Recap: From URL’s Smack Vol. 11 card, after edging round 1 here vs. Chef Trez with a couple of spicy mid-round rebuttals, a heavily scheming, metaphor flipping Charlie Clips goes back to ‘Which Clips will show up?’ mode, resorts to way too many freestyles and after getting beaten badly in round 2 to the way more haymaket-lit Trez, delivers a mostly pedestrian/off-the dome/oft-indirect turn in the deciding 3rd, helping the consistently punch-lit, rebuttal-spazzing, gun bar flashing and personal/scheme/name flip-fiending Trez get the win.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “What’s the reason?, nuthin’ you say legit, we all go scrolling down that rabbit hole when it’s late as shit, but nobody can out-do how you be playing Clips!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, against a C3 who had her moments here and there, but overall unleashed way too many pedestrian bars to compete, a ‘serious’ Charlie Clips uses a bunch of sizzling name flips, brazen schemes, salacious punches, witty personals and piercing off-the-dome heat to handily get the 30.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Remy hit my phone, i need you to fucking black, you ever hit a black bitch doggy-style?, in other words I’m fucking back!”
Recap: From RBE, of course what ends up being the irony here is that this version of QB (90% bars, 10% disrespect) was actually beatable. But leave it to Charlie Clips to revert back to days of old, lackadaisically freestyle an entire battle and then make it worse by pulling out his phone to read a silly ‘dyke poem’. Talk about going out of your way to sully your legendary status in the game (but as long as those ‘Wild ‘n Out’ keep getting cashed, what does he care?). Either way, after a debatable round 1, QB with a bunch of solid schemes, gun bars, classic Charlie-isms and punchlines, handily takes both of the latter rounds for the win.
Verdict: QB (Black Diamond) (W) 2-1
Favorite line: QB (Black Diamond) – “I ain’t gotta guess which room he in, nigga the living room is where the arm bang and leave DNA on Charlie couch, I got him feeling like the good ole days!”
Recap: From Chrone 23, Mr. Anti-URL, A. Ward, gets a 3-round rematch with Charlie Clips and in a clear display of battling way too often of late, spends an inordinate amount of time on dated (i.e. ‘syke I lied’, pops a snitch, fat jokes, ya pops a snitch) Clips’ themes that brought very little creative spirit, when he wasn’t kicking a gang of subpar punchlines throughout the battle. Nonetheless, after a sublime opening round that he easily took what with a plethora of hard-hitting set-up/punchlines, witty bars, fire wordplay and fiery boastful darts, midway through his 2nd round Clips unsurprisingly resorts to freestyling and still wins the round with enough off-the-dome (including one that A. Ward walked right into) heat and a variety of solid punches that with the help of his opponent not being on his A-game. The verdict already decided, a pretty pedestrian 3rd on both sides is edged by the Christian rapper’s spicy rebuttals.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “You wanna know what I learned from the Bible?, I’m able to lump this nigga the fuck up and leave his top leaking, ‘cuz I got to the part wher it said ‘thou shall not…’ and I just stopped reading!”
Recap: From The Battle Academy, never really able to get on his A-game, but still experienced enough to rely on a bunch of solid freestyles, witty barbs/personals and boastful punches to get by, Charlie Clips can also salute a gritty, but so-so effort from opponent Newz to get the win in this 1-rounder.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Nigga I’m on your block with a Glock, waving at shit like ‘hey, hey!’, in the hallway gripping extensions like I got a problem with Shanaynay!”
Recap: Scotty versus Charlie Clips in a 1-rounder from Houston Bar Code sees the latter use a plethora of brazen schemes, stinging 4-bar setup/punchlines and witty personals/freestyles to handily gain the win over an opponent who’s punches couldn’t keep up in tenacity or efficiency.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Fuck your bitch, that ain’t ya bitch no more nigga that’s the crew thang, we was deep in her like the Wu-tang, in New York that’s the 2 train, saved her under my phone like the SWV, not ‘cuz she got me Weak in the Knees or that’s my boo thang, she been on so many nigga’s microphone singing I had to save her under a group name!”
Recap: In this 3-rounder from Black Ice Cartel, Charlie uses a bunch of fire schemes, potent setup/punchlines, piercing freestyles/rebuttals and witty personals to edge each round for the 30 over an aggressive, animated and gritty throughout, but too often pedestrian and reach-lit Bankhead.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “You got shot and started thinking you was Pac, you don’t even know the meaning of war, nigga ya built like if Brenda decided to keep the baby…and is feening for more!”
Recap: A dope punchfest for the first couple of rounds with Charlie Clips delivering a gang of sizzling set-up/punchlines, witty barbs and fire wordplay/schemes to edge round one before Clips efficiency punch-wise dips a bit in round 2, thus making room for Rosenberg Raw’s bullish punches, artful boasting and hard street lines allow the PA vet to take the middle round and split things up going into the 3rd. There it’s Clips’ (who before the battle had decided not to freestyle) ability to turn it up and spout a highly personal turn rich-deep in hardbody disses, mocking darts and gritty truth-telling that when matched with a hitting at times, but overall pretty pedestrian turn by Raw, eventually gets the Harlem legend the win in this spirited 3-rounder from RBE.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I was mentioning burgers but thinking taco’s, ‘cuz we day from Cinco De Mayo, head shot, blood and puss, exit wound look like Pico de Gallo!”
Recap: Like the infamous Jordan “Flu Game”, even when they’re not at their best, the great one’s can still find a way to grind it out and win. Indeed, after getting blown away by a punch/personal-heavier, witty and versatiel Jaz the Rapper in round 1 of this URL ‘Kings vs. Queens 4’ battle and in front of a waning crowd that was on some ‘here we go again’ vibe what with Charlie Clips freestyling too much and seemingly not taking this highly anticipated matchup seriously, the Harlem legend somehow manages to get his groove back and edge both of the latter rounds for the win. Not that Clips didn’t require any help for his opponent, as Jaz’s lengthy 2nd and 3rd rounds, while for the most part entertaining (she even had ‘Black Jesus’ make an appearance), were too often dipped in filler and repetitive with the personals. But after a very so-so round 1, Clips would still need to step it up big-time to have any chance of winning. And he did, using a more steady barrage of penetrating off-the-dome heat, slick humor, brash personals, fiesty schemes, hitting name flips and stinging punchlines in both round’s 2 and 3 to complete the comeback.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I’m glad you from Brooklyn, that mean you was trained to take an ‘L’!”
