AllHipHop

Double Impact for Real: The Rise of New Legends, The Fall of Old

By: Kershaw St. JawnsonCategory: News

Rookies linked with URL vets to give the performances of their lives. Mt. Rushmore candidates chipped away at their legacies, by showing up with funky attitudes and no desire to give the fans a professional top-tier exhibition.

As the NCAA’s March Madness tournament continues, many fans find themselves pulling their hair out as numerous upsets disrupted their brackets. The same can be said in the topsy-turvy world of battle rap.

This spring, the culture of competitive emceeing has been jammed back with top-notched cards showcasing some of the best talents in the industry. This week was no exception. Fans predicted the winners of certain battles that should have been “sure bets.” But like in college basketball, nothing is ever just that easy.

The Ultimate Rap League’s Double Impact card on Caffeine.tv was just as unpredictable.

Unlike the other Double Impact cards, these teams were put together by the staff based off of a “mentor/mentee” concept determined by perceived compatibility. Most of these pairings proved to be exceptional. The card was a huge success with only one setback, two hot-headed vets that lost a lot of their luster by having poor sportsmanship.

DNA/ DON MARINO VS. RUM NITTY/ JEY THE NITEWING

The first battle was between DNA and Don Marino vs. Rum Nitty and Jey the Nitewing.

With only a few weeks to prepare, both teams stepped up to create moments. Rum Nitty and Jey the Nitewing made up a new team called Island Rum and DNA and Don Marino (who are already members of NWX) comprised the New X Outlaws. The biggest moment was their thirds, where both did a left shoulder (angel) right shoulder (devil) spin that was in a word, spectacular.

ARSONAL/ KID CHAOS VS. B DOT/ REAL SIKH

The second battle was between Arsonal and Kid Chaos vs. B Dot vs. Real Sikh.

People really counted out Arsonal and Kid Chaos (Anarchy) from the gate. The eyes were on Real Sikh and B Dot (Real Wrap), two rappers known for their incredible gift of lyricism. But battle rap is more than bars, no matter what people keep saying. Battle rap is energetic and is about presence. It is about personality. It is about aggression or at the very least swag. And clever poetry … lyrics … rhymes. And while newer “eras” of battle rap are fumbling along with their complicated rappity raps (and let’s not get it twisted, this is the only place in the world where lyricism is elevated to a divine level of artistry and no one does it better than lyricists like B Dot and Real Sikh), veteran battler Arsonal stands tall as battle rap personified. How he mentored Kid Chaos, helping him to edit himself (suggestions that analysts all over have been giving him), manifested in this big stage win.

To that end, lyrically B Dot and Real Sikh were incredible. Each round, they showed that this generation of Hip-Hop enthusiasts does actually understand the lost art of dancing within rhymes. Both of them were able to invoke the spirits Bhai Vir Singh and Amrita Pritam, Sundiata, and Manetho wrapped in the modern lyrical wizardry of Nas, Ras Kass, and Phonté.

K-SHINE/ LU CASTRO VS. AVE/ FONZ

The third battle was K-Shine and Lu Castro vs. Ave and Fonz.

This was truly a twin match. K-Shine and Lu Castro looked alike, rapped alike, and fought like they were wombmates. Ave and Fonz also punched like brothers who were used to bullying on the playground. Matched up to a tee, the world was bound to get something special.

Many count this as the battle of the night, as both teams seem to explode with combustive energy. Atomic-like power was expected from K-Shine and Lu Castro; the two of them are known for blitzing at a moment’s notice and singeing their opponent into defeat. Ave and Fonz, a duo that fans predicted would rely solely on their punching abilities, dispelled any notion that battlers only have one special move. Called “The Uncles,” the two were ready to pull out their lyrical belts and whup up on Shine and Lu.

This was a special battle — with the potential of not only being the battle of the year but a classic that people will point back to as an instructional example of how a great battle should look.

 

TAY ROC/ EAZY THE BLOCK CAPTAIN VS. GEECHI GOTTI/ SWAMP

The fourth battle was Tay Roc and Eazy the Block Captain vs. Geechi Gotti and Swamp.

What made this Double Impact an extraordinary event was how the top-tier artists were able to mentor the rookies, bringing out their personal best. The Gun Bar King and his protégé embodied similar energy, while Geechi Gotti and Swamp seemed to be opposites they enhanced each other’s performances. Everyone thought Gotti was going to carry the Carolinian … but he didn’t. The junior held his own. All of the rookies not only held their own but reminded people that there is a shift coming in battle rap and they are located right in the middle of the change.

 

MURDA MOOK/ CALICOE VS. T-TOP VS. NU JERZEY TWORK

The last battle was between Murda Mook and Calicoe vs. T-Top vs. Nu Jerzey Twork.

A version of this highly anticipated battle should have happened two years ago. They tried twice already to bring this battle to fruition, but those efforts were in vain. And after this horrible display of sportsmanship, probably should have remained a “wish battle” for the sake of the culture. Two legends showed up with the worst attitudes ever. Their unprofessional behavior diminished any value that their folklore-ish lyrical prowess might have earned them.

T-Top tried to remain cool but popped after feeling disrespected as a man (forget the battle rap stuff). Kudos goes to Twork who tried hard to salvage a battle that was at least important to him, even as his opponents could care less.

 

The Double Impact card was top-notched, despite the nastiness of the last battle. It’s an event with extremely high replay value. If you missed it, the full call will be released on the URL app this week.