URL hosted their Final Exams event at Martini’s lounge in Maryland, the home of Our Society Battle League. Final Exams featured the top 6 picks from this year’s Crucible class:
1) Saflare Sole
2) Klutz
3) Footz
4) Eaze
5) Hansel
6) Awthentic
The rookies were put to the ultimate test against URL veterans. Let’s go through each rookie and discuss their individual performances.
Mission Accomplished
The question everyone wants the answer to is, did the rookies pass their final exams? The short answer is yes. This year’s Crucible class showed they can stand in the ring with URL veterans. To put the icing on top of the cake, Smack looked thoroughly impressed.
Not the typical modest Smack we’d see, he was a fan that night. The rookies gained respect from Smack himself, along with other veterans in the building like Sheed Happens, Qleen Paper, and Tay Roc. So whether you had the rookies winning or losing, they defied the odds and put on amazing performances as a collective. They are no longer “Crucible guys”, they are future URL stars.
LTBR Award Recipients
Battle of the Night: Lu Castro vs Footz
Biggest win: Hansel over Steams
Best Performances of the night: #Saflare Sole| #2 Footz | #3 Hansel | #4 Klutz
Saflare Sole
Ranked at the top of the Crucible list, Saflare Sole was graced with the task of battling URL vet Chess. Sole is coming off his Summer Madness match vs Z the Dropout, where he clearly showed levels. Coming into this matchup, some doubted Saflare because that’s what comes with being a rookie and his opponent is one of the greatest to ever do it. Long story short, Saflare stood toe to toe with the young legend Chess. He was consistent all three rounds, combining hard-hitting lines with projection and conviction. Saflare was indeed a crowd-pleaser that night and he’s a star in the making.
Bar to highlight: “Look at me dropping gems in front of Chess/chest it’s a diamond push-up.”- Saflare Sole
Klutz
Klutz is ranked number two on the Crucible list and for his final exam, the test was the veteran Loso. Klutz went first and set the tone, he opened up with intricate punches and some humor. The second round was when Klutz kicked it up a notch and came alive. He was more comfortable, started engaging with the crowd, added some jokes and showed charisma. The highlight of the second round was Klutz flipping Loso’s “Jayblac/Smack White” angle versus Viixen. Sheed Happens, Qleen Paper, and Quban gave Klutz the same critique. They all said he has to make his material more digestible and work on his presence.
Bar to highlight: “If he’s with Steams, Mils-If he’s with Saga, Scripts-In front of Street-Hymns, In front Charlie, Clips!”-Klutz
Footz
Footz’s performance was the highlight of the night. Not only did he outperform his counterparts, but the veterans on the card as well. He had a roomshaker every single round. Footz’s combination of intricate penmanship, performance, and entertainment is a force to be reckoned with. He is definitely a star and it would be interesting to see him battle someone of the likes of Nu Jerzey Twork, a pen and performance type of guy. He also has a unique and effervescent style that is easy to gravitate towards. The ceiling is high for Footz and he’s a breath of fresh air.
Bar to highlight: “I got PTSD off that EKG, I was sad and done// I hate that beeping sound so much, I always stop the microwave on one.”- Footz
Eaze
Eaze’s punching style with country talk is indeed an interesting one. This was a highly debatable battle and pretty dope back and forth. Eaze held his own and entertained the crowd with his relatable bars, and comedic timing. An interesting matchup for Eaze would be versus Swamp, it would be cool to see the southern dynamic in the ring. He has so much potential, he’s original and authentically himself.
Bar to highlight: “Chinese finger traps, don’t make me pull for nothing.”-Eaze
Hansel
West coast up and comer, Hansel, showed levels. Ironic how the rookie showed levels, but follow along. Out the gate, Hansel was poised, yet aggressive. He landed bars left and right, with conviction and aggression. He also projected very well and captivated the crowd. Despite his opponent choking, Hansel remained focused and executed. It would be interesting to see Hansel battle another URL vet like Ace Amin or O-Red.
Bar to highlight: “They see a big a** gun and pulls a b*tch move, the nigga hit a 49 yard dash and got a 7.62.”-Hansel
Awthentic
With the nostalgia surrounding Chef Trez’s return, Awthentic knew this would be an uphill battle and he delivered. Awthentic withstood Chef Trez rebuttals and fought back after every round. He showcased his all-around style, delivering with aggressive punchlines, and schemes. Awthentic also came with his own version of “three of them thangs”, by rebutalling at the beginning of his second round. Despite a slight slip-up, he remained poised and finished strong.
Bar to highlight: “Chef Trez on the return? Well then- he battled on all three of the ops leagues, he’ll catch a shell then! It’s overwhelming! So imma make sure there’s nothing, but ratchets in this school when I expel men (Spellman)”-Awthentic