Recap: From URL’s ‘Redemption 2’ card, after the two split the first couple of rounds with a gang of brash bars, a slightly punch-heavier, witty and off-the-dome lit 3rd round by Charlie Clips gets him the win versus an always gutsy and competitive Danny Myers.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “When your wife was at her lowest [Lois] who you think provided work when she needed blow?, I watched your whole family spin off the Brown like the Cleveland…”
Recap: With all the ghostwriting allegations still in the air as well as many feeling that she still hasn’t come close to performing on the level she did during her Tori Doe battle (which saw her leave earth for 3 rounds), can anyone be blamed for doubting whether or not Yoshi G came up with that spitfire 2nd round rebuttal herself? Put me down for $50 stating she did come up with it on her own. For one thing, for all her issues with delivery and execution, Yoshi can still rap and display some dope punches and schemes when needed. Now that we got that out the way, 3-0 Clips. From the hard-hitting/disrespectful personals to the religious disses (capped by a surprising and downright mean cameo appearance from ‘Jesus’ himself in a classic round 2) to the witty barbs to the character assassinations (esp. when it came to the name flips) to a stellar scheme and punchline game, Clips was just on one during this URL Kings vs. Queens 3 match. Couple that with an elongated and mostly dry 2nd round to go along with a 1st and 3rd round by Yoshi that while littered with earnest thot bars and mocking personals, were both topsy-turvy at best and you end up with a shutout.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Bitch, I’m extra nice, you tried to disrespect my sex game, got me extra tight, this dick already put you on a new stage, you better respect the pipe!”
Recap: If Lu Castro really does want to be on MTV’s Wild ‘n Out, at the very leasst he’s certainly earned a try-out as his often electrifying performances in battle rap remain consistently fiery. And while Lu does need to make inroads with his pen game, when it comes to made-for-TV hijinks and capabilties, the guy certainly belongs somewhere. And perhaps Lu’s charisma and synergy are why a vet/TV star like Charlie Clips would request a battle with him and show him a thing or two on how to reach the next level. The Harlem great putting on a superb showing in this 3-round URL Any Given Sunday match with a gang of fire rebuttals, mocking personals, piercing punchlines, stifling lyrical bangers, jaunty schemes (esp. that round 1 ‘big dog’ special) and righteous darts that despite 3 mostly solid rounds from Big Lu, still garnered the aggressively consistent Clips a 30.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Hey nigga, if this .4 hit ya, all dogs go to heaven Lu, don’t let the Lord get you, potato on a barrel, I’ll turn a .45 into a dog whistle!”
Recap: A fiery battle that featured two classic rounds (Charlie Clips’ round 1 and B. Dot’s 3rd), a rare display of wit from the usually aggressive and righteous Dot and Clips once again using his freestyle ability and ring vet experience to save him from a loss (thanks as well to Dot’s trio of slip-ups in the middle round), after taking round 1 with a roundhouse, versatile, punch/scheme-heavy and personally-lit turn that was flawless in its execution, Clips (who despite his opponent’s unforced errors, almost lost round 2 by nearly choking) dials up just enough blistering off-the-dome heat at Dot (and a heckling spectator in the crowd) to edge round 2 for the win, before a personal/politically-bent, angle-lit and consistently hard-hitting Dot edged a crazy final round to avoid getting shutout.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “A nigga that was Avocado best friend can’t tell me about no black power!”
Recap: Witty and scheme-heavy on both sides with A. Ward also flexing with a handful of spicy off-the-dome theatrics and Charlie Clips getting busy with a gang of fiery 4-bar set-ups and hard-hitting, Christian-laced personals, this dope 1-rounder from The Rap Committee comes down to the slightly more consistently lit and more haymaker scoring Clips edging it in the end for the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Do you got space on your squad for a nigga like me?, ‘cuz I ain’t join nobody camp in awhile, I coudl change my name to Charlie Horse if you want…but then that’d be cramping my style!”
Recap: Handpicked battle from actors Idris Elba and Jonathan Majors on URL, between Chess and Charlie Clips, gets its own special location at Chris Brown’s crib and as to be expected turns out to be a goodie. Clips, with a bunch of fiery schemes, witty personals/punches, piercing 4-bar setups, standout name flips and offhand jokes mostly at NuNu Nells expense, did what he does while keeping the crowd (and his opponent) entertained. On the other hand Chess, taking a minor break from going after all the ‘New Era’ battlers, does his thing with a gang of street-laced lyrical shiners, streams of intricate wordplay, brazen punchlines, hard-hitting personals and stinging schemes/mayhem. Competitive throughout, after getting slightly out-punched by Clips in round 1, the more direct and comsistently-lit Chess takes the latter two rounds for the win.
Verdict: Chess (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chess – “You stand too close, I’m a separate ya bean like ordering a lucnch special from Spanish folk!”
Recap: I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that the normally clock watching Bigg K had too much respect for Charlie Clips to complain about time limits despite his opponent’s elongated rounds (esp. the 3rd) throughout this battle. But then, maybe even K appreciated the sometimes lacking Clips taking him seriously and bringing 3 full rounds with him. Nonetheless, a goodie between these two vets here on RBE comes down to Clips’ sizzling schemes, witty/rigid personals (even when he did the race angles) and versatile punches out-working a mostly punch-heavy, but not consistent and subpar/redundant with the personals K in both of the opening rounds to give the Harlem battler the win, before a still fiery and condensed K edged the final round.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Y’all know damn when there’s beef, the only thing white people raisin [raising] is teh potato salad!”
Recap: Dismissing his opponent’s personal “rat” disses by keenly rebuttling on how him and Oun-P have hung out together in the past. But also proving more worthy overall with the spicy punchlines, witty barbs and braggadocios darts in the 1st, 2nd and 4th rounds (score the 3rd a debatable, while Oun-P.away from the battle rap stage for almost a decade, took the 5th) in the face of some extra hardbody lines from his Bronx adversary, Charlie Clips still gets the win in this close bout from MC War 2021.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-2
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “These nigga’s rap like gangsta’s but they ain’t one, they always wanna talk about bullets but who gonna take one?, if you don’t got a death date then make one, or I’m a wrap ya body up and hide it from the world like Drake son!”
Recap: Very likely the most intriguing battle on the 2020 URL Kings vs. Queens card, seeing as they once were a real-life couple, Charlie Clips vs. Couture is not only a chance to see who can rap batter, but also witness the two air all their dirty laundry for all the world to see too. That said, outside of some slip-ups in each round by Clips (which were made up for with plenty of nimble freestyles and sound effects), the bout certainly lived up to the hype with both emcees going all the way in when it came to stinging personals that included (esp. Couture during what was a stellar 2nd round) graphic sexcapades, battle rap couple life, rich storytelling and responsible parenting. Add to that a plethora of heavy-handed punchlines, some fierce wordplay, witty barbs, fire name flips/schemes and boastful shiners and you’re left with an entertaining and competitive matchup with a punch-heavier Clips taking the 1st round, the extra spicy personals of Couture taking the 2nd round and despite Clips getting off to a bit of a sluggish start, with an equal amount of haymakers in a final round that featured a variety of sizzling themes overall, we can call this one a draw.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Couture – “Sike, I lied nigger, every time we had sex, you almost died nigger!”
Recap: Reducing Charlie Clips to 4-bar set-ups and jokey-jokes might work for the Hollow Da Don’s of the word, but it’s probably not a good idea for other battlers to try that concept on him. As a brazen Geechi Gotti–in a battle some had him edging due to that mid-round slip-up in the final round from his opponent–should know by now, Clips isn’t your average, everyday battler. Nah, along with the often sizzling set-ups and witty barbs, one also has to look out for a fly rebuttal game, head-ringing schemes, ill personals and as showcased here, the potential for off-the-dome heat at any moment. That said, a competitive and altogether dope Summer Madness 10 bout from Clips and Gotti sees a more punch/set-up-heavy and versatile Charlie take the opening round while a more condensed, impression-friendly, (“We all know this ain’t the same Clips we been watching, this nigga edited!”) righteous and haymaker-lit Geechi edged the 2nd. The last round, crazy, alluring and intense on both sides with plenty of well-aimed personals to spare, would see the continually hard-hitting Clips’ dish a couple of spicy rebuttals to go along with a bunch of flexing/race-centric personals and a gang of room-shifting freestyles that would not only make up for the aforementioned slip-up, but overall allow the Harlem vet to edge what was an effective, unusually (for him, anyway) uber-righteous, but not as head-ringing turn from Gotti.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “With 18k’s I feel like an Ultimate Madness check…after taxes!”
Recap: A fire, close and raucous-on-both-sides round a by a scheme-heavy Charlie Clips (who rather astutely shut down a heckler midway through his round) and a performance-lit and fiery-punching K-Shine in this URL Genesis battle reminded the crowd of why these two Harlem vets have remained on top of their game for so long. Afterwards? Not so much. As while the two battlers kept it solid and competitive for the latter two rounds, neither Shine or Clips could quite get back up on their A-game when it came to consistency and substance. So after the slightly more direct Shine edged round 1, even while choosing, for the most part, not come too direct with the personals (except when it came to dissing NWX and Dot Mobb), Clips’ more rigid wordplay/set-ups, witty barbs and continuously sound schemes combine to score enough points to beat back a still gritty and personal, but less steady with the punches Shine in rounds 2 and 3, thus giving Charlie a comeback win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Headshot when I walk in the room, I got Shine all in the house leakin’ I did a good job, cause I left Shine in the room like good housekeepin’!”
Recap: A rematch of their 1-round battle in Chicago from some years back (which we had Clips edging), Charlie Clips and JC go at it again, for 3 rounds this tine on the URL App Event 1 card. And just like the first time, this one is close with Clips’ usage of fiery wit, witty personals and searing punches taking the first while JC’s resounding mayhem, amusing personals and steely punches/punches doing just enough to take the 2nd round after a slow start. The deciding 3rd round however goes to a much more versatile, punch/scheme-heavy, jocular, set-up crazy, personal-stinging and consistent Clips, who also works with enough zest and potent angles to beat back a solid, but oft-redundant and a bit erratic turn from JC.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “All I do is knock-off J’s like Rum Nitty getting dressed!”
Recap: With Smack in attendance, Charlie Clips gives URL ‘magician’ IE Reign a shot in a 3-round freestyle battle outside. And while Reign showed himself capable, delivering some quality off-the-dome punches here and there, besides a debatable 2nd round, no way could he keep up with the veteran Clips’ more spicy rebuttals, knack for using local references and witty punchlines/personals.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “You look like a Gap mannequin that wear Old Navy!”
Recap: Even if the backdrop on this battle is Phara Funeral only getting a shot at Charlie Clips due to her popping name, the hype around these two going at it alone still makes for an entertaining battle. And that turns out to be the case as while at times struggling a bit with her flow, Phara’s overall pallette here of spiffy (“We pass words, you push my buttons, now ain’t nuthin’ safe!”) punchlines, sporty gun bars, lofty personals, witty barbs and even a nice rebuttal game prove to be competitive, appealing and a kind reminder that Ms. Funeral isn’t just eye candy. That said, this is still Charlie Clips we’re talking about and a Clips who takes a battle seriously is almost unbeatable. So yeah, thanks in part to a Hitman Holla tag-in as well as Phara’s comeuppance in the 2nd round that allowed her to edge that round, Clips being Clips what with well versed schemes, rich storytelling yarns that had (“Two dog hoes splitting Fettuccine like Lady and the Tramp!”) Phara’s bestie extra tight, fiery punchlines and a host of scintillating personals throughput his 1st and 3rdd rounds, gets Charlie the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “And your pussy is chemically unbalanced, there’s a funny smell every time Phara moan!”
Recap: Take out a half-hearted and shortened 3rd round from Nu Jerzey Twork and you have a fire battle here against Charlie Clips. To start, there was a superlative 1st round from both rappers that saw a versatile, punch-heavy and witty Clips somehow edged by a raucous, (“You fucking fool, bust a move, dump a tool [Bwoh!]…guess what room he in? the other room!”) mayhem-induced and haymaker-drenched turn by NJT that even featured an early ‘Strapped In…’ bar. Undaunted by losing the 1st round, Clips showed his veteran steel with yet another fire turn in the 2nd round, breaking down Twork’s style with plenty of jocular (“Just because he screams and adds ‘Bwoh!’, it does not make him lyrical, nigga be like ‘I’m masked down, potato on a barrel, smell a hash brown…[sings] Call JG Wentworth, 877 cash [Bwoh!] I want my cash now!'”) call stylings, using some excellent crowd control and spitting some dope punchlines/personals. But Twork wouldn’t have reached his top tier status if he wasn’t equipped with a spitfire pen, as he shows again in the middle round with more visceral heat, a nice mid-round rebuttal, understated fiery wordplay and aggressive (“I’m like Charlie with longevity…extended Clips!”) punches/name flips/personals that made the round a tie. Partly due to the aforementioned indolence from Twork, the final round was a lay-up for Clips who for his part used a steady stream of fiery schemes and hitting punchlines to easily take the round and make this one a debatable.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “You’ll catch stray’s, ASPCA, I don’t play with bitches, Red you said something earlier?, well I’ll throw something in Oshun [ocean] when I spray the biscuit and he’ll get found in the Pacific, like a ghetto bitch that’s trying to say ‘specific’!”
Recap: Anyone who’s done their homework would know that even before the Dizaster incident, Math Hoffa had long wanted to ‘test his pen’ versus Charlie Clips. And why not? Clips has long solidified his status as a top tier battle rapper and if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. That said, it’s too bad that it took Clips (hka ‘flip-flops’) not helping Math during his post-battle fight versus Dizaster (and Co.) some years back for these two to finally meet in the ring. Not that a Clips vs. Math match wouldn’t have had a gang of funny personals anyway as amongst other attributes, they’re both known for their wit. But do we really need to hear endless schemes, jokes and references to a Diz fight (which, to be frank, Clips came much harder on) that took place years ago and that Math still can’t get over? In other words, the feeling here is that Clips vs. Math warranted a Summer Madness card without the Diz drama, not a less worthy showing on ARP’s ‘Closure’ event (no disrespect to a fly concept, but still). As for the battle itself, the verdict is a a clear one with Clips taking it easy, even with Math delivering a pretty (“You pussy behind them bars, you a conjugal visit!”) solid 3 rounds. Whether it was taking on fake (or real) personals, challenges to his street cred or redundant shots by Math towards his dad all the while serving up nice rebuttals, gritty (“Math, I could keep fucking you up with these bars, but I want you to start living your life, you know what hurt a gangsta nigga more than bullets? when you give them advice!”) personals/name flips, steely pontifications and spitfire punchlines throughout his 3 rounds, minor a debatable 2nd round, a more versatile, prepared and haymaker-dishing Clips just proved to be too much in the first and 3rd rounds, thus gaining the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “It’s funny, you decked Dose, then your career started glowing up, then Diz decked you, then everything started slowing up, it’s the first time I ever seen an Arab stop somebody from blowing up!”
Recap: Except for a fire 1st round that featured a wide load of haymakers from both battlers, Brizz Rawsteen versus Charlie Clips was definitely not a ‘crazy one’. And the Houston, Texas crowd–which to their credit was heavily tuned in for just about every bar–let them know it, booing both Clips and Rawsteen during a very pedestrian 2nd round and also reacting loudly when they weren’t quite feeling substandard bars during each battler’s 3rd. Still, nonetheless after a close 1st where a more condensed and overall potent Clips edged, this one was all Charlie as the Harlem veteran displayed experience in the face of a sometimes adverse crowd with a nice freestyle game, dished some well-crafted schemes and utilized his charming wit and lofty punchlines to easily beat back an audacious, but filler-prone, elongated, mediocre with the personals and pretty modest with the heat Rawsteen in the latter rounds.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I got a new AK and it’s about to strike, and it clap more than a little black girl that’s about to fight!”
Recap: A couple of roundhouse, heavy-punching/scheming and personal-drenched rounds by Charlie Clips gets him another win that still yet, may leave one scratching their head a little on how Clips has the uncanny ability to pull victories out of tight spots. In this case, surviving a pretty weak 2nd round that was blown away even more by a tremendous and vociferous turn by Ave. Or how about a close 1st round that Clips only edges because for some reason Ave chose to go overkill with bully bars on an opponent who’s never made his name pretending to be of that ilk? And of course, a deciding 3rd that while he most likely would’ve won anyway, because he’s Charlie Clips and he’s that nice when he wants to be. Yet still, for some inconceivable reason (perhaps, overconfidence?) Ave cuts short his turn and barely spits half a round. Indeed, you can’t make this stuff up.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “My nigga Roc, could’ve been Thanos, but he messed up when he built his squad around this PG, he from Maryland, you from Virginia, so why would we Marvel who based around D.C.?!”
Recap: No, Anita Baker did not single the soul classic “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” song, that would be Aretha Franklin. But that minor error by Charlie Clips still didn’t stop him from beating the performance-rich and often-hilarious stylings of the UK’s Harry Baker in this entertaining 3-rounder from Don’t Flop. Clips using a series of fiery schemes, buzzing name flips, a couple of fire rebuttals, one-too-many-tag-ins-by-his-opponent in the 2nd round and witty personals/punchlines to edge the latter two rounds for the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “How about I bring the pound to ya face like currency exchange!”
Recap: In a KOTD battle drenched with personals, a much harder hitting Charlie Clips easily outperforms a pretty lackadaisical Pat Stay over the course of 3 rounds, breaking down his opponent’s recent battles and battle theatrics when he wasn’t scoring with some piercing punchlines, racial barbs and some hot gun bars/schemes. On the other hand, a mostly pedestrian and filler prone Pat Stay depending on requisite fat jokes and not much of anything else, allowed Clips to pitch a pretty easy shutout.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “A shot will lift you in the air, you and your organs is trying to stick together, put a dot in the middle of PS, it took like I’m trying to extend the letter!”
Recap: Niftly freestyling for like a 3rd of the battle and scoring left and right with defiant (“A hard New Yorker giving Bras, my birth certificate says ‘RIKERS!’!”) punches, Charlie Clips scores an easy win over the aggressive, but topsy-turvy newbie So Severe.
Verdict: Charlie (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips -“I’ll SmACK you so hard, Beasley gotta call to make sure the coast is clear, and if my Math serve me right then these 5 fingers will you Dose career!”
Recap: Charlie Clips at his finest: a 1st round containing a gang of spitfire schemes and fiery 4-bar set-ups to take that one easy. Then a 2nd round dripped in crazy, versatile name flips to add another point to the scoreboard before opponent Rad B (solid but a tad inconsistent and pedestrian throughout the battle, not including a consistently hard-punching 3rd round that was easily his best of the night) made him earn the 30, which Clips did via a string of hilarious jokes, some sublime wordplay, piercing punches/personals/schemes and a couple of dope freestyles.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “You don’t hang put with bad people, nigga your braces get orange when you eat mad Cheetos!”
Recap: Turns out that Charlie Clips and Chilla Jones had a battle like 4 years ago on KOTD that never made YouTube thanks to Clips being sick throughout the battle, presumably choking twice, but thanks to a biased crowd, Clips was awarded with the win (at least, that’s Chilla Jones’ version). Well, whatever you want to believe happened back then, it’s a godo thing they decided to try again as the two meet here on Black Ice and for the most part put on a quality, 3-round show that met the crowd’s expectations. First round was close and filled with hardbody (Jones: “I see everybody talking, well you can get the truth from me, no fronting, too many ego’s bumping, so I had to clear the block like Debo coming!”) punches and dope (Clips: “…since you got it in for Mills, now about the .9 back up whatever the semi lack?!”) schemes from both battles, but a more cohesive and versatile Jones edged would could’ve been a debatable round. 2nd round, which ironically turned out to be the worse, saw Jones score with a personal/mocking-themed turn that kept the match buzzing, but a couple of nice rebuttals, potent (“I’ll bang his head against the handle, till I unlock it with his face like an iPhone X!”) bars and a pretty pedestrian (for him anyway) and predictable round from Clips, got Jones another round. Some more nice personals and rich set-ups from Chilla kept things competitive in the final round before he floundered a bit towards the end. But with apparently plenty of gas left in his tank, Clips was able to turn it up, getting busy with charismatic haymakers, a couple dope (“Two leg shots, you’ll have to [points to guy in crowd in a wheelchair] ask him to his wheelchair!”) freestyle’s and rebuttals as well as intense storytelling bars and witty schemes, to take the final round and avoid getting 3-0’d.
Verdict: Chilla Jones (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chilla Jones – “Your mind different?, well, here’s an Atlanta hawk for thinking unique!”
Recap: For the most part, Charles Clips leaves the schemes at home, replacing them with plenty of straightforward wit, righteous personals and a well-themed (“If you really Mr. 2-times everything, why God ain’t call you to build Noah’s ark?!”) 2nd round that along with a very solid 1st and 3rd, more than gave the KOTD crowd their money’s worth. The Saurus, nice with the punches despite some dry spots here and there, kept it competitive for the first two rounds, before choking on his own lines and faltering in the round in the bout Clips had won after the 2nd anyway.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “145 battles?!, you’re not a battle rapper, you’re a league!”
Recap: The underlying message here: if you’re a lower tier battle rapper with a rare shot at battling a legend, don’t make a rookie mistake by predicting what said legend will rap about you. That and Gwitty mostly spitting a whole bunch of filler, gives a Charlie Clips, no less on his B-game considering that he battled earlier in the day, an easy vic what with is arsenal of jaunty punchlines, dope wordplay and witty (“You look like you get your shape-ups in the car seat!”) personals.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Your grandmom’s is the next to die, for a peek at my rhymes I should run her over in an Access-A-Ride!”
Recap: Seattle, WA battler Hipnosis displays his gift for fierce (“I mean I know you a top tier, but they you the GOAT, a great legend, well from 0 to 10, I give this nigga a 1…8 7!”) set-ups/wordplay and witty bars. But a slow start and a few dry spots here and there cost him against a more consistent, (“2 Tek’s and a hole in ya head, they think Rasheed back!”) hometown-scheming, freestyle-heavy and more versatile Charlie Clips in this solid one-rounder from Evry Lane Entertainment.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “How does it feel?, to know I came from out of town to kill you on your own stage, I’m a different kind of nigga, I hop out the car and then get road rage!”
Recap: Dishing stinging name flips, righteous schemes and hard-hitting personals in rounds 1 and 3 with extra flair and confidence, Charlies Clips easily sets back an erratic Danja Zone in this 3-rounder from Black Ice Cartel.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “…and this nigga a snitch, running with State Farm, what that mean he pop up with the wrong Jake!”
Recap: When many in the battle rap game considered Charlie Clips to be the G.O.A.T., it was mostly due to his consistent ability to deliver the whole package: fire bars, witty personals, a nice rebuttal game, crazy name flips, elite gun lines, ill schemes and wicked freestyles. Well, after an almost 2-year slump of mostly underwhelming performances (that because he’s THAT talented, still got him plenty of wins), if this one-round, but ultimately complete (“My nina like a white bitch, that mean Get Out before you see the flash!”) version of Clips, here versus the unique rhyme stylings of Burnz Da Fyaman, is any precursor to Clips being back on his A-game, battle rap as a whole will be better off for it.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips: “You got a bunch of feens in your family, with these crack lines I could serve all of you, what I cook up bend spoons like Neo when he first met the Oracle!”
Recap: I’m guessing that when The Best Battler In West Bumblefuck, USA, pays a top tier like Charlie Clips to fly in and battle, he or she could care less about winning or losing so much as putting together a solid enough performance to get himself noticed outside of said town while maybe, just maybe, said Top Tier will pass along a nice kite to a Beasley or Norbes to warrant maybe getting a PG some day. If that’s the case, I ain’t mad at that. And in-between way too much filler and outdated bars, Niagara’s S.D.K. was able to deliver some nice (“…Vado got signed, they left Clips played out like a 6-second vine!”) bars here and there. Enough to warrant a PG? I’m not sure and would have to see more of the kid’s resume. But for now, as a freestyle/name flip-heavy and (“Type to catch you in Barnes-n-Noble and take your books, like you reneging!”) versatile Clips noted, getting the most views in his life, as S.D.K. surely will with this battle, should keep him happy in the meantime.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Bringing up my pops and my mom’s raised me, whoopie nigga, that makes you a rookie nigga, and if he a snitch, then that make you a cop because you the one that booked me nigga!”
Recap: Some gritty punches and schemes, a shitload of mayhem and even a fierce, mid-round rebuttal amounts to Riggz giving Charlie Clips all he can handle. But in this competitive 1-rounder from BullPen Battle League, Clips’ more condensed turn, which featured a gang of fiery 4-bar set-ups, some witty barbs, dope, crowd-pleasing freestyles, jaunty personals/name flips, piercing wordplay and a fly ‘Mannequin Challenge’ performance would be enough to give Charlie the win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “John John, lines like that is the reason you brought me back in the building, when I get hype I like to fight, but if I [eye] feel lazy I’ll bring that T-Mac in the building!”
Recap: ‘What do I know, I just got Charlie Clips in a year’. Ummm yeah, apparently Detroit emcee Shotti P is doing something right, because besides this battle I hadn’t heard much from him before. Yet, here he is on the KOTD stage against the likes of Clips…in what ended up being literally a debatable battle. 1st round goes to Clips…easy, what with sizzling (“Y’all know me, I roll with two guns, pay attention, I got one tucked, I’m Mario when he get the extra man…I [points hand up] keep one up!”) set-ups/schemes, a fiery and consistent flow and scheming (“Maybe it’s only me, but you look like you sit on the toilet for a half an hour straight and only pee!”) bars that lit fires in your belly. Still, the 3rd round went to Shotti P…easy, not that Clips delivering yet another 3rd round dropoff helped any, yet that doesn’t dismiss Shotti’s jaunty (“Naw, fuck that I ain’t looking for a cop-out like his pop’s did, I ain’t with the politics, you’ll get caught smoking like one of Barack’s kids!”) personals and nice comedic timing. Second round is the deciding factor and could either way with Shotti’s spitfire (“You got s mean gun? well I got a depressed .38 like a midlife crisis!”) bars and wordplay versus a little more diverse turn from Clips that landed heavy with potent storytelling bars, searing (“…but if I ain’t feeling your Styles P, then huh!, I make you Kiss the gun!”) puns and rich crowd-pleasers.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Shotti P – “When a shotty [Shotti] smoking, it’ll lift a nigga spirit like ‘Great News!’“
Recap: Nice, close battle between Charlie Clips and Ill Will that could’ve been a lot better if it weren’t for some recycled bars/dry spots by Clips and plenty of filler from Will. Things started off great in round one with both battlers bringing their A-games. A cohesive Clips came nice with feisty set-ups/schemes and dope (“I be in my crib with all types of guns, in a heavy zone, today should I go with the .4 or the .9, I feel like Jerry Jones!”) punchlines that scored aplenty, while making up for a couple of recycled bars from his battle with JC. But the always aggressive Will came one better, starting out with an ill rebuttal to Clips’ ending ‘Kermit’ line and despite a handful of pedestrian bars, more than enough haymakers to take the round. Round two was more of the same…from Will, crazy performance bars, intense (“I’ll let ya uncle feel [Phil] the right, nah he don’t want these hands, then you’ll see Clips from Will’s pops like Why he don;t want me man!“) wordplay that hit hard and feelgood (“Why did you become a vegan awhile ago and you getting fatter?!”) personals that more than rubbed the funny bone–easily enough to beat a mostly dry turn from Clips and take the first two rounds. Thanks in part to Will Smith (who would’ve loved this battle considering how much his name and career was toyed with steady throughout) and an inconsistent Will, Clips managed to avoid getting 3-0’d, returning to basics with fiery schemes and potent (“Is Yaktown in this bitch? [points to dude in Will’s crew], you stand behind him because that’s your family nigga, well nigga’s die every day behind the wheel [Will] B, that’s word to Brandy nigga!”) bars to salvage the round and battle.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Hit him with a cig, ‘notha cig like you need the cancer, if I come knocking with a lil Roscoe, you better let Gina answer!”
Recap: Mistah F.A.B. does better this time. With really nowhere to go but up after a pretty disappointing effort against Arsonal, the Bay-area industry rapper’s 2nd appearance on the battle rap stage, here in a 1-rounder versus the renowned stylings of Charlie Clips, is for the most part pretty solid what with some heavy punches here and there mixed in with some nice schemes/personals. Still, way too many pedestrian bars from F.A.B. along with an opponent who pretty much stayed with his m.o. of fiery schemes, well-crafted lyrical heat, witty storylines and some hitting personals and freestyles delivered with plenty of moxie, makes for an easy win for Clips.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Me and my nigga’s hiding out where ya sister be, I got a Hot 9 that go for nigga’s and bitches, for the record I let Mistah see [Mister C]!”
Recap: Don’t lose sight of the irony here, especially after Iron Solomon does a personal-heavy 1st round surrounding Charlie Clips supposedly not taking battles seriously and failing to bring proper 3rd rounds–themes you’ve heard before about Clips. But considering historic recent 3rd’s by Clips against the likes of T-Rex and even a fire 3rd versus Hollow da Don, one might consider that Clips’ rep doesn’t always proceed him. Still, this Clips, even if he did go too far with the ‘1 testicle’ jokes in a 2nd round that was edged by a late, punch-heavy charge by Solomon during his turn, didn’t come to play. That was the case during a fire 1st that featured a variety of fiery punchlines, potent name flips and salacious wordplay as well as a just-as-fire 3rd, that with enough flexing personals, bodacious schemes and haymakers, turned back a solid (and again, personal-themed) but elongated round from Solomon to give Clips the match. And no, the irony is not lost in that.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “They said it’s a wrinkle in my career, well good thing I got an Iron to get that shit straight!”
Recap: After just getting edged via some hard (“The smif coming out of the shirt more than J.R. after the Finals!”) punches/schemes, crafty wit and nice rebuttals by Charlie Clips in the 1st round, an aggressively shining Rum Nitty not only steps up his punchline (“Chuck’s getting laced up by a West-coast nigga…it’s nothing new!”) game, but also flexes with heated gun bars and some spirited wordplay in a spitfire 2nd that beat back a hit-n-miss turn by Clips. Already on his opponent’s neck with spicy bar after bar, Nitty continued with more of the same stinging punches/set-ups/personals/gun lines in the deciding 3rd round and while his final round wasn’t quite as potent as his previous turn, Rum still delivered with more than enough vigor to easily back a often solid, but a little less prepared and too-redundant-with-the-freestyles/name flips turn by Clips.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Flavor of Love, this pump can [Pumpkin] spit on this New York bitch!”
Recap: It’s pretty much an easy lay up for the veteran Charlie Clips versus rookie spitter Awthentic here in this one-rounder from UDubb. Going first, Awthentic remains solid throughout with repeated (“Gun bar God, so I gotta put a rest to Tay Rock, he’ll get shot running on the beach while his Baywatch [bae watch]”!) punches that often land. However, his lack of versatility with the bars and any haymakers stands out and against a vet like Clips, that’s a huge no-no. Thus dishing a nice combo of nimble (“My work is Ivy league schools, y’all don’t get it till I shake it well, I got the Brown from Columbia, one sniff will make him Yale [yell]”!) schemes, charismatic name flips and righteous gun raps, it’s another day at the office for Clips.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Al Bundy, I got my dog getting bucks, ‘cuz he watching the Bud until it’s overgrown, I’m in the hood charging 3 for the white because of Post Malone”
Recap: Fiery, competitive 1-rounder from Go-Rilla Warfare sees the ever-reliable Young Kannon display yet another dope effort spouting raucous punches and head-ringing mayhem with little on the filler side. Still, for all of his opponent’s righteous bedlam, an aggressive and biting Charlie Clips equipped with a load of potent schemes, flexing punchlines/name flips, feelgood rebuttals/freestyles and scathing wordplay/personals proves to be too much for even Y.K. in the end.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Let me find out you gonna shower me and leave me slumped in the tub, when the last time you showed your strap?, exactly, you an uncomfortable stud!”
