SUMMER MADNESS XI

It's been approximately five days since battle raps Super Bowl happened, of course I'm referencing Ultimate Rap league's Summer Madness. It is the 11th year of the event. It went down this year in Houston, Texas, and thousands of fans showed up for the event. As a veteran spectator of battle rap, it felt good to see the fans back outside and in the element of the sport. Whether they were their for certain battles, certain battle rappers, first time spectators, or if they were their just to check it out, it was an amazing thing to see.

A big shout out also goes to the Caffeine production crew that worked the event. They made sure they captured different camera angles, they made sure the battle rappers were mic'ed up properly, they made sure that the stream was clear for the viewers at home, and they also made sure the acoustics in the room were right in the room for audio purposes. I also want to acknowledge Jay-Black, DNA, and Nu Nu Nells for keeping the fans engaged at home with their "between battle" analysis. It kept me entertained and engaged as well.

The event was very good, if I had to rate this as a viewer at home it would be a 8 out of 10. Every battle didn't hit, but those were preference battles. I believe that certain battles on this card might have entertained certain people more than others. Every battler on this card gave 110% in their performance, I just think some of the material didn't resonate with everyone, and thats ok. Everything isn't for everybody.

The first battle was Real Name Brandon vs MVP. This was a Ultimate Madness Finals match up for $25,000. Both were great, but I think RNB controlled the crowd a little more, and had better material. MVP was great, but his material was for a small room, although he was very lyrical, his material didn't resonate with the Houston crowd. MVP wrote more for a small room while RNB wrote for a Big Stage. I have RNB winning the battle 3-0.

The next battle was Arsonal vs Lu Castro. This was Lu Castro's Summer Madness Debut, and he showed up! He was was charismatic, poised, and he showed he could perform. Arsonal was the exact same. His energy matched Lu's and it was great to see him in veteran form. His second round was vintage. I gave the battle to Ars 2-1. The first and second rounds. Its a real debatable battle, and it showed that Lu Castro is here to stay.

The next battle will be talked about for years to come. Easy The Block Captain vs Chess was without a doubt the battle of the night, maybe the battle of the year. It has lyricism, conversation, street talk, performance, energy, bars, entertainment, and everything that you would want in a battle. It would be disrespectful for me to pick a winner. They both won, proving that even in his big stage debut, like Lu Castro, Easy The Block Captain is here to stay.

The next battle was K-Shine vs Hollow Da Don. This battle was a drop off from Easy vs Chess. The energy seemed off, but both Emcees really did give it their all. K-Shine's material was good, but it fell a little flat with the crowd. Hollow was a lot more versatile with his flow, cadence, delivery, bars, rebuttals, and conversation. He showed a lot of diversity in this battle and separated himself from K-Shine. I have Hollow winning 3-0. It wasn't a body, but Hollow was better than Shine all three rounds.

John Jon Da Don vs Tsu Surf was the next battle. The hype surrounding this battle was whether or not Surf was going to show up with three rounds. He actually did. Three great ones. He was energetic, poised, and showed why he is a veteran. He rebuttals a lot of John Jon's angles about him getting shot and him losing battles. John Jon had great angles and material, but it was almost like the crowd heard it already, and it fell flat. He had a great performance and poise, but Surf showed that there are levels. I have Surf winning 3-0.

The next battle is the main event of the night which was Murda Mook vs Reed Dollaz. I knew this battle wasn't going to live up to its expectations for two reasons, the timing and the era. Mook and Reed are two titians and pioneers of their respected eras. They are responsible for the birth of today's style of battle rap. With new fans coming into battle rap they don't know the history and meaning of this battle. Their styles aren't made to appease current fans or battle rappers. They have a very direct and and conversational type approach. Todays fans are very scheme and punchline heavy, so Mook and Reed's style was made more for fans of my generation.

As far as the battle goes I personally have Mook winning 2-1, the second and the third rounds. I really enjoyed Mook's material and it hit a little harder for me because I'm from that era. Reed brought back flashes of the old Reed and it definitely gave me nostalgia. The crowd wasn't feeling this battle, but I don't think it's terrible. The energy was off, but both battlers gave 110% and I appreciated all of their material. If someone gave the battle to Reed I'm not mad at it. In my opinion its a preference battle.

The last battle of the night was Geechi Gotti vs Calicoe. This was a great battle, and energy booster. The crowd definitely came back to life for this battle. I wondered how their styles would clash because they are both similar. Geechi Gotti's second round was definitely contender for round of the night. Every bar was hitting. Calicoes first was the same. He talked to Geechi just as much as Geechi was talking to him. The third round I felt like Calicoe did a little more. I have Calicoe winning 2-1 the first and third rounds. They both were poised, energetic, captivating, and entertaining.

If someone has Gotti winning the first two rounds they wont hear a argument from me. It's definitely a debatable battle, and if further solidifies Geechi's place in this culture.

Overall SM XI was a great event. Smack and Beasley continuously put on great events for battle rap culture. I can't wait until next years event to see what they have in stored. Houston was a great crowd, but I'd definitely love to see Summer Madness come back to Webster Hall in NYC, its rightful home, just for one more event. I'm looking forward to the next Smack event and what else The URL has coming next.

Thank you so much for reading my article! Any comments or opinions are really appreciated! Enjoy your day, and happy writing!