Flop website. Watch below and you’ll see why.
Matter Vs Verb T (Don't Flop)
Matter, on the other hand is making a name for himself aspart of the new generation of UK hip-hop recording artists, namely as one third of the Leeds three piece Verbal Contact, whose album Blue In The Face is due to drop next month. He can also be seen freestyling on the WY Cypher videos.
Both rappers go in hard in a battle that showcases all the best elements of battle rap: Lyrical dexterity, scathing personal attacks and of course, some pretty funny mum jokes. A slight slip up in the 2nd round doesn’t stop this from being a top quality battle all round.
Kid Twist Vs 100Bulletz (King Of The Dot)
Mark Grist is an English teacher and poet who first gained notoriety on the battle scene due to his ‘teacher vs student’ battle on Don’t Flop which reached over 1 million views and was featured in The Guardian. Scroobius Pip is an international touring artist with a string of singles and albums under his belt. He recently did a drunken freestyle calling out Mark Grist while backstage with Eurgh from Don’t Flop at Latitude Festival.
Mark Grist responded a few days later with his own video dis.
Since then the pair have each released another response each, with each one being even more scathing than the last.
If you haven't yet seen the hilarious back and forth between the two most intellectual rappers in UK hip-hop, here they are:
