Recap: This N.O.M.E. 8 headliner doesn’t quite give you the best Goodz or the best Tay Roc, but in the long run it still ends up being a pretty dope match between two top tiers in what was a much-anticipated matchup. The first couple of rounds made for clear decisions with a more pointed with the personals, (“I’ll reach for this pole, squeeze and let go, leg shot, it’ll be hard to keep up with half the people you know!”) heat-cocked and punchline-heavy Roc taking round 1 via more overall potency with his bars as well as more haymakers, while Goodz (who already dished a pretty solid turn in the 1st round although it wasn’t as consistent as his opponent’s), snapping with his affable storytelling while also fueled by rugged name flips, (“But you tough tho’, right Roc? Can we be sure?, you from the county, you not even from the real B-More, no projects, no shootouts, no knife killings, the county got big houses, gated communities and nice livin’, what I’m sayin’ is, while y’all run around believing son, ya legendary Gun Bar King, come from a place where you don’t need a gun!”) witty/stifling personals and plenty of boastful shiners would clearly take the 2nd round over a surprisingly subpar and mostly pedestrian turn from Roc. The 3rd and deciding round was close and almost a toss-up. But Goodz, who was hurt a bit throughout this by ‘borrowing’ themes we’ve already seen used against Tay Roc, still came through with a mostly fly final round making use even more swagger-swinging content, storied schemes and some punchlines/wordplay here and there. On the other hand Roc, with nowhere to go but up after a disappointing 2nd round, made good on his earlier prognostications, continuing to aptly take on Goodz’s spicy personals with astute rebuts, dishing hardbody schemes, witty punches, finessed wordplay and best of all righteous gun lines that edged him the round and scored the Cave Gang honcho the win.
Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Tay Roc – “Gun Titles? You don’t want smoke with even half of that, 50 round clip, hangin’ out this automatic gat, just know if you comin’ after the Titles, make sure ya ladder match!”
