What is Battle Rap?
Battle rap is a part-sport, part-artform, in which rhymes are delivered acapella in high pressure, competitive environments where battlers attempt to beat their opponents using wordplay, personal attacks, freestyles, rebuttals, word association and schemes, and a smattering of other different aspects of lyricism and performing ability.
Put simply, it's entertaining and addictive to watch rappers berate and break down one another creative rhymes in intense, competitive settings where their careers and reputation are constantly on the line. The dog-eat-dog scene and need to come up with a completely unique set of rhymes for every new battle means there's a constant pressure to survive or you face the end of your career, and which also means there's always great storylines to follow that result in memorable moments that stick in your head, like any good sport has. Combine that with the experience of watching and hearing the crowd react to the bars and the performance elements and a host of gimmicks, slogans and more, and it becomes quite an involved experience with it's own culture to say the least.
It's sometimes hard to encapsulate what makes battle rap so great, but there's something really addictive and infectious about watching the best lyricists on the planet insult each other using the most complex and creative uses of language. And since battle rap has long moved on from rapping over beats, the artform has opened up to accommodate more styles and depth than ever before.
Put simply, it's entertaining and addictive to watch rappers berate and break down one another creative rhymes in intense, competitive settings where their careers and reputation are constantly on the line. The dog-eat-dog scene and need to come up with a completely unique set of rhymes for every new battle means there's a constant pressure to survive or you face the end of your career, and which also means there's always great storylines to follow that result in memorable moments that stick in your head, like any good sport has. Combine that with the experience of watching and hearing the crowd react to the bars and the performance elements and a host of gimmicks, slogans and more, and it becomes quite an involved experience with it's own culture to say the least.
It's sometimes hard to encapsulate what makes battle rap so great, but there's something really addictive and infectious about watching the best lyricists on the planet insult each other using the most complex and creative uses of language. And since battle rap has long moved on from rapping over beats, the artform has opened up to accommodate more styles and depth than ever before.
Leagues
Battles almost always occur as a part of different leagues, which often cater to different tastes and have their own stables of talent. Battle rap is incredibly diverse in the types of styles, content, and formats it can take, and it can take a while before you figure out what you like, but if you're a fan of rap, there's almost certainly a rapper out there that will cater to your taste.
Here are some of the main, current leagues that are worth following:
But really, the main places to go are URL and KOTD as they are the most consistent and enduring producers of great battles.
Here are some of the main, current leagues that are worth following:
- Ultimate Rap League - New York's biggest league, and without doubt the most prestigious and biggest stage in all of battle rap. The spiritual successor to the Smack DVD movement which brought battle rap into it's current era and format. The URL prides itself on it's street authenticity, so if you want to hear that gun toting, aggressive lyricism, this is the place to go. URL's annual Summer Madness event is considered the biggest stage in battle rap, and their Proving Grounds system produces most of the great new talent year after year.
- King of the Dot - After the URL, this Canadian-based league is the next biggest league in battle rap. KOTD holds the greatest diversity of events in the greatest diversity of locations with the greatest diversity of MCs, also hosting an annual World Domination event that brings together MCs from all over the world. It is widely considered the spiritual successor to Grind Time.
- Dont Flop - The UK's largest battle league, which has recently fallen under hard times, but is probably the third largest league overall and has a history of great battles. UK battle rap tends to be more lighthearted and jokey in nature, which might be preferable to some, and has been hosting 2-on-2 battles longer than most modern leagues.
- UDUBB - Arsonal's own battle league, which frankly doesn't consistently have great battles, but every blue moon picks up MASSIVE match-ups and cards when negotiations fail at other leagues.
- Rare Breed Entertainment - A relatively newer New York-based league that also facilitates many match ups that wouldn't otherwise make it onto cards on other leagues, but feature talent that hardcore fans really like to see.
- Queen of the Ring - The pre-eminent women's battle league, based in New York. Don't sleep, the ladies have bars too!
- BullPen Battle League - The current breeding ground for southern battle rap talent, run by John John Da Don, which filled the same void that Spit Dat Heat left.
- Go-Rilla Warfare - Chicago-based offshoot of URL, which holds events infrequently, but when it does, delivers some well-produced, high-profile matches.
- Syndicate Cartel - A relatively smaller league that provides a battleground for ome of the more talented writers in more intimate environments. Also known for their super hype editing of battles.
- The Quiet Room - What is now primarily a channel for QueenzFlip after his viral success, the Quiet Room league uniquely held battles where no audible reactions were allowed, following criticisms that audience reactions influenced people's evaluations of battles. Three-way battles were another unique concept explored on this channel.
- GrindTimeNow - A now-defunct league, which was once the largest league prior to the current era of battle rap. Had chapters all across the United States, but is most well-known for curating and birthing the careers of major West Coast talent.
But really, the main places to go are URL and KOTD as they are the most consistent and enduring producers of great battles.
Where do I start?