Recap: As a rule a dope freestyle will always beat dope writtens. That said, when matched against just alright writtens, a dope freestyle will stand out even more. Such is the case here as the 2nd round serves as the difference maker in this battle between Charlie Clips and Big Kannon. What with Clips taking the first with mean punchlines and a crazy (“Listen I need to murk you, I wrap your body you don’t need a girdle, big shells stuck in ya botch back, we call her Lisa Turtle!”) ‘Saved By The Bell’ scheme over-matching the overused ‘Clips dad is a snitch’ angle by Kannon, and Kannon able to provide new and (“…the nigga got up, ran fast ‘cuz he ain’t wanna get jabbed by dude again, he left the whole building, ‘cuz he ain’t want him to guess what room he in!”) comedic fodder to that Math/Dizaster scenario last year, Clips off-the dome (“Old guns, but got all types of kicks, I had to East Bay’em, dick all inside your bitch lips, I’m like ‘what she saying?’, my hand back and forth on her ass, look like I’m DJing!”) prowess gets him a dub in Chi-town.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Big Kannon – “I’ve seen you die and they still say you alive…are you Tupac, nigga?!”
Recap: Angling his opponent with utter persistence, making use of some fire schemes and somehow not losing any ground for the usage of some recycled bars thanks to the hit-n-miss/redundant mayhem brought to you from Danny Myers, after a debatable 1st round, the ever witty Charlie Clips musters just enough variables to his shrewd punches/hitting personals to take rounds 2 and 3 and get the win in this 3-rounder from Black Ice Cartel.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “See, Rex lied about getting locked up and you knew it, and I got a question, why D ain’t strike him?, he made you shit when he took your money…I woulda been in T cell fighting!”
Recap: “You said I was hungry and right now you and your squad looking like all snacks!” Charlie Clips’ freestyle pedigree puts yet another battle rapper to shame (or in this case smiling heavily at his opponent’s prowess for off-the-dome lyricism). Not that Quill, with a splendid (“I feel like Rock Lee with the weights off, you killing your own image, Nicolas Cage in Face/Off”) punchline game, didn’t do well here. But when you’re battling a Top 5 on Everybody’s List kind of guy, you just have to do better.
Charlie Clips: (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I know she nervous, your girl scared, I got Eurgh scared, knock you out, you wake up with Eurgh’s bread!”
Recap: A solid but sluggish start by Charlie Clips gets him edged in the first round before Shotgun Suge returns the favor with another raucous, but shortened turn that got beat back by Clips’ more measured and versatile run (tho, one could argue that he borrowed Suge’s ‘Willie Manchester’ bar) in the 2nd to even things out going into the 3rd round of this URL battle. By the time the final round ensued, the two top tier battlers had already delivered a grand palette of raucous heat, piercing punchlines/personals/name flips, witty barbs, a pocket tap by Suge and some wily/real talk schemes by Clips that had the crowd buzzing. Still, the 3rd round would serve as the best overall round of the battle with both emcees on their A-game all the while spouting consistent heat. And while Suge supplied to terrific effort for the win, Clips’ clever and witty ‘Shaq/Suge’ career scheme coupled with some sublime 4-bar set-ups and fiery punchlines…just killed it.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “My name is all over the place, every time you turn around it’s burning the ‘Net, one minute I’m the G.O.A.T then I’m trash, they asking how he earning the check, well I recycled against Big Kannon, my bad, now I guess I’m not earning respect, y’all gotta remember I’m Shang Tsung, I made a mistake and turned into Rex!”
Recap: Ah di Boom once again proves his mettle, dropping an array of dizzying (“My bars are something that the streets desire, Statue of Liberty, Clips every time I reach it’s fire!”) haymakers and potent performance (“And I’m roaring with a [grips hand like gun] pistol in my hand like ‘You trying to play me my nigga?’, 80’s prom picture, everybody going [shoots hand at Clips] out with a bang!”) bars to make this a close one-rounder against the favorite Charlie Clips. Still, it’s Clips who displays a better overall delivery and is more concise with his rhymes, while dishing consistently gregarious bars, exquisite (“You dated my ex-girl, now you broke, so where the cash at?”) personals, righteous (“I don’t want to hear how you left URL and talking this and that, your career dead baby, I know your ass is missing Smack!”) schemes and excellent wordplay throughout his half and in turn, winning this battle of two of battle rap’s elite big men.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I got a right hook that’ll wake you up and make your neck crack, I’ll body you and then bury your body in the same place that Rex at, that ratchet shit, a ratchet a bitch, first the finger [waves finger] wave and then your neck snap!”
Recap: Well, that was interesting. Charlie Clips returns overseas to Don’t Flop to battle uber-confident, British rapper Shotty Horror and aside from losing a tag-in excessive turn that got a bit too uncomfortable for Shotty’s liking, this one was all Clips, who despite his opponent’s opinion, easily out-punched Horroh in the first round and withstanding the soon-to-be-retiring and well-researched Horroh using almost his entire 3rd round to make pontifications on the battle rap industry instead of direct shots at his opponent, Clips’ abundance of fiery punchlines, stinging wordplay and a host of comedic stylings to just as easily take the deciding 3rd.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I said outside this country a lot of nigga’s don’t know who homie be, his career about to give out…Kobe knee!”
Recap: During their recent battle Hollow da Don schooled a lot of battle rappers on how to use personals when going up against Charlie Clips. But clearly not everyone is up for the task as UK up-n-comer Gemini displays here. Better when he flouted his hometown’s (“This a place where niggas go pen come out and go back in, they repeat the same sentence like a dyslexic reading!”) pedigree along with some rich punchlines instead of standard “School of Hollow” personals that mostly failed to land, Gemini’s round was simply no match for Clips combination of stifling performance (“I’ll grab ya baby mom’s to the roof and make her skydive, I was born in ’83, I was taught to Air Mac’s before 9 5!”) bars, easy name flip (“Now watch Gemin1 turn into a Leo, and start lying [lion] ’bout that full clip, if he say he shooting the Taurus, don’t worry that’s some bull shit”) schemes and rigid punchlines.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I’ll pop a pill, take ya girl home. spend 9 hours in bed, I’m from America, she from London, so I made give me 5 hours a head [ahead]!”
Recap: In this one-round rematch from John John da Don’s new BullPen Battle League, JJDD does a nice job displaying his (“These problems is like a diet, that’s something you don’t want Clips”) wit as well as calling out some of Charlie Clips past nonsensical lines. But other than that, too many average bars and long-winded set-ups don’t stand a chance against Clips way more versatile stream of performance bars, witty jokes, delightful schemes and proverbial (“I didn’t come here to battle John John, I came to start a relationship with John’s mom, when she dressed we argue, but when she in her underclothes we get a long [along] john”) wordplay.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “Your bitch ass is the type to pull out a gun and then get robbed”
Recap: Featuring the longest argument over a coin flip that you’ll probably ever see, Charlie Clips versus Loaded Lux is also a battle of time constraints, some ridiculous punchlines, heated personals, dope schemes and of course, Charlie Clips’ pops–the latter of which has never actually appeared at a battle, but whom too many opponent’s of Clips seem to be obsessed over proving whether or not he was a snitch. Either way, Harlem versus Harlem almost always makes for a fire match and this one, while not reaching the sheer loquaciousness of say a Head Ice vs. Swave Sevah, still had its moments.
There was a more condensed Clips taking out a solid, but filler-drenched 1st round by Lux with gritty punchlines, fiery (“Now when you came up with that slogan ‘You gonna get this work’, that sent chills down my spine, that shit was crazy B, but the work you give out don’t last that long, but you the Temp agency!”) personals and some crazy wordplay. In the 2nd round, Lux edged a witty Muslim/Lux-impression and some more potent personals by Clips with a versatile turn of lofty personals, gripping (“It’s time Smack, why your fake shooter always worrying about the time clock?!?”) punches, a stifling freestyle and boastful bangers that all hit their mark.
Littered with squabbles on time limits, the 3rd and deciding round saw Lux go T-Rex on Clips with a turn centered on his opponent’s alleged family (“You and your daddy a couple of Chatty Patty’s!”) dysfunction–all good for Harlem-nites long familiar with these tales, but for others, most likely an elongated turn on a theme we’ve already seen before. Even with the paperwork. Still, as we previously saw with Rex, Clips seemed to already have an idea about what was coming, coming right back and dishing a couple of nice (“Charlie Clips a pussy?!, c’mon y’all, imagine that, you broke down my father’s past, but what the fuck that got to do with battle rap?!”) rebuttals in the midst of more jaunty wordplay and hitting schemes/personals in yet, another more condensed round that ended up getting him an impressive win.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I watched Rex you on 8th and I seen this man fry, so if you battled on the roof and the loser had to jump, either you ass-betted or you can’t die!”
Recap: Fresh off his somewhat disappointing battle with Hollow da Don, Charlie Clips gets right back on stage against a formidable opponent in the punchline-heavy, Oakland-based spitter Pass. From the start it doesn’t look too good for Clips as Pass (who clearly took a lot of notes from the Hollow battle) uses his opponent’s penchant for excuse-making to set up some nice punches and fiery (“You not careful where your Ice is [Isis] you get beheaded”) bars. But after using his first round to spit some mostly pedestrian freestyles in between pontificating on time issues, Clips gets back to battle mode and steps it up with a mean performance, steady schemes and a couple of righteous (“I’ll walk through your hood, no scratches on me, I’m a Foam Posit”) haymakers that easily takes out Pass’ fast-rap indifference and mostly stale darts. With the momentum back on his side, Clips edges a competitive (Pass: “Just cuz’ you .38 don’t make you special nigga”) round 3 with nasty schemes, festive (“You know Simon?. who gives a fuck, do what this gat say”) wordplay and a ‘Timbaland/Timberland/Missy’ line that was the best one in the round. Take in account Clips’ freestyle pedigree and how prepared he was for Pass’ angles and whoever Clips battles next may want to rethink the idea that he might be falling off.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “And my Cole, Shirley, when I bring these biscuits in ya mama Payne [pain] bitch”
Recap: A staggering 1st round filled with multiple derision’s on his opponent’s battle technique, witty punchlines/schemes and aggressive haymakers by Hollow da Don beats back a very solid, but less versatile and a little pedestrian turn by Charlie Clips. This highly anticipated battle is then decided by yet another superlative round by Hollow, going after Clips with a rich palette of jocular darts, crown-friendly punches, career/life tutorials, and heavy-handed personals that all hit their mark. In turn, after a dope 1st round that would’ve easily beat most rappers and during one of the biggest battles of his career, Clips literally goes off-track in the 2nd, struggling with his flow, dispensing substandard rhymes and strangely taking his focus off Hollow to throw shots at Cortez and D. Chambers who were each looking on from the stage. And while Clips’ focus would return in the 3rd with a fiery, personal and punch-heavy turn that got past a solid, but elongated round by Hollow, by the end it’d be too late.
Verdict: Hollow da Don (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hollow da Don – “I ain’t saying your shit wack, but bro, it’s the same move every time you kick that, set-up/punchline, set-up/punchline, that’s how you spit that?…just a candy rapper with 4 bars, you a [Kit-Kat]…see how easy it is to predict that?”
Recap: I agree with Jaz the Rapper on this one: Charlie Clips being on this Rookies vs. Vets card was just weird. No disrespect to T-Top, but considering that Clips is pretty much Top 5 on anybody’s list, to me a rook has got to put in more work before earning the chance to face the likes of Clips. So perhaps a more suitable option would’ve been Math (who’s publicly voiced wanting to face T-Top) or Cortez or even Arsonal. Still, a good match nonetheless and it was nice to see Method Man voice what I think most hardcore battle rap fans feel about mainstream artists trying to get down with the scene. That said, I got Clips (more variety, fierce schemes and sharper [“But if y’all do compare him to Tyson and he weave them first two rounds when that .4 bustin’, Total Slaughter ‘cuz the 3rd round dropping mics like Joe Buddens”] bars) clearly taking round one and Top clearly taking round two with that electric Trap talk, ill (“How many times we gonna guess what room in the same house?’) personals and wicked gun bars. A close 3rd round saw Top spit some nice personals and more of that real street (“I’m a drug lord, I’m only charging a rack a tier [racketeer])” chatter he’s become known for. Yet, Clips came one better here, mocking T-Top style and repetition before delivering a gripping prayer, some tutorials and enough stellar (“Maury show, I call DNA, he know who da [to] pop”) bars to edge this one at the end.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: T-Top – “All y’all see is fire, but I notice the kickback, that Clip worth two good rounds, like your bitch ass!”
Recap: Marv One deserves props for making this match close, but as Charlie Clips made sure to point out that’s mostly because he rapped way longer (not that Clips should be upset with that considering how long he went against fellow Michigan spitter X-Factor not too long ago) than his opponent. Still withstanding a dope round of frequent personals, jokes and hot (“You trying to fight Jesus in Bethlehem and a couple of heathens got you down to win, but I bet that change when they see me walking on the same waters you drowning in”) bars from Marv with a more condensed mix of rebuttals, scoring (“We could throw the hands Marv, on some real shit I need a new challenge, uppercut, you’ll get zzz’s on your ftee now that’s a New Balance”) punchlines, a couple of haymakers, working schemes and winning personals, Clips is able to hold off a near upset.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “When you do the uncut version of ‘8 Mile 2’ tell Eminem I’m the celebrity”
