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Bigg K defeats 40 Cal

Recap: By now the entire battle rap culture should know how strict Bigg K is when it comes to contracts and time limits. So to see a battler going up against K complain, after going past the decided time limit, about not being able to ‘get all his shit off’ just makes no sense to me. Nonetheless, with over a decade in the game, at times it can get a little formulaic with K, which in turn makes him seemingly unmotivated and worse yet beatable. But that wouldn’t be the case here as sometimes sheer talent just wins out. So indeed, despite a 40 Cal hitting and keeping it close (esp. in the latter two rounds) with some gritty/fire punchlines here and there (esp. that opening ‘Big L’ bar), a lack of consistency from 40 to go along with a bizarre (tho still funny) stretch that saw him totally jack T-Top’s infamous 3rd round ‘Walmart’ angle vs. Rum Nitty with a photoshopped pic of K for some personals that went nowhere as well as K dishing his usual assortment of spicy, rapid-fire punches, boastful screeds and hard-hitting personals to handily take round 1, before edging both of the latter rounds for the 30.

Verdict: Bigg K (W) 3-0

Favorite line: Bigg K – “Keep saying Black don’t crack, what if I pistol whip it?!”

40 Cal defeats Dizaster

Recap: Not sure why 40 Cal gets to rap as long as he did AND tag in Math Moffa to complete his turn, but Dizaster, who granted was on overkill mode, doesn’t get to finish his round. But, oh well, even with a very able and debilitating Math assist, 40 gets the win anyway, using a smooth, methodical flow to dish some hot personals, braggadocios shiners and spicy punchlines here and there. On the other, while Diz got off to a decent start with the punches and jokes, his choice to go into redundant mayhem for almost two-thirds of his round would hurt him in the long run.

Verdict: 40 Cal (W) 1-0

Favorite line:  40 Cal – ““I squeeze .8’s at grown men, kidnap your friends, it’s no porcupine, you wanna get em back?…depends [Depends]!”

Ill Will defeats 40 Cal.

Recap: Regardless of the verdict here that has Ill Will winning this battle, theoretically there’s really no losers here. And that speaks to how nice 40 Cal. was. Making his decade-plus long return to battle rap, the Harlem “industry” rapper did what most of his peers before him couldn’t do: put on a quality and competitive show. Indeed, from the opening round, via some pretty solid (“You playing pretend and don’t know my story truth, when on the back of every Henny Yak bottle say 40 proof!”) punchlines, gritty boasts and greasy personals (that esp. came together in a witty 3rd round that 40 edged), all the while using a slower and pronounced flow that stayed steady throughout the battle, for the most part, not only did 40 Cal. do really well here, but he made Ill Will earn the victory. And utilizing a steadier trope of stinging punches, raucous (“But I burn shit, learn shit, closed casket or urn shit, it’s apparent [a parent] I’m Dwyane Wade, soon as I raise the tre [3] I knew he’ll turn bitch!”) heat, biting personals and flexing performance bars, a more consistently fire and versatile Ill Will does more than enough to take both of the opening rounds and attain the win.

Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1

Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’ll show up where ya people be, iron on me got me feeling wrinkle free!”