This is a really difficult question to answer, surprisingly. Battle rap is so diverse, and is often very, very self-referential which means you need to watch a bit before you get what they're talking about and appreciate the lyricism. What might not make sense to you in a battle might be a reference to a popular phrase in another battle, or a specific pop-culture event.
My best advice would be to sift through a few different battles to see what sticks and what kind of styles you'r'e gravitating towards and ask for recommendations in this thread. Often, people's tastes or preferences start narrow but tend to broaden once you get to understand more and start to discover radically different styles.
Alternatively, it might be worthwhile to check out some compilations of great moments in battle rap to get yourself up to speed on some of the more popular moments that get referenced and whether battle rap might be up your alley. If you see a rapper you like, YouTube compilations of their battle or jump into their most viewed battles and work from there.
Here are some suggested places to start with modern battle rap:
This is just a small slice of what's out there, so pick something and give it a go. The battle rap community has traditionally been a small one, but I encourage lurkers to join in on the discussions and post what they like, don't like, and what they think in this new Era we're in.
My best advice would be to sift through a few different battles to see what sticks and what kind of styles you'r'e gravitating towards and ask for recommendations in this thread. Often, people's tastes or preferences start narrow but tend to broaden once you get to understand more and start to discover radically different styles.
Alternatively, it might be worthwhile to check out some compilations of great moments in battle rap to get yourself up to speed on some of the more popular moments that get referenced and whether battle rap might be up your alley. If you see a rapper you like, YouTube compilations of their battle or jump into their most viewed battles and work from there.
Here are some suggested places to start with modern battle rap:
- Brizz Rawsteen vs. Young X - Two newcomers with pretty much opposite styles bring 3 consistent rounds a piece. This battle might be a good litmus test for if you prefer more aggressive battle rap or some of the more jokier stuffe - or hopefully both. IMO one of the best battles in terms of pure entertainment value.
- JC vs. Chilla Jones - Two potent newcomers spar to create what's widely agreed upon as one of the best and most influential battles of all time. It's hard not to be impressed upon first watch, but it is so dense that I still watch it 5 years later and pick up on new wordplay and references. From this battle onwards, JC's punchline style and Chilla's word association schemes would be the basis of newcomers' styles to the present day.
- Aye Verb vs. Hitman Holla - A brewing rivalry results in a face-off between master and the apprentice in their home town of St. Louis. This is definitively one of the best battles of all time and has the most memorable conclusion by far.
- Real Deal vs. B Magic - Real Deal, a product of the GrindTime era which was characterized by it's calm demeanor, clowning, and freestyling, gets pitted against the master of flow, cadence and name flips in battle rap: B mothafucking Magic. Another good litmus battle and personal favourite of mine.
- B Magic vs. Chilla Jones - If you liked either of their previously listed battles, and hell, even if you didn't, you must watch this. Some of the most creative rhymes ever spit are in this battle, so this one will jolt you awake if you aren't already.
- Loaded Lux vs. Calicoe - Probably the one battle that made the most noise in the mainstream given it's relatively deeper and more "woke" content, and is an example of a one of the best MCs of all time exposing and putting a beating on someone who thought they could challenge a vet.
- Loaded Lux vs. Young Miles - If you want to see what total annihilation of an opponent looks like, this is the quintessential battle.
- Shuffle-T & Marlo vs. Verb T & Joker Starr. This might not be the best battle to showcase it, but Shuffle-T & Marlo are the UK's 2-on-2 kings and the ones who have been holding down the format in the current era before it caught on in the more street scenes. Their synergy and able to riff off of one another is unparalleled, in addition to being some of the funniest MCs of all.
- Jaz The Rapper vs. O'fficial - Both these female MCs, each considered among the best of all time, had spotless records up until this battle. Someone had to go home with a loss this night.
- Hollohan vs. Pat Stay - Two ex-best friends square off and hold back nothing when it comes to exposing each other's dirty pasts.
- Daylyt vs. Chilla Jones - Two of the best writers of all time square off; Daylyt, the king of the unorthodox, and Chilla, the king of schemes.
- Ill Will vs. Bigg K - A much-anticipated showdown between two of battle rap's bullies. Ill Will, who is known for his charisma, versatility, and freestyle ability, and Bigg K, who is an absolute punchline monster.
- Tsu Surf & Tay Roc vs. DNA & K-Shine - DNA & K-Shine, who resurrected the 2-on-2 format and brought it to street audiences and have been ripping teams apart one-by-one, finally meet their match when Tsu Surf and Tay Roc, vets in their own right, come together to bring a building-shaking performance.
- Rum Nitty vs. Ave - Perhaps the best distillation of the most popular style of battle rap today, which is rapid fire punchlines.
This is just a small slice of what's out there, so pick something and give it a go. The battle rap community has traditionally been a small one, but I encourage lurkers to join in on the discussions and post what they like, don't like, and what they think in this new Era we're in.
