Battle rap has been a longstanding monument in the culture of hip-hop dating back to the 1980’s. Whether it has been used for a clear influence or indirectly referenced, battling has been a mainstay in the mainstream. 2018 has treated hip-hop fans to several diss tracks which predominantly involved Drake and Pusha T, two students of the game. Drake himself is a well-documented supporter of battling and his rap career was impacted by such.
Hollow Da Don, arguably the greatest battler of all-time, had the luxury of receiving the Aubrey stimulus package in the form of a co-sign. He was even defended by Drake in a Twitter dispute with Kevin Durant as they debated who won between Hollow and Tsu Surf in one of the most crucial moments in battle rap history. In turn of the bond Hollow and Drake grew to have, one of Drake’s biggest singles, “Started from the Bottom,” was birthed as a result of him being introduced to Hollow’s friend and producer, Mike Zombie.
@KDTrey5 off the Chris Webber bar alone and hollow 3rd round Surf got worked.
— Drizzy (@Drake) July 5, 2013
@Drake the Chris webber bar was solid, u right but that may have won him one round..surf still burned him up
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) July 5, 2013
Drake has even appeared at battle rap events—teasing a potential battle with Murda Mook at Ultimate Rap League’s NOME 5 as well as co-hosting DNA vs Dizaster at King of the Dot’s Flatline event. Aubrey, however, isn’t the only star to endorse the battle rap culture; Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Diddy were all present for URL’s monumental Summer Madness 2.
Summer Madness 2 housed the infamous Loaded Lux vs Calicoe battle which allowed Lux to fleetingly crossover to the mainstream. Loaded Lux’s rounds were all notable, for better or worse, courtesy of memorable moments such as his quotable “get this work” phrase. The Harlem-born battler’s performance landed him an appearance on Mac Miller’s “Red Dot Music” where he attempts to lyrically dissect the latter. A$AP Rocky also mentioned Lux and his slogan in his verse on A$AP Ferg’s “Work (Remix).”
Other battlers have also been fortunate enough to receive exposure on mainstream platforms such as MTV and ESPN. DNA and K-Shine, together known as NWX, have made appearances on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown previewing matchups in the form of battles. Meanwhile, Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out series on MTV drafted battle rap’s own Conceited, Hitman Holla, Charlie Clips and Charron. The biggest stamps of approval, though, have stemmed from the stellar freestyles by battlers for Funk Flex. The likes of Murda Mook, Arsonal and Tay Roc have all graced Hot 97—delivering impressive showings, certainly resulting in fan growth.
Battle rap as a whole has been seen as a profitable market even before the 2010’s. Diss tracks, 106 & Park‘s “Freestyle Friday” along with Wild ‘n Out‘s “WildStyle” all derive from the battle rap culture. Eminem even had a hand in the critically-panned Total Slaughter—an event planned to propel battle rap in the same manner UFC launched MMA into another stratosphere. Unfortunately, the higher profile matchups were completely underwhelming; Hollow had his worst performance to date against Joe Budden, who threw a childlike temper-tantrum and stormed off of the stage while Loaded Lux couldn’t steal a round from Murda Mook in their rematch.
The notion of battling has been a longstanding fascination, but it has never been as apparent as it is today. Well established battle rap icons make appearances on platforms one would never expect while the exact concept is often emulated too. Idealistically, the next step would involve the whole culture receiving the mainstream recognition it deserves without the actual figures having to sacrifice their deserved pay just to be seen (Road to Total Slaughter).
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