What do you think about battle rap?

[u/Jaded-Channel-7169]

I always wanted to know this as a huge battle rap fan. Some will say battle rap is the true and original form of hip hop while others will say they don’t even count or recognize battle rap in hip hop. So I wanted to know in the hip hop subreddit are any of you big battle rap fans? If yes why and who are some of your favorite battle rappers of all time? If not how come?

[u/fullspeedraymondchow]

It’s always been a bit silly. A bit theatrical. Pretending that your hurt someone with your words.

[u/skippitydoowop]

I dont understand clearly written battle rap or "freestlyes" for that matter

[u/Important-Key7413]

Math vs Solomon put me on to battle rap. I find i binge and then need a break before I binge again. UK is doing things to make it interesting. A Ward vs Anderson Burrus

[u/HenryHyllDLLM]

About 10 years ago, I was really into battle rap. That was before url app time, and I watched a lot of battles on YouTube. But nowadays, the new battles weren’t that good compared to back in the day, IMO.

I really like Clips with those funny things and Goodz’s slick talk. I wasn’t really appreciating Tay Roc, but I like his material more and more these days. Now, only battle rappers who are going to hype me up are A Ward and Real Sikh.

The biggest problem for me is to keep up with what’s happening. Like who went to jail or who got some secret and these things you have to scroll through the twitter to keep up with. And I really lost the interest to catch the references. Movie or music or pop culture references are fun but sometimes don’t catch some are kinda discouraging.

I also did some battle rap content translation with a friend and by myself. I translated the whole Lux vs Calicoe battle into Chinese. But it was hard to do. Those double entendres and the different expressions and the language barrier are the obstacles that hard to overcome. The outcome also wasn’t really satisfying. Not too many audience appreciate this form of rap.

[u/Underdog424]

I used to be. I watched the livestream of that Cannabis battle. I was that into it.

I can't stand it anymore. You couldn't pay me to go to a battle.

[u/Intotheopen]

Modern battle rap is a weird combo of stand up comedy and slam poetry and it mostly sucks. S

[u/Intotheopen]

Modern battle rap is a weird combo of stand up comedy and slam poetry and it mostly sucks.

[u/worldfamousdjfish]

We talking about old school battling or modern “battles” with no beats and you know who your opponent is beforehand so you can prepare? 

[u/MasterTeacher123]

It’s cool but a lot of those guys are corny and failed all around rappers 

[u/funghi2]

It’s fun but it’s almost a whole different thing. The best battle rappers can’t really put together a good album or single. And vice versa

[u/d34dLach → u/funghi2]

Eyedea and sage francis have great catalogues

Mac lethal has some bangers too

Edit: lunar c holding it down for the uk too

[u/EastSaintBoogieMan → u/d34dLach]

True, but i always looked at those guys as regular rappers that battled as a means of gaining exposure back when freestyle battling was big. I think what funghi2 was referring to was the written battle rappers

[u/dathought3]

LOVE battle rap. My favorite part of hip hop are diss records. Freestyle Friday’s on 106 & Park were the highlight of the show for me. Some of the very first raps I wrote as a kid were disses. So watching acapella rap battles was a natural progression. One of my favorites is Serius Jones, great example of wit and humor. He embarrassed Jin from Ruff Ryders about 20 something years ago.

[u/WhackCaesar]

Slam poetry with a bunch of dudes who can’t fight getting in each other’s faces like they’re gonna do something. I never understood the appeal of it

[u/Flowethics]

Fun and entertaining but I look at it the same way I look at a football (soccer) or basketball freestyler. A fun way to showcase talent, but not the real thing.

Which I guess is somewhat paradoxical as battles are actually competitive like actual sports. But imo music is art and the expression of self is the goal. Battles have way more focus on displaying skills.

[u/Skakkurpjakkur]

In my home country where the scene is pretty small and fractured we haven’t had a battle for eleven years until a few weeks ago..majority of rappers are focused on vibes and melodic stuff and don’t really give a fuck about lyricism anymore so there were only 4 dudes that signed up for it..in general I think battle rap is pretty niche and nerdy but it can be really entertaining to watch once in a while.. I see the occasional clip from Anderson Burrus and he’s always got some great wordplay or punchlines but off the top of my head I don’t think I could mention a lot of other battle rappers I’m familiar with

[u/SnorvusMaximus]

It’s not the original form of hip hop as early battles where something else entirely. It was about who had the best show and rocked the crowd the hardest, not about attacking one’s opponent and the opponents rhymes as it is today. Kool Moe Dee basically made modern battle rap up when he battled Busy Bee in 1981.

[u/PSK993]

It seems to have gone down the route of breakdancing, what is a core tenet of hip hop has become a bit corny.

[u/d34dLach]

Dont think anything in the modern era can come close to eyedea tbh, that blaze battle was legendary and all the lyrics were off the dome... still watch his battle with rk regularly, that backup dancer line is pure gold

[u/Underdog424 → u/d34dLach]

I miss Dumbfoundead. He used to make me laugh non-stop. I remember when he told a large dude, "I know you're thinking of cupcakes, fuckface."

I haven't seen a battle that made me laugh like that in 10 years.

[u/TheBlackDeathXXX]

I understand it's the true "essence" of the culture, but to me, that shit is good in moderation.

I can't listen to battle rap or battle rappers for more than a few minutes at a time.

I think the public agrees as Eminem is probably the only professional battle rapper to become a Hip-Hop superstar.

[u/Step_Dad_Steve]

It’s hip hop as sport and there’s nothing like it
No different than watching politicians debate

[u/Prestigious_Run_633 → u/Step_Dad_Steve]

Fuck politics, I don’t even follow it. I’m on some KRS, Ice Cube, Chris Wallace shit. Main Source, De La Soul, bumping 2Pacalypse Now….

[u/TipImpossible1343]

Big fan, but there hasnt been a new dope battler in a few years I feel.

[u/EspirituM]

I mostly like older eras because I prefer battles with beats/beatboxing.

[u/PeteRock24]

It honestly depends who it is. If you listen to well constructed schemes like Fresco used to put out it was its own art form.

I always thought of freestyling as the purest form of MCing but old heads like me just act like snobsZ

[u/JobberStable]

The most electrifying…..

[u/Ed_Rock]

Love battle rap, but not so much of the modern stuff without a beat. If it's not on a beat them it's just angry slam poetry to me

[u/SnorvusMaximus → u/Ed_Rock]

Rap with no rhythm is so wack.

